The Medal of Honor Curse
- Thread starter Robert Rath
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EXCELLENT article.
The obsession with "realism" in aesthetics, even in truly unrealistic games like Modern Warfare 2, needs to end. Not saying that realistic aesthetics need to stop, but that the obsession needs to end, especially when true realism is betrayed for the sterotypical "gritty realistic" look, as you pointed out regarding the tropical Pacific in games like Call of Duty: World at War.
Innovation is definitely needed, and for that to happen, less mature consumers need to wise-up and realize that brighter colors doesn't make a game silly or "kiddie."
The obsession with "realism" in aesthetics, even in truly unrealistic games like Modern Warfare 2, needs to end. Not saying that realistic aesthetics need to stop, but that the obsession needs to end, especially when true realism is betrayed for the sterotypical "gritty realistic" look, as you pointed out regarding the tropical Pacific in games like Call of Duty: World at War.
Innovation is definitely needed, and for that to happen, less mature consumers need to wise-up and realize that brighter colors doesn't make a game silly or "kiddie."
Why no love for Hidden & Dangerous 2? The Burma Campaign was one of the best bits. Terrifying misty jungle. I also loved driving through Libya. That game felt insanely authentic, but allowed you to do anything you liked to get the mission done, you are SAS after all. Every locale felt very different too. It wasn't overtly colourful or dreary, just fairly natural looking. I would say that it is a game that needed a sequel more than MOH or COD do. At least it didn't treat the player like an imbecile either.
I think you ought remember that Normandy is at the same latitude as Vancouver and consequently the ambient light is that much colder. The desaturated look is familiar to anyone who lives in northwest europe. The colour plate of browns and greens is not unusual in Autumn over here.
See, I loved the first two MOHs for the PS1 precisely because the missions and aesthetic embraced World War II thrillers like Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarrone. And Michael Giacchino's soundtrack was perfect.
It wasn't until the third game, Frontline, that they really started playing up the "realism".
Contrarily, it was the "realism" that kicked me out of the experience--Frontline opens with an almost scene-for-scene recreation of the Normandy beach landings from Saving Private Ryan. But you stormed the beaches as Jimmy Patterson, the OSS commando from MOH 1. And that just threw me out of the whole game: the idea that the OSS would send one of their most skilled operatives, and officer and a pilot no less, into the meat grinder.
In retrospect, that might have been the first time I played a game that was more concerned with forcing in cinematic moments than whether it made any sense to the game. I haven't played a MOH game since.
It wasn't until the third game, Frontline, that they really started playing up the "realism".
Contrarily, it was the "realism" that kicked me out of the experience--Frontline opens with an almost scene-for-scene recreation of the Normandy beach landings from Saving Private Ryan. But you stormed the beaches as Jimmy Patterson, the OSS commando from MOH 1. And that just threw me out of the whole game: the idea that the OSS would send one of their most skilled operatives, and officer and a pilot no less, into the meat grinder.
In retrospect, that might have been the first time I played a game that was more concerned with forcing in cinematic moments than whether it made any sense to the game. I haven't played a MOH game since.
I'm sure I had lots of intelligent thoughts after reading this altogether well-written article but all I can think of know is "Fuck yeah I want to play a game where I'm a Gurkha." Seriously, those guys kick so much arse the toes of their descendants must be pre-emptively sore.
This didn't include the information on what spurred the change over from WWII shooters to the modern shooters. I remember so sonny you sit down on grandpa's lap and he will tell you a story. Battlefield 1942 had come out and was a success from the lan parties we had in college but all that changed when Battlefield Alpha came out, faster people, faster airplane, faster tanks and the navy was so much larger. You could run a whole battleship or sub by yourself and lay waste to whole areas with little effort. It was a success and the other companies desperately looking to change the WWII shooters to something new found it with a modern twist.
You cant make a game with Gurkha's though. Soon as you start the mission, the enemy completely surrenders...Pallindromemordnillap said:
That was a great article. Thank you for introducing me to the term "tinnitus effect"; it's so nice to learn that ubiquitous things actually have names.
Hell yes. Once the industry realises we don't need (or particularly want) another white, brown-haired, three-day-bearded protagonist, they're gonna have a field day.Pallindromemordnillap said:
You're preaching to the choir here.
A good article, very informative, but the message is old news here.
A good article, very informative, but the message is old news here.
The drab coloring is which finally ruined it for me for BF3. Every single fucking map, lets just cut the color down by 50% and call it a day.
You know what would have been impressive, is that at the start of every map (if not already on fire) started out brilliant and bright, but as the war waged on it would slowly turn greyish/brown due to smut and smoke caused by the fighting.
