Have we seen the end of the WWII shooter?

WWII was once considered the epitome of the first person shooter. Admittedly, there was no better setting for the genre. Intense first person combat and historically accurate narratives provided thrilling and dramatic storylines about real places and real events. And let’s be honest, it made perfect sense.

Ten years ago you couldn’t turn around without running head first into another WWII shooter. There was a new game was announced every few months, it seemed. Between the Call of Duty series, the Medal of Honor series, Battlefield, and Brothers in Arms there was a literal plethora of games at our fingertips. We got it on the silver screen too with the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. But with so much attention, and so many games available, the market became saturated.

Developers wanted to try something else, and we wanted to play something else. We had the old and busted, we wanted the new hotness. Enter a game that I like to call Modern Warfare.

Breaking onto the scene in 2007, the fourth installment of the Call of Duty series received both critical and commercial acclaim. The game blurred the lines between “game” and “experience” taking us through epic set pieces, a story that moved at breakneck pace, and virtually revolutionizing online multiplayer. But more importantly it ushered in a new modern standard for war games. Modern conflicts, modern enemies, and modern technology could now be explored with increasing graphical prowess.

However, I would argue that while beginning a new trend of shooter, the genre has reached a point of no return.

Never mind the obvious market saturation we’re experiencing currently (no thanks to the annualization of AAA titles), there is another trend toward increased variety of game mechanics that’s becoming apparent. Consider games like Titanfall or Advanced Warfare, where fast, fluid movements, jet-packs, and exo-suits are the norm. Then there’s the technology: cloaking, specializations, guns that can see through walls, infrared vision, or being able to immediately call down an airstrike.

Even main characters in a campaign being able move around the world with ease, level after level, entering exotic locales like jungles, glaciers, under water, and outer space. It’s these modern and technological attributes, fast ships and even faster communication that make modern shooters far, FAR removed from the simplicity and grounded reality of WWII.

It doesn’t help that Enemy Front from City Interactive, the most recent WWII shooter released, wasn’t the triumphant return we all dreamed about (4.7/10 from IGN). As well, Sniper Elite III from Rebellion Oxford, released earlier this year fared a bit better, however again the role of the sniper can really be considered a niche area within the WWII setting, and not a “shooter” per se.

Years ago war games were based on historical relevance and a compelling campaign. But now we see much more emphasis on diversifying gameplay mechanics and multiplayer. This isn’t to say the games of today aren’t fun to play, but they certainly leave something to be desired.

What does this mean for WWII as a contemporary shooter?

In my opinion, a game set in WWII would not only be a step back in time, but also a step back into what is now expected types of gameplay. With each new title released we leap further and further into what is possible in a war game setting, always pushing the envelope. Why would a developer who is seeking to make the next best shooter, one that has the most exciting and engaging experiences, both single and multiplayer experiences, choose to base themselves in an archaic setting with limited game play possibilities?

So where does this leave us? And where does this leave WWII?

Now more than ever, WWII could make a triumphant return. But it probably won’t look or feel like the shooters we’re used to. With such a rich and deep history to pull from there are many stories yet to be told. WWII wasn’t just the beaches of Normandy and Stalingrad. It was a conflict that spanned years, and defined a generation.

Perhaps it’s time for a WWII game less focused on relentless run and gun combat and one more focused narrative. A game that teaches us about the brutality of war, the truth of sacrifice, and of brotherhood. A game with incredible action, a game we’ve never thought of before.

What kind of game would you like to see?