8 Video Games That Tackle Incredibly Polarising Subject Matter
3. Medal Of Honor: Military Intervention And The War On Terror
When EA and Danger Close brought Medal of Honor to a modern setting to contest the genre with the rival that had dethroned it, no one expected the controversy it would bring.
Indeed, whereas Call of Duty had elected to depict a fictitious version of modern warfare, EA ventured in the opposite direction; showcasing the actual War on Terror from the perspective of a Tier-1 special forces operator. Some would say bold. Others would probably say insensitive.
As a reboot of a franchise centred squarely on the European and Pacific theatres of the Second World War, Medal of Honor was a critical success, but the fact it placed such heavy emphasis on actual combat encounters fought during the early days of the War in Afghanistan didn't sit well with many. The fact the multiplayer too let players take on the role of the Taliban also caused controversy, with the game subsequently being banned from sale at US military bases after it released as a result.
You do have to admire Danger Close for at least attempting to examine the impacts behind the War on Terror, and its authentic nature is a testament to the rigour the studio put in behind the title's design.
Far from glorifying war or the conflict itself, the story told within was character-driven and human in its essence, and whilst it stops short from making a political statement regarding NATO's presence in the nation, portraying actual experiences of soldiers in combat - though not comparable in realism to actual military engagements - is certainly commendable.
In a decade where titles like Six Days in Fallujah are ultimately cancelled because of their setting, it remains intriguing how 2010's Medal of Honor managed to resonate with such a wide audience.