The Call of Duty Game Franchise is not immune to controversy. In fact, controversy is just as common as the gunfights in the series. Modern Warfare II – Call of Duty This is the latest installment of the series that uses real-world geopolitical incidents to generate controversy. It doesn’t matter if the player is emotionally involved. Gunning down civilians in an AirportThe re-framing and re-frame of anAmerican war crimesRussian in origin, the series has a long history full of shocking moments. Modern Warfare II is no different.
Without going into too much detail, the plot of Modern Warfare IIThis globe-trotting adventure takes you from Mexico to Amsterdam and Chicago to chase terrorists and uncover a plot by an rogue American general with his private military group.
The plot is not the problem, however. Internet is buzzing over the game’s interpretation of recent geopolitics, and many have called out the series for its not-so-subtle — and perhaps superficial — use of real-world headlines for campaign content. It all goes back to an interview Jacob Minkoff, gameplay director, about the release of the first game in this series. Modern WarfareMinkoff remarked on the series in 2019: “Series in 2019.I don’t believe it’s a game of politics.“
Is any of it political? Does it? Call of Duty You can even believe in anything
The new Call of DutyIt begins with an assassination that is similar to Qassem Solimani’s.
The campaign’s opening secondsThe player is asked to confirm that Iranian Quds Force General Ghorbrani is in attendance at a Russian paramilitary arms agreement. The player takes control of a drone guided missile and uses it to destroy all in the area. Twitter immediately pointed out the disturbing similarity between the mission and The Shining, based on the name and white hair. Trump authorized assassination in 2020 of General Qassem Soleimani, Iranian Quds Force..
It may feel like you’re new to the game. Modern Warfare II Then, we would reflect on the ethics of the American army as judge, jury and executioner in foreign nations. The game said, “There’s not time for that,” and we were quickly pushed onto the next mission.
The catalyst for the plot is the missile strike. Major Hassan, the main antagonist of the game, fills the leadership gap left by “Ghorbrani”‘s assassination by teaming up with a Mexican cartel in order to smuggle missiles into the United States. This isn’t the first time it has happened. Call of Duty a fictional substitute for real-life characters. 2008’s Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareKhaled Al Asad was a Saddam Hussein: Not-so subtle 1:1But it is not like the real man. His in-game doppelganger had actually nuclear weaponsThis is another point of reflection that doesn’t last long.
Hold right-click to de-escalate civilians
The second big controversy is to come from Modern Warfare II happens literally minutes after the assassination of the totally-not-Soleimani Iranian general. In the mission “Borderline”,The Mexican Cartel has Major Hassan as its antagonist. The Mexican Cartel then smuggles him into the States. The player takes on the role of Major Hassan and quickly follows his trail. To pursue Hassan, the player jumps over the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall (illegally, I might add), as stated by the game’s CIA Station Operator.
When the player is trying to escape a trailer park, the problem becomes more serious. Pointing a gun at them is how you do it. It seems to work, and the civilians will turn their backs and head the opposite way.
Near the end of the mission, a cop in a cowboy hat profiles the Mexican Special Forces and says “it’s hard to tell you boys apart from the cartel.” Could these events be indicative of disproportionate police violence, or racial prejudice? Hmmm, PerhapsBut before I could get on my critical thinking cap to ponder, however, the cartel destroyed the cops and the game resumed as usual.
It’s only a game. What does it matter anyway?
Rebecca Ruiz of Mashable pointed out that politics is not a partisan issue. Stress is a major cause of stress for young people. No matter which political slant a given gamer falls on, the topic of border security or the murder of a military chief of a nation with which the U.S. does not have a war is a complex and multifaceted one. These missions may be just a window dressing for a military shooter but the pattern of creating headlines to promote these games is evident. It worked, and you are reading it now.