I'm looking forward to FC3 more of the vibrant jungle and island colors more then anything else.
You know what would have been impressive, is that at the start of every map (if not already on fire) started out brilliant and bright, but as the war waged on it would slowly turn greyish/brown due to smut and smoke caused by the fighting.
I'm looking forward to FC3 more of the vibrant jungle and island colors more then anything else.
I didn't know about that one. I'll keep it in mind. Sounds fun.Bashful Reaper said:
No joke: I have a Where Eagles Dare poster on my wall. I also once had a birthday party where we watched The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare as a double feature. It was a pot luck where everyone had to bring food or alcohol representing one of the Allied or Axis nations.Falseprophet said:
WanderingFool said:
Someone call Activision. Call of Duty: Gurkha Rampage needs to be a thing.Thunderous Cacophony said:
I never knew about the origins of MOH, thanks for the incredible article. I kind of wish I had that kind of research power though.
What a great article! As a MoH: Frontline and Rising Sun player back in the day I always thought that the series was one of the biggest stepping stones toward the modern day shooter. This helped fill in some of my gaps in knowledge and really tie everything together.
Come to think of it, I think I would rather play either of those games over any of the recent installments of the series. Might be time to hook the Gamecube back up!
Come to think of it, I think I would rather play either of those games over any of the recent installments of the series. Might be time to hook the Gamecube back up!
Woaw.I didn't... I didn't know.
It always occurs to me that MOH:AA was inspired by Saving Private Ryan, but I didn't know it was all part of a greater work. It kinda makes me proud to be a gamer that the game that lead to the creation of the Call of Duty games(aka a exemple of game that people always use to dismiss video game as "stupid things for children") was intented as a work of art.
It always occurs to me that MOH:AA was inspired by Saving Private Ryan, but I didn't know it was all part of a greater work. It kinda makes me proud to be a gamer that the game that lead to the creation of the Call of Duty games(aka a exemple of game that people always use to dismiss video game as "stupid things for children") was intented as a work of art.
A great article.
I think it makes sense to mention "Schindler's List", an earlier Spielberg movie where he tried to go for authenticity by making it mostly black and white.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler%27s_List
"Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" where both excellent movies. But when I saw them I remember thinking that Spielberg took the easy way out by using those colour tricks. Life isn't black and white or washed out brown. Even when life is hell, trees and bushes are still green, flowers have colours and beautiful days exist. This could have caused some interesting and cruel narrative contrast or dissonance, like soldiers being slaughtered on a beautiful field.
In the late '80s and early '90s Hollywod had a brown period with several Western movies made to look gritty and dirty. Notable examples were the "Young Guns" movies and "Tombstone".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Guns_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_%28film%29
This seemed to make a lot more sense in that genre, since Westerns often depict muddy, dusty environments. It felt like a revolt against the technicoloured fairy tale beauty of some of the '60s and '70s Westerns and maybe even marking the end of the bright pastel colours typical of the 1980s.
I think it makes sense to mention "Schindler's List", an earlier Spielberg movie where he tried to go for authenticity by making it mostly black and white.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler%27s_List
"Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" where both excellent movies. But when I saw them I remember thinking that Spielberg took the easy way out by using those colour tricks. Life isn't black and white or washed out brown. Even when life is hell, trees and bushes are still green, flowers have colours and beautiful days exist. This could have caused some interesting and cruel narrative contrast or dissonance, like soldiers being slaughtered on a beautiful field.
In the late '80s and early '90s Hollywod had a brown period with several Western movies made to look gritty and dirty. Notable examples were the "Young Guns" movies and "Tombstone".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Guns_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_%28film%29
This seemed to make a lot more sense in that genre, since Westerns often depict muddy, dusty environments. It felt like a revolt against the technicoloured fairy tale beauty of some of the '60s and '70s Westerns and maybe even marking the end of the bright pastel colours typical of the 1980s.
I remember the first MoH & CoD games very well. What's really sad about this genre is that all subsequent games are essentially clones of these two with trumped up graphics.
For me the most captivating thing about MoH wasn't the realism, games like Delta Force did realism much better. The hallmark was the intensity of the sound. i distinctly remember the omaha mission in AA, and not wanting to get out of the little hole because of the sheer acoustic intensity of war.
For me the most captivating thing about MoH wasn't the realism, games like Delta Force did realism much better. The hallmark was the intensity of the sound. i distinctly remember the omaha mission in AA, and not wanting to get out of the little hole because of the sheer acoustic intensity of war.