Gearheads of War

Thanks, Starborne!

I read at the risk of spoiling myself and I have no regrets, though now I want to get the game more than ever.

I, too, am in a similar situation: being generally a pacifist but with my favorite gaming genre being FPS.

Anyway, your description of the game and your feelings while playing it reminded me of the first time I watched "Patriot Games"  (I think it was that Tom Clancy/Harrison Ford movie) where they watch (via satellite from the comfort of the Pentagon?) a few marines wipe out a known terrorist camp.  It was breathtaking, and Harrison Ford acted brilliantly.  He was trying to protect his family, and after the mission, he walks out of the room with a look of extremely complex emotions.

I have to add this:  If CoD4 can make you experience those kind of emotions, then that game has crossed over into ART, as far as I am concerned.

I don't get an overpowering sense either way from the game. Which i like.

But the issue does exist since it is set in the modern era (though a fake war). The glorious thing about COD and COD2 was that it was not a war to discuss. The point was to experience how it happened. With COD4, they are trying to put you into the boots of a modern soldier.

I don't really find it pushes any buttons either way though.

I felt the same way about Call of Duty 4.  I liked how infinity ward managed to portray the colder darker side of war in certain parts of the game.  The execution of the sleeping ship crew.  The execution of civilians  through the eyes of the president, and the most notable gunship level. I've watched those gunship battles and the efficiency and calmness the soldiers display is disturbing to say the least. Also when your American character dies it is so different from any other game.  I kept thinking "what's going on here i can hear the radio all i have to do is crawl over and call for help." then things keep getting darker and darker and i started thinking "oh shit I'm actually gonna die"  Its probably one of the only times a video game has made me feel bad for the dieing character. Personally i would have preferred if the whole game used these darker ways of portraying war because it led to a much more realistic effect, but i am glad that they did as much as they did.  I can't think of another game that has done this so far.

Have never fought in a war.

I believe that this was one of the quotes in the game.

I appreciate what you have brought to the table and this subject does need to be considered and discussed from time to time.

I can become something that we avoid or become obsessed with.

I wrote a much more lengthy response on my own diary "War - Why we fight".

No game will come CLOSE to giving you the experience of death and battle. At best, I can imagine it giving you a cheap imitation.
After being in the Army for a few months now and talking to the Veterans training us, there is no experience like having someone's life in your hands and being forced to make that decision.

I disagreed with Jack Thompson before, but now...he's just an idiot.

am anti-war and maybe thats the Canadian in me I dont know.  The weird thing about this diary is that my buddy came over to play some SP with me and we were playing the ac130 level, when one of the characters say "look at the bodie parts flying everywhere" (may not be exact quote) my friend piped in wow that is sickening.  Those guys are up there flying around dropping bombs on people and just commenting on the absolute destruction with no signs of remorse.  For me I distance games from reality so it never really hit me but for him it really had an effect.  

I can never imagine going to war and having to experience everything that goes with war.  I sit here on safe land playing my video games while there are thousands of people putting their lives on the line for our freedom.  It was remembrance day yesterday (canadian) and it may seem like nothing but I did pay my respects for those who have given us the lives that we enjoy today!

especially with the closing paragraph.  I am generally against going to war, and this game kind of hit hard when Jackson dies.

I was moved by a couple moments in this game, and I'm not used to feeling that from a video game. It's so weird to see one of the main characters die mid game, especially him being an American. It's a step I did not think the game would take, but at the same time and it was a grounding moment. The game felt very real as you slowly struggle to walk away from the downed helicopter, and eventually collapsing.

I also felt the gunship mission was pretty eerie. The pilot's calm voice guiding you through efficiently and ruthlessly tearing your enemies to pieces when they could not even see you kind of made me feel bad, like hunting an animal with no means of escape (shooting fish in a barrel).

This game really has brought the brutality of war to us, and done so from a fairly objective viewpoint.  I think it's a little scary that video games have gotten to a point of realism where they are merging with art.  This game was one of the best war-related stories i have seen/played in a long time. (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers are in the same category.)