The Call of Duty-led dominance of the first-person shooter market has wavered in recent times. Of the six titles released under the franchise name in the current generation (that’s consoles released since 2013), it was Call of Duty: WWII – a game set in 1940 – that proved the most popular. Gone are the days of winding queues, open wallets and mass hysteria that once-preceded a new release, and fans have been united in their condemnation of developers’ relentless commitment to pushing the franchise further and further into the frankly ridiculous future. When you have to title your game Infinite Warfare as a consequence of exhausting all other possible names, it says something of the limits of your venture. Kit Harrington as a spaceman villain? It was just infinitely silly.
But the Call of Duty train rolls on, and 2019 sees developer Infinity Ward – architects of the franchise-favourite Modern Warfare series – once again take the reins. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare hopes to hark back to the success of its 2007 namesake, a game widely-considered to be the father of the modern first-person shooter and one which saw the series depart from its World War roots to focus on contemporary conflicts. It’s a welcome move back to the realism that established the franchise’s market dominance, a “reimagining” of its acclaimed predecessor that will prioritise boots-on-the-ground authenticity (No. More. Jet packs.) and likely lure fans back with its combination of nostalgia and traditional gameplay.
Gameplay director Jacob Minkoff likened the approach to the grittier cinematic reboots of The Dark Knight and Casino Royale, describing the need “to make something that felt as seminal and as paradigm-shifting to gaming as Modern Warfare felt”. But this isn’t 2007. The new game arrives amidst a fragile social climate. A time when more countries then ever have felt the effects of terrorism, and international relations are at their most tender since 9/11. Modern Warfare’s "ripped from the headlines" approach – terror raids, insurgent uprisings and chemical weapons all feature in the announcement trailer – risks desensitising complex issues which seem misplaced in a product designed to stimulate enjoyment.
The game has already been the subject of controversy despite the limited details surrounding its content. IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey candidly stated that Modern Warfare “is probably going to upset people, perhaps by design” following the E3 gameplay showcase which saw players immersed in a fictionalised terror attack in London’s Piccadilly Circus. In another demo, the player is permitted to kill a retreating female enemy during a house raid, while a recent announcement confirmed that white phosphorus – a war crime-worthy chemical weapon – is an available kill streak in the game’s popular multiplayer mode.
Modern Warfare is clearly going to push moral boundaries in its pursuit of hyper-realism, but critics should withhold immediate judgement. The recent stagnation of the franchise means the developers are deliberately stoking the fires of controversy, generating an interest in a product that they hope will put Call of Duty back on the map. And make no mistake, people will buy Modern Warfare. This is Call of Duty, not Clash of Clans. A first-person shooter is permitted to document the reality of first-person shooting, and entitled to offer consumers the choice of whether or not they want to experience that reality for themselves. Just as Hollywood portrayals of harrowing real-life events offer no obligation to be seen, Modern Warfare will remain unopened to those who find its content too disturbing.
That being said, developer Infinity Ward is treading a fine line between depicting reality and poking at fresh wounds. It’s not yet clear how deep their latest shoot 'em up will dig into the sensitive issues of our time, but it’s clear that its risqué subject matter will ruffle some 2019 feathers.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is set for release 25 October, 2019.
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