While it regularly happens that historians and other consultants get involved in game development, for war professionals, it is a little rarer. It must be said that if we appreciate authenticity in video games, experiencing a war more realistic than ever does not seem like the most pleasant program for letting off steam after a hard day of work. And yet, Brandon Webb still felt invested in this mission with Center Mass: Streets of Ramadi. This is not the first time that this former Navy SEAL has distinguished himself in fields other than that of battle. After being chief instructor, the man pursued other avenues, such as writing books or launching a blog (sofrep.com), always having as its main subject the armed forces and military operations. Unsurprisingly, we are therefore faced with a very militaristic vision tinged with a strong Western bias, even if we find some nice surprises like articles from suffer criticizing the institution for its relationship to harassment. But the least we can say is that Brandon Webb is a somewhat unusual consultant, even more so when we know that the guy is not really appreciated by his former colleagues. Rumors from the corridors that come up regularly say that he is not the renowned sniper he claims to be and that he has inflated his CV. This new line on the latter risks in any case making its detractors cringe a little more.
Now that you've gotten to know the guy, let's take a look at the project. Center Mass: Streets of Ramadi is presented as a sniper simulator inspired by real combat conditions, thus making it the game of the genre “the most authentic, faithful and immersive” we are promised. Maximum Entertainment has designed its game for fans of realistic and challenging experiences, who will be able to put themselves in the shoes of a real sniper thanks to this first-person tactical shooter: “From sniper school to deployment, every detail is painstakingly crafted to simulate the tension, precision and tactical expertise required on the battlefield.” And this battlefield is located in the city of Ramadi which is, let me tell you, in Iraq. But if you start to get used to war games, the latter's approach can be surprising.
While the horror of war has never been so omnipresent on social networks, is it really the time to offer to play war in the most realistic way possible? Nothing is less certain. And what do we mean by realistic? Will it be a realism purely focused on gameplay or also on substance? Will the game highlight the necessary benefits of war or its terrible consequences – like Spec Ops: The Line for example? Here again, nothing is less certain. We will of course have the answers to these questions once the game is released. And the suspense will last for a little while since no information has been transmitted regarding even a release window. For now, you can just put the game in your wishlist on Steam, if you feel like it, while waiting to find out more.
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