Infinity Ward's upcoming sequel or retread of their successful WWII action game Call of Duty 2 has garnered some controversy during the initial phase of its publicity efforts leading up to its release in the fall. Although unbeknownst to me, (which is quite the norm since I tend to only rely on a few sources for gaming industry news) Infinity Ward has been contemplating whether to include a German perspective on the war or not in the game with their newly designed non-linear game progression model. It was to lend the digital avatar of a disillusioned German soldier to the unsuspecting player who has to guide his perceived conscience all the way through the Eastern front at the steppes of Stalingrad. Then, in a change of heart in what can be described in full apologist dramatic flair, the German soldier would be to cast off his Germanic obsequiousness and rebel against that hopeless "ubermensch" psychopath Hitler and derail his attempts of Gotterdamarung that he has so eloquently and benevolently reserved for the German people.

Thankfully, probably aware that the sensible and frugal German censors will put a smackdown on the probability of the game's release in that nation and also afraid of the negative "needless" reception that it will receive from any reasonable folk and adoration of a few diehard racist knuckleheads, the mind of logic and reason has prevailed. So no more German campaign for Call of Duty 2, which means that Activision can now safely vie for the release date this year and without any probable hits to its stock value from enraged Jewish investors.

But let me explain my opinion on this matter. This "change of heart" that marks the crucial point in this campaign from German perspective, in my opinion, is vapid and inane. This "change of heart" only would have come after killing probably hundreds of allied soldiers in the ever increasing string of breakthroughs in Nazi Germany triumphs. In strictly implied sense to those who know paid the most scant attention in history classes, after you essentially have become a part of the success in the Nazi scheme to exterminate Jews and enslave the native population. Being even indirectly related in that sickening enterprise, even in this often puerile game medium, is simply unacceptable to me. I am basically saying that these game developers are not good writers per se and these subtle nuances and other important aspects in the portrayal of the enemy will very likely be thrown out the window in their infernal peddling of WWII era violence and suffering.

I think including any this so called "German perspective" will be an infinite insult to those veterans who served courageously under duress to rid the world of the scourge of Nazi Germany. I tend to feel that the WWII based games do not portray the kind of agonizing assault that preyed both on mind and body, and therefore minimize the impact of the horrendous nature of war to simple finger twitch mode with no compounding story. German people in general have already expressed deep regret over their part of the war in its entirety (unlike some of other its axis cronies), and their admittance of there simply being no excuse of possible disillusionment and coercion displays their willingness to move forward to become a normal part of the civilized world. Their goodwill may be sorely misled by this possibly irresponsible inclusion of professed humanizing German disillusionment with no expression of guilt over the wanton death of thousands of innocents.

I am not saying that the above kind of sentiment has not been dealt with in other mediums such as movies. The most notable examples are 'Das Boot', 'Stalingrad', and more recent and sometimes troubling 'Untergang'. However, in games involving actions of extreme violence including, with indiscretion, maiming and killing, the impact of carrying out aggression and ultimately being part of it is multiplied manifold. And in games at least, you cannot yet convey the totality of tragedy transpiring from any war that the movie medium can effectively allude in its uses of settings and dialogue to weave subtext and lay foundation of remorse with various complementing parts. In games, at least in Call of Duty and those of similar nature, all you do is kill and destroy. There are no specific points in the game that allow you to surmise the kind of consequences your actions have wrought, only beset with more linear ride through mindless shooting gallery. At least watching movies allow you to be detached from what transpires on the screen and open it up for personal analysis and finally, a personal opinion as in the way of reaction. You may become attached to some characters, but their actions are bared in front of you in full display for you to either condemn or at least be ambivalent about. In games, you press the trigger, you throw the grenade, you stick that knife, you prime the bomb, etc. There are no separation between the actions of a Nazi soldier and you. It is a horrifying suggestion, to say the least.

There is little redemption reserved for those who have claimed such a horrific infamy and aligned with the darkest nature of mankind. The only redemption allowed to the Nazis should be a swift bullet to the head, and change of heart would only prolong their ultimate and pathetic guilt-ridden end. This kind of irresponsible and quite absurdist plot device would very well be considered revisionist, distortion of history in the interest of the 'game innovation' and 'notoriety'. The things for which it will be unfortunate for such absolute lessons of the history of mankind to be compromised.

I fully understand some German people in that era were essentially good. I am only against playing a role of German soldier whose part in the war basically and undeniably lead to the World War II. And Call of Duty 2 would have been there to chronicle every part of this constricting and savage advancement of the Wermarcht, before distorting what essentially is an emblem of success of the Nazification of Europe (with your leet skills, no less) into a pathetic excuse of an apologist and cowardly view of justifying the death of millions to the flawed relapse of logic and disillusion and coming to roost with righteous conclusion of offing the disgusting figurehead. Sorry, but the Nazi itself was an inferior state of being that cutting its head off would not result in its complete banishment as the rest of the body will continue to flail about, spreading lethal and contagious abscess of human degeneracy and filth with abandon. One of which could have well been Call of Duty 2.