Let's revive the WWII genre

[TheIronRuler]

Here's one for a twist. How about where you play as a nazi? Can't think of any games off hand that have you playing as the bad guys.

That would make an excellent risk and possibly a money sink.
Only an indie game developer would dare to do this.

 

[Laser Priest]

They're more common than moody indie platformers.

Impossibru!

But yeah, we stopped making them because they've pretty much gone through every major battle many times. Now we've moved on to modern warfare, where the developers still suck at causing any form of emotional reaction.

 

[Katana314]

The most realistic depiction of events often doesn't involve as much heroism or point-on-point bravery as a video game demands.

That exactly is a factor in creating the BEST shooter experience ever.
Too bad it's a risk game developers don't take, trying to humanize their antagonists and making you feel bad for killing them since it sometimes isn't just for self defense.
I had a scene in my mind once, set in a fictional shooter game in which you are a civilian forced upon you to become an armed "freedom fighter" or terrorist, depends on who you're asking, that shoots a soldier and kills him. Then you go into a shock state and start vomiting after you've realized you've killed a man (all in first person). THAT is an experience to remember.

See, I've felt that immersion is how closely you can tie the protagonist's feelings to the player's feelings. It's easy to note that not many players would feel bile in their throat from killing a person in a game, thus seeing that cutscene would make them think "Oh come on, you pussy." Still, there is a way to accomplish that sort of thing through other means. Show letters from the enemies to their families, let you overhear them acting all human-like and brotherly, and maybe even try to talk you down out of shooting them. Whether the player feels sorry for their actions is completely up to them; you can't easily force feelings in a game.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Just don't make me storm the beaches of Normandy again. They invaded South France too at around the same time. I know it's not as cinematic, but let's try that one.

You could even make an entire game based around the Eastern Front. Or China. I can't recall a single WW2 shooter where you play the Chinese or British in East and South-East Asia.

Do you REALLY want to play a british soldier in BURMA?
See those rusty buckets on wheels the Japanese called tanks?
watch a Japanese BYCICLE BRIGAD paddling by?

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Well, thinking about it, maybe they could do some WWII game from the view of the Germans...
Like where they conquered most of Europe.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Just don't make me storm the beaches of Normandy again. They invaded South France too at around the same time. I know it's not as cinematic, but let's try that one.

You could even make an entire game based around the Eastern Front. Or China. I can't recall a single WW2 shooter where you play the Chinese or British in East and South-East Asia.

Do you REALLY want to play a british soldier in BURMA?
See those rusty buckets on wheels the Japanese called tanks?
watch a Japanese BYCICLE BRIGAD paddling by?

Yeah, actually. That sounds awesome. It would play like a cross between WWII and Vietnam games while staying original. Ofc, what I really want to play is a game where you're part of the finnish army in the winter war.

 

[artanis_neravar]

How about you play as part of the Polish army fighting to prevent the German Invasion

 

[TheIronRuler]

Sorry, but I'm indeed sick of WWII. It's been 70 years since the war and for the last 20, we've been playing the same old thing, same weapons, same uniforms, same stories, same everything.

Frankly, I've been sick of WWII around the Medal of Honor:AA era, which was 10 years ago. The only WWII game I've played since then was Wolfenstein, and that's a good game ONLY because it applies a funny twist to the whole WWII thing. Nazis are cool enemies when they're made cool. Just ask Indiana Jones.

Seriously, it's tiring. If you ask me, Vietnam is a much cooler setting and we don't get all that many games from that 'war'. I mean, helicopters, napalm, jungle, vietcong traps! And real snipers.

Now, not that WWII can't be made interesting in a game too, but not with the same old US vs Nazi shit, same old Normandy shit, same old Berlin siege shit. At least give us some freezing Norway, or battles in Africa, or at least some battles in Japanese islands! Or Escape from the concentration camp? Doing the German resistance?

And what about that Russian-Norway or whatever war? Why no games from that era?

Nah, there were way too many other wars that are more interesting just by principle than the whole stupid WWII thing, especially when everyone just keeps pushing out the samey shooter multiple times every year.

Vietnam was a war in which the lines were blurred. Americans came to save the day but the local population had an intelligence network against them for the North, but then after the north crushed them they started massacring some of the population, and then they turned on .... bleh, WW2 was much more simple - You had the Axis, the Allies, and the countries that didn't give a shit.
Though I must admit that it took some balls to make Black Ops considering that it had the Bay of Pigs event there and some other embarrassing events the USA want to forget, since they weren't explicitly the good guys there.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Just don't make me storm the beaches of Normandy again. They invaded South France too at around the same time. I know it's not as cinematic, but let's try that one.

You could even make an entire game based around the Eastern Front. Or China. I can't recall a single WW2 shooter where you play the Chinese or British in East and South-East Asia.

Do you REALLY want to play a british soldier in BURMA?
See those rusty buckets on wheels the Japanese called tanks?
watch a Japanese BYCICLE BRIGAD paddling by?

Yeah, actually. That sounds awesome. It would play like a cross between WWII and Vietnam games while staying original. Ofc, what I really want to play is a game where you're part of the finnish army in the winter war.

