Poll: Americans as the bad guys

[Cracker3011]

Since we are all sick to death of russians/terrorists/russian terrorists being the villains in pretty much every modern warfare-type game released in the past 5 years or so, I got to thinking, why doesn't any studio take the risk of making the world's most powerful country the enemy, beyond the occasional level or two? Even as simple as a reverse Red Dawn (with the eeeevil capitalists invading the peace-loving communists... or something) would make a change from shooting people with a foriegn accent.

 

[lacktheknack]

How about not demonizing an entire country, or just taking the Civilization approach?

 

[Awexsome]

I think there could be some opportunities to pull of something like that. I mean off the top of my head... Oil supplies running low... U.S. needs more... so they invade some country to get it.

Plenty of people with a voice in politics nowadays that I know would have no problem killing a bunch of innocent foreigners to get what they want.

 

[Adam28]

Well according to Naughty Dog they must always be British..... just joking of course.

Can't actually think of many games where an american is the enemy, minds gone blank today. Oh well, don't really care as long the enemy fits the story perfectly.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

It would be rather nice to have an actual American enemy, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. If they did, he/she would probably be misguided and have a revelation at the end and become good again, so some shit like that.

Besides, I'd imagine there would be a lot of pissed of people over it if it were to happen.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Americans aren't nearly witty and charming enough to be the villians.

If the British have to be the villians, then we're the best damn villians around.

 

[gphjr14]

Well according to Naughty Dog they must always be British..... just joking of course.

Can't actually think of many games where an american is the enemy, minds gone blank today. Oh well, don't really care as long the enemy fits the story perfectly.

Well technically UC2's main antagonist was a Serb, but they do tend to bash the Europeans.

 

[Cracker3011]

Since we are all sick to death of russians/terrorists/russian terrorists being the villains in pretty much every modern warfare-type game released in the past 5 years or so, I got to thinking, why doesn't any studio take the risk of making the world's most powerful country the enemy, beyond the occasional level or two? Even as simple as a reverse Red Dawn (with the eeeevil capitalists invading the peace-loving communists... or something) would make a change from shooting people with a foriegn accent.

US Army would have a fuckin fit.
Remember Medal of Honor?
Think about it.

Good point, though the russian army seems to have no issues with games depicting them as child-murdering scum.

 

[Something Amyss]

Depends on how it's handled. If Americans are just portrayed as mustache twilirling villains for the sake of being controversial, no. If handled well, yes.

And I'm an American.

 

[cryogeist]

The American army would flip the fuck out if it happened...but yeah if they did it right it would be cool

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

This could be done without demonizing a country, just make a game depicting a second American Civil War. You could even make 2 campaigns of the different sides.

 

[Baradiel]

God yes! I mean, every time America is fighting a war, the person they're fighting is going to see them as the enemy. And the people who like those people are going to see America as the enemy. And if the reason for the war isn't good enough, Americas allies are going to see them as the enemy.

Just looking at history, there are lots of times the American military was sent in for the "wrong reasons". Quite often it was to uphold some fascist dictator or genocidal tyrant, because said tyrant gives the US government, or rather their corporate sponsors, alot of money.

TLR If a game had America as the enemy, other than multiplayer, then I would DEFINITELY buy it, even if it wasn't particularly good. Might help recoup some of the developers losses after publishing a game that goes against Americas self-styled purity. (generalisation FTW!)

 

[northeast rower]

Games with US enemies (that I have played):
Grand Theft Auto IV
Bioshock (don't nitpick, this pretty much shits on American ideology)
Fallout 3 (demonized the American culture from the 50's)

Games with Russians/Terrorists (that I have played):
Call of Duty (combining them all into one)
Medal of Honor
Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Maybe I don't play enough games, or maybe not enough of my games are set in the real world. I know that some of the ones in the first category were a stretch, but games with US bad guys DO exist as much as ones with Russians/terrorists.

For that matter, how about a game not with US enemies, but with generally "good" guys becoming the bad? The USA isn't the only capitalist country out there. The only game I can think of where Britain is the "bad guy" is Black Ops, and that's only for one level. How about we have Canada, or Poland, or Wales? Any country can be a bad guy if you want it bad enough.

 

[Adam28]

Well according to Naughty Dog they must always be British..... just joking of course.

Can't actually think of many games where an american is the enemy, minds gone blank today. Oh well, don't really care as long the enemy fits the story perfectly.

Well technically UC2's main antagonist was a Serb, but they do tend to bash the Europeans.

True, the British guy is always being used I guess. Although, I am basing this on two games and one trailer for the third.

 

[Axolotl]

You mean like Modern Warfare 2?

 

[garjian]

huh?

i thought that in every game where you were playing as the americans, you were the bad guys... >.>

if you mean a game where you actually fight against america, then yeah definately. i already find it fun shooting the civilians/soldiers/etc. that speak in that awful accent... that said, saints row, and many similar games already exist.

 

[V TheSystem V]

Modern Warfare 2 had an American as the actual main antagonist. He used his AMERICAN troops against you.

Was a bit 'WTF?' when he killed you, but at least it was so nonsensical it was unpredictable.

 

[Zhukov]

Yup. I would play the hell out of that.

I could imagine that every enemy was a Call of Duty protagonist.

 

[Vern5]

I would immediately pick up a game that has you playing as a downtrodden militia fighter, desperately trying to defend his home against American invaders. Of course, if the game portrayed either side as good or evil, I would have to break the game disc in half out of disgust.

Imagine it like this: you are a poor worker in some 3rd world country that is being invaded by the US for nonspecific reasons. The game revolves around you fighting for your life against trigger-happy American soldiers with the overall goal being your escape from a ravaged homeland. I feel like that would be the epitome of a game stuck between gritty and realism: a game where the only objective in your "check objectives" screen is either SURVIVE or ESCAPE while being shot at by platoons of heavily armed soldiers.