I am a huge fan of the definition of gender. Contrary to the state of my desktop, I prefer my games well pigeonholed into specific pockets of gender clarity. But when I started thinking about the definition of military games, everything got a bit confusing. Everything started well, the first thing that came to mind was strategy games. Like the Total War and Risk series. But then my rational mind told me, as it usually does, surely anything that contains a feudal hierarchy should be classified as a military game. Well, yes and no, yes, they contain aspects of an army, but maybe that doesn’t make it one. Especially not if you turn against the system during the course of the story, that just doesn’t make sense somehow. There is also the idea that a military game originates from the army itself. It is well known that the US military has used games as a recruiting tool. This is now its third iteration and I suppose it will be a huge success. However, is it morally correct to use entertainment as a hiring tool? I guess he’s never stopped them in the past!
So there are potentially a lot of games that could be under this title and it really got me wondering. Especially since, I have to admit, I have hardly played any of them! We have strategies like the Sudden Strike series. You can take control of one of the main forces involved in WWII. This is in real time with a strong emphasis on the types of units that focus on their strengths and weaknesses. Then we have Air Combat games like Tom Clancy’s HAWX where the precision of the environment seems to be the order of the day. Alternatively, if you want to get stuck playing soldiers, there are games like the Call of Duty or Day of Defeat series. These allow you to play as a British or German recruit in the thick of the action. These are generally first-person shooter games, but there are some squad-based games that offer similar action with a different perspective, such as the Commandos series.
So many variations of military games have been created. Although there are many variations, they all have a very similar quality. They all emphasize realism and historical accuracy (in the case of games based on the past anyway!) Some obviously depict famous battles or missions from history. In my experience with these, achieving the well-known result of these missions usually becomes devilishly difficult, especially in strategy games. Or the other reason for its popularity could be the technical precision of the weapons and vehicles. Airplane and submarine games generally have technical precision at the top of their lists. Deviation from the correct type of ammunition used in weapons, for example, often sparks outcry in the gaming community.
Could there be a patriotic reason to buy these games? When “Empire: Total War” was released, they had a different cover for each country that represented the flag and colors of that country. This certainly suggests that many people buy these games out of patriotic pride. I wonder if people recreate some of the famous battles in an attempt to achieve the opposite result of what happened historically. It may not be any of these reasons and people are just playing to experience the story. Or are games in this genre just fun? With that in mind, here are the top 3 military games that I think you should have played.
Sudden hit 2
This goal-based strategy game is something that my friends often convinced me to play for long periods of time. It focuses on the technicalities of warfare during World War II. This includes items such as line of sight, unit strengths and weaknesses, and how armies from different countries fought with their own tactics. It has a fairly steep learning curve, as not being like most modern RTS games, there is no base building. However, you do get boosts if you hold your objectives long enough. However, the real strength of the game is the environment. Reaching higher ground is often essential and making sure your commanders are using their binoculars when defending helps you see enemies sooner when they arrive to attack. If you’re in the mood for a bit of WWII strategy but don’t mind the idea of turn-based games, it’s worth paying attention!
Defeat day
This game is often underestimated. And while it doesn’t offer as much realism as some online fps games, it’s a lot of fun. The maps involved are based on checkpoints, so you need to hit the targets and hold your ground long enough to capture the point. There is a class-based character system so you can choose what type of weapon you have from a selection of rifles and machine guns. This dictates how you play on the map, for example, the rifles are better for long-range engagements on the streets, but the machine gun helps more in the tighter spaces inside buildings. The only downside is probably the lack of a single player or co-op mode. A recreation of a famous squad mission would have really helped the popularity of this game.
Silent hunter
This is a series of submarine simulators. He really concentrates on the small details of the tactics used in submarine warfare until he has to turn everything off to be inconspicuous! Things get very complicated in these situations and patience plays a big role! Still, when someone says the phrase “military game,” I will always think of the top-down, turn-based antics of “Panzer General.” Although I wasn’t as keen on this as the ones mentioned above, it nonetheless embodies the sense of tactical overview that I associate with this genre.