I wonder if some developer might pick up some of the conflicts in the middle east, the ones with Israel in them.
That might be a refreshing change.
Wait, dod anyone actually make a FPS based on one of the wars between Israel and the other arab nations? now THAT is a sensitive subject.

 

[Netrigan]

Would be great to see a comic book inspired WWII game. Giant war wheels, giant Hitler robots, super soldiers in colorful uniforms... sort of Bulletstorm meets Wolfenstein.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

I have no problem with the World War II genre, but the glut of WWII games in the past made them as tedious as the modern chest-high wall Gears of War ripoffs that are a dime a dozen nowadays.

 

[Valiance]

I want a Battlefield 1944 next, DICE.

Just make it a HD, destructable remake of all the maps on 1942 and we're good, 'kay? None of that 'Three maps, all Pacific' shit.

I'd love another Brothers in Arms, but that's not gonna happen, due to tragic circumstances.
It's even more disheartening when Hells Highway ended with 'To be continued'.

Pretty much this. I always thought Battlefield 1942 was the best Battlefield game and it's really the only WWII FPS I've ever really enjoyed with the land/sea/air and vehicles and overarching point control and whatnot.

Also, Company of Heroes is fantastic, as is Close Combat (if you're into the strategy stuff.)

 

[massaffect123]

How about a World War II city sim where you have to support the war effort and keep people from starving to death by correctly handing out foot stamps and rationing your supplies. You also have to refit car factories into military factories and correctly handle public responses after things like Pearl Harbor!

I like this idea. Quite a bit. It could be a really interesting and refreshing take on WWII.

Why not a Dynasty Warrior-style WWII game? (Not as in, you run around killing the shit out of everything, but you have units roaming around and occasionally you'll be told to do something like, "Plant the C4 on the Western bridge to delay enemy reinforcements!" and running around to save other units by flanking the enemy and such.

That could be amazingly fun. I would buy that in a heartbeat.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

Here's one for a twist. How about where you play as a nazi? Can't think of any games off hand that have you playing as the bad guys.

I'm sorry but I'm now going to talk your face off.

I actually had an idea like this where you play as a young soldier in the Wehrmacht, the game starts, like a lot of World War 2 games, in Stalingrad, when the Germans looked like they could take the city. You'll be facing down charges in which half of the soviets aren't even armed, but as things advance your squad (who would each be characterised, of course, perhaps with replacements coming in through the campaign) would come under sniper fire, and be faced with an ever more resistant Red Army.

The game would then follow you in retreat, as your comrades grow ever more tired of the war effort, and distrustful of the Nazi regime, some of them may be taken away or shot for this, the game would go on, falling back from the advancing red army, who are spurred on by Stalin's Order 227.

Eventually, you will be shot, tortured, captured or hanged.
My only real issue is making a fun game in which you're constantly trying to get away from the enemy rather than ever really pushing back against them for a long while.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Just don't make me storm the beaches of Normandy again. They invaded South France too at around the same time. I know it's not as cinematic, but let's try that one.

You could even make an entire game based around the Eastern Front. Or China. I can't recall a single WW2 shooter where you play the Chinese or British in East and South-East Asia.

Do you REALLY want to play a british soldier in BURMA?
See those rusty buckets on wheels the Japanese called tanks?
watch a Japanese BYCICLE BRIGAD paddling by?

Yeah, actually. That sounds awesome. It would play like a cross between WWII and Vietnam games while staying original. Ofc, what I really want to play is a game where you're part of the finnish army in the winter war.

I wonder if some developer might pick up some of the conflicts in the middle east, the ones with Israel in them.
That might be a refreshing change.
Wait, dod anyone actually make a FPS based on one of the wars between Israel and the other arab nations? now THAT is a sensitive subject.

Yeah, it's a really interesting topic for a war game, but there's no way they could make that game without pissing everyone off haha. It might even be interesting to play a WWI as an Ottoman soldier - that's far back enough that it gets away from most real-world conflicts. Or as an Ethiopian fighting Mussolini?

 

[cgmetallica1981]

All I need is Red Orchestra 2 and I will never need another FPS. Oh god that game is looking to be amazing.

 

[Kadoodle]

Just don't make me storm the beaches of Normandy again. They invaded South France too at around the same time. I know it's not as cinematic, but let's try that one.

You could even make an entire game based around the Eastern Front. Or China. I can't recall a single WW2 shooter where you play the Chinese or British in East and South-East Asia.

Do you REALLY want to play a british soldier in BURMA?
See those rusty buckets on wheels the Japanese called tanks?
watch a Japanese BYCICLE BRIGAD paddling by?

Yeah, actually. That sounds awesome. It would play like a cross between WWII and Vietnam games while staying original. Ofc, what I really want to play is a game where you're part of the finnish army in the winter war.

I wonder if some developer might pick up some of the conflicts in the middle east, the ones with Israel in them.
That might be a refreshing change.
Wait, dod anyone actually make a FPS based on one of the wars between Israel and the other arab nations? now THAT is a sensitive subject.

I might play it. Though it is too sensitive a subject; maybe it needs to be made by Israel.

I also do think it would be cool to have a game set in the Israeli six day war.