Violence, War, and Call of Duty 4

[Daniel Golding]

Violence, War, and Call of Duty 4 by Daniel

PALGN Feature: Call of Duty 4 is really an anti-war wolf in a shooter sheep’s clothing.

[View Article]

[Karai Pantsu]

Fantastic piece, Daniel! I wasn't in any particular hurry to play CoD4, but you've made me rethink that. I'd very much like to get it now.

Also:
A heedy reader shall often discover in other men’s compositions perfections far different from the writer’s meaning, and such as haply he never dreamed of, and illustrateth them with richer senses and more excellent constructions.
What a great quote!
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[Crestfallen]

You're a great writer, Daniel. Very good piece.
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[ObsoletE]

i definitely agree with the claim that IW seem to run with a more anti-war message, but i think it's also evident in their first 2 COD games too. not only are the non-glorifying quotes present, but moments like the Staligrad landing in the Russian campaign hardly make it out that the life of a soldier is one to be envied. not when you are ordered to run to another minuscule piece of cover to provide a superior with a target.

COD4 definitely steps that up though. i think it provided two of the most groundbreaking game moments ever in the opening credits, and that final Marine mission. i was literally speechless after the latter played out. it's so non-conventional it came out of left-field, and what's more, it worked.

anyway - great read.
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[Crestfallen]

[Flameforge]

That's a great article, Daniel.

I only picked up COD4 recently and wasn't expecting such a moving experience. From a casual investigation of the game it just sounds like an above-average shoot 'em up, but what surprised me was how the developers weaved in so many thought-provoking scenes.

One thing I remember most: that flippant comment by the comms bloke when you've finished the bombing run in the plane, something like "this will make a great home movie". That really struck me as someone so disconnected from the killing and destruction I'd just unleashed.
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[Lord Haart]

It's definitely good to see a game take it's moral position seriously. Of course, the strength of CoD4 is that it's not just some anti-war rap, but it goes a little more in depth about the lunatics on both sides of the conflicts, what has led them to act the way they do, and why we as humans should never, ever let lunatics dictate our future.

[DrTim]

Bravo. Well put.

I think the whole point the article states rings true for many games. COD 1, 2 (and maybe 3, I never played it), definitely all of the MGS games, and even I think to an extent the GTA games. People need to think like this and examine not just what you do in a game but why you are doing it, and how that relates to what you do in real life.
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Zack De La Rocha

[Flypaper]

[longshoes]

I work at Infinity Ward and that was a really fascinating read for me. Thanks a lot!

[Daniel Golding]

Firstly, thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate all this feedback.

[Lord Haart]

Well, it definitly says something about the quailty of your writing if it even got the developers interested

Keep it up, I enjoy these deeper topics

[cmdwedge]

That's the best piece of writing I've ever seen on the subject of a video game. Thankyou.
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[Phil]

[cmdwedge]

[tbenton]

Excellent article, I haven't read anything like this on the subject of video games in a while.

Seems like Infinity Ward have constructed a game similarly to a South Park episode, a game of multiple layers / meanings.

Well Done.
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[palmook]

Fantastic read Daniel! By far the best thing I've read on palgn, the rest of the team could learn a lot from your example. Then maybe we'd have less of the usual lazy game journalism clichés such as "can't wait to get our grubby mitts on it!"

[Additives]

Wow, its articlews like this that give me hope that legislation and so-called popular opinions will change in favor of recognising the maturing demographic of gamers. Alltogether well done

[timmyp85]

Excellent read. Having known Daniel for many years its not a surprise to see him write something of this calibre. Keep it up!