Gamers logo

'Battlefield 1' Opens the Door for Other Less-Modern Conflicts as Viable Game Settings

DICE. is now proving that World War I can feel authentic, be authentic, and be just as fun as modern theaters of combat.

By Dustin MurphyPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
1

World War 1 is a war we don't see or hear about in shooter games very often. It is a war that remains unspoken in an industry driven by games that display as many violent facets of war. The masters of realism in war hover around it at times. Call of Duty 2 gave light to consumer interest by taking players across Europe as Russian's, the French, and even American's during the height World War 2. Battlefield: 1942 continued to show this prowess as developer DICE built their franchise to focus around famed wars in history. With games like Valiant Hearts: The Great War published by Ubisoft, World War 1 has begun to gain some traction as a era for games to depict.

With "The Great War" as its focus, DICE. has opted to show us that the future is not the only path that has to be taken in war games. They are showing us that there are wars in times before World War II or the Iraq War (modern settings) that could be potential grounds for success. DICE. is now proving that World War 1 can feel authentic, be authentic, and be just as fun as modern theaters of combat.

World War 1 Feels Authentic in Battlefield 1's Open Beta

Battlefield 1 is the first game to attempt taking us back to a historical war in recent years. With the Open Beta come and gone fans from around the world gathered to take to the skies in biplanes, bombers, horseback, militarized cars, and even powerful tanks. Unlike most modern aged shooters, Battlefield 1 takes a unique turn for players to experience: bolt action rifles here are common place, pistols offer slow reload times, and even light machine guns are a task to perform adequately with.

It's a place where Assault Rifles are non-existent and SMGs are just becoming common. What drives Battlefield 1 to its home place isn't just the graphical aesthetics to match the timeframe or the weapons, it's also the use of the Frostbite Engine 3, which delivers a cinema-esque graphical approach similar to 2015's Star Wars Battlefront.

Thanks to the large desert terrain filled map titled "Sinai Desert" we get to head to a rare Ottoman Empire, where the game stands with its beautiful swirls of dust blowing across sun scorched dunes. You can see flames of a nearby flamethrower peaking up just over the hill only to illuminate nearby foliage and rocks, and the soft subtle blasts of stone crashing from tank artillery - Battlefield 1 feels real.

Unlike Battlefield: Hardline, Battlefield 1 turns us away from oil slicked streets, corn fields, and warehouses where cops and robbers chase each other down. Instead, we turn to richer scenarios where we can see both friend and foe taking across the desert on horseback with flamethrowers only to cut their target down to size with a saber. Horseback battle was common in WW1, it happened in real life and to see it happen in a game brings the level authenticity that the franchise is known for to life.

This is Battlefield at its best.

World War 1 is a Hit With Battlefield 1, but What Other Wars Are There?

With World War 1 already proving to be a success, Battlefield 1 is already taking off like a storm just days into its Beta and with only a few days remaining. With players from around the world uniting to storm the trenches, racing across sand dunes ahead and with planes buzzing ahead - it makes us curious to what wars could be next.

Could wars even older than just World War become a reality? If so, what wars would they use? Let us take a look at a few ideas we have

Battlefield: Korea Would Thrust Us Into the 1950s

Taking place from June 25th, 1950 to July 27th, 1953, the Korean War begun as tensions rose between North Korea and South Korea. With the North invading the South, the United Nations and the United States came to the aid of South Korea. Shortly after this began, it was almost World War 2 all over again as the Soviet Union as well as their allies to the south (China) both stepped in to attempt helping with the North's push.

Most of this caused by the global tensions that arose from the Cold War that took hold shortly after World War 2 came to an end. Shortly after North Korea's aggression began, the U.N. requested that North Korea cease their operations and called for a ceasefire. This is where the war broke out. This led to inventive amphibious UN counter-offensives like the Inchon Counter-Offensive.

This offensive approach by South Korea's allies cut North Korean's much needed resources and caused a war of attrition, where both sides wore each other down in supplies, food, and other military resources. Additionally, aerial battles were just as alive between the allies and the communist opposition as they were on the ground.

The Korean War offers plenty of unique opportunities, including:

  • Resource attrition
  • Land offensives and amphibious counter-offensives
  • Aerial battles over diverse Korean ecosystems
  • Multiple allied factions on both sides

Battlefield: French and Indian War Could Take Us to the 1700s

The early to mid 1700s feature the oft-overlooked French and Indian War. It's a war we are taught about in history books but more oft then not, the war is avoided by games. This portrays a void that could very well have been filled by now had it been done.

Unlike modern games, the French and Indian War approach would place a mix of guns and close quarters combat. Melee weapons such as spears, sabers, and tomahawk axes would be at the forefront of the combat mechanic scheme. It would push Battlefield's developers at DICE to setup players using bows, arrows, and even limited supplies, which could cause ammo-carrying support classes to become more prevalent and important.

Of course, beast-drawn vehicles and artillery weapons also offer cool opportunities. This would also open up a very real possibility of naval warfare coming to life as it played a rather integral role in wars back then. Want that cannon loaded to damage the enemies hull? Better do it while you can. It would also bring in players being restricted to actual reload times and even focus on all the weapons they have at hand. Want to reload that musket? Hope you have your flintlock pistol nearby to help you out.

Opportunities from the French and Indian War:

  • Melee combat weapon focus
  • Ranged weapons would be effective, but ammo would be managed by support classes
  • Horse-drawn vehicles and artillery would be integral to seige mechanics
  • Swashbuckling naval battles

Battlefield: Armenia Rising Could Cover the Artsakh Liberation War of the '90s

Artsakh Liberation War is one you don't hear often of. It was a war that spanned six years, but some of it remains at large in the modern world. The conflict takes place between the republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a region in Azerbaijan populated primarily by ethnic Armenians.

The war/conflict has origins that take place as early as the 20th century, though most modern fights started in 1988 and went into full out war in the early '90s. This is all because of land, ethnic beliefs, and even a push for secession. While there was a ceasefire signed, skirmishes to this day still occur.

Most of the fighting started due to Armenian separatists and heat up as they still attempt to off and on push for land within the region of Azerbaijan. The result lead to the use of tanks, artillery, modern weapons, and even the loss of countless civilian and military lives in the process.

The '90s Artsakh Liberation War would offer:

  • A very fresh location and culture never seen in combat games
  • Early '90s middle east tensions
  • The opportunity to play as one of multiple non-white ethnicities

Those are some of my picks for 'unpopular' conflicts that would make perfect Battlefield titles. Now, if only we could get DICE to make a war game based on spies, the cold war, and the 1920 mob filled-streets... If you're one of those who are hyper enthusiastic for Battlefield 1, it'll be coming up your way here soon for some.

combat
1

About the Creator

Dustin Murphy

A video games journalist and Content Creator. He has been featured on sites such as AppTrigger and MoviePilot. He's the president and editor-in-chief of the independent news publisher Blast Away the Game Review.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.