Taking a good look at the first-person shooter genre, one will notice that there seems to be quite a lot more games set during World War II era or later. Many are set during one of the major wars fought within the past one hundred years or so or in a futuristic setting. Few seem to want to tackle anything earlier. This may be confusing for many gamers, as the American Civil War, the War of 1812, and American Revolution are all fascinating periods that have gone mainly unexplored in gaming.
But there are many potential issues with having a video game set during these earlier eras of history, particularly the American Revolution. The American Revolution, while one of the biggest events in all of American history, might not translate into a great FPS game for a handful of reasons
Slow Weapons and Combat
One of the primary reasons why the American Revolution probably wouldn’t work great as an FPS title stems from the fact that the weaponry was not particularly advanced or very interesting compared to more modern warfare. Firearms were still very much in their infancy, and muskets were basically the only guns that soldiers carried. For those unaware of how these mid-range firearms worked, muskets took roughly 20-30 seconds to reload. This would result in incredibly slow combat that would undoubtedly dull players if developers truly wanted to make the game historically accurate.
Not a Lot of Potential Gameplay Variety
In addition to the weapons being slow and basic, there really wasn’t a whole lot of variety in weaponry during the American Revolution. All sides of the conflict – American, British, and German soldiers – all had muskets, so a player’s loadout really wouldn’t change depending on their chosen side. There really wasn’t a whole lot of variety in combat during this era. Automobiles didn’t exist, nor did planes or tanks. Much of what makes games set during World War II so appealing is the fact that players can take control of various vehicles and cycle through weapons from that era, with some technological limitations.
The hesitation of having an entire game set during the American Revolution is that players wouldn’t have enough variety. With very few types of weapons available, all of which take a very long time to use and reload, gamers would be stuck playing a game that unravels at a snail’s pace.
Little Demand For It
USA Today
Perhaps the biggest issue with an FPS set during the American Revolution is simply the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much of a demand for it. Players and developers alike love games set during World War I and II, and there’s always been a considerable fascination with both eras. Though the American Revolution is still an era that many have an adoration for, the aforementioned limitations make it one we aren’t quite pining to play. If developers were to create a first-person shooter set during the American Revolution, the game honestly might not be very successful. For that reason alone, players might not see an FPS set during this period.
But we never know what the future may hold.
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At Epoch Xperience, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch Xperience’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)