Modern Warfare
Cinema, Propaganda & Excellent Gunplay
While Call Of Duty is no stranger to controversy, 2019’s Modern Warfare’s infamous “Highway of Death” mission reignited conversations about whether the first person shooter was simply military recruitment propaganda for the American Government. While the mission setup was standard Call Of Duty fare, the story backdrop was rather peculiar. Set in the fictional failed Arab State of Urzukistan, itself an amalgam of various Middle Eastern nations, the mission dressing was evocative of real world events in the Gulf States. In a bid to add to the ledger of the opposition forces, the developer engaged in a bout of blatant historical revisionism. In the game, Russian antagonists are blamed for the massacre of retreating forces on the infamous Highway Of Death. In the real world, during Operation Desert Storm, American forces massacred fleeing Iraqi civilians and retreating soldiers on Highway 80 between the Iraqi cities of Kuwait and Safwan. While there are other examples of purported military propaganda in the Call Of Duty franchise, this mission in particular seemed to confirm what some anti-war critics already believed to be true. Some of them going as far as to label the series an American government psyop.
It is worth noting that nested in art is the ability to transform and change hearts and minds. Art can be an effective carrier of complex themes and messaging as it has no barriers
Whether one shares these sentiments or not it is evident that Activision Blizzard actively consults with personnel in the American government to lend add to the realism and add credence to their hit video game franchise. A practice also common with Hollywood filmmakers. As to whether this is effective propaganda or not is an entirely different matter. It is however certain that the consultation has paid off handsomely as Call Of Duty is still one of the world’s most profitable military first person shooters. More than that, generally speaking, these are great video games. Ubisoft’s ‘Tom Clancy’s The Division’ series of videos games has its inspiration from real world events which have helped anchor the film in spite of its ever so slightly science fiction leanings. A signifiant part of what makes it very appealing to many gamers. Much like Activision Blizzard offerings, the series is rooted in realism and based on real world events and real world strategies of America’s intelligence and military agencies. However, due to Ubisoft’s offering being set in the near future and a post apocalyptic USA, there is seldom any opportunity for historical revisionism. Call Of Duty campaigns are often rooted in today’s world(Modern Warfare) or actual past historical events(Black Ops) reinterpreted for a gaming audience. As both of these are works of fiction, artistic freedom grants both publishers a lot of latitude. It is worth noting that nested in art is the ability to transform and change hearts and minds. Art can be an effective carrier of complex themes and messaging as it has no barriers. However, it is a fools errand to infuse propaganda in Call Of Duty due to the target audience. Complex messages get lost in translation and the only ones who notice the propaganda if any are “anti-imperialist” essayists and journalists who may not necessarily be gamers themselves.
Coming off a rough year from the last outing, the latest offering from Activision Blizzard has taken the gaming world by storm. Many critics and gamers alike describing the current Modern Warfare single player campaign as one of the best, if not the best in franchise history. Featuring Hollywood heavyweights such as Mads Mikkelsen(Rogue One, James Bond and many more)it is clear the Infinity Ward were burdened with singular purpose: to bring back the series to its cinematic routes. Coupled to the narrative is the score composed by Stephen Barton and Jason Graves. A motley collective however as one plays through the video game and its campaign the choice to use two composers with two differing styles of composition makes sense. Each baptises the title with their unique sound creating a beautiful mosaic out of the game’s soundscape. From a production standpoint, very few games can hold a candle to Activision’s presentation. The audio mixing, the lighting, the gameplay, the technical wizardry marrying art and engineering are unparalleled. A pity as most gamers actively avoid the single player campaign and predominantly focus on the multiplayer aspects of the title. Some psychopaths even play with the music off. Uncouth.
The audio mixing, the lighting, the gameplay, the technical wizardry marrying art and engineering are unparalleled.
While no title is perfect, this year’s Call Of Duty has had the developers dig deep and go back to the roots of what made their titles great. Littered with pickings from past titles, even gamers who only play the single player campaign can justify paying full price for the game. As an interesting comparison point, Gears Of War E-Day may be the superior product artistically but for different reasons. Modern Warfare 4’s art is in the technical achievements. Gears E-Day’s shines through in its environmental story telling. As it is set on a distant planet off in the far future the artists here have a lot more freedom in their artistic expression. Modern Warfare’s real world and present day setting limit the art to the narrative and character performances. While Gears has also had monumental work done in terms of software engineering, the light of its narrative burns brighter as it is untainted by “weak” propaganda if any. Sadly, it may not see the same sales success that Modern Warfare will in the coming days.
Video companion piece here.
Image credits in order of appearance: Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay; Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay