When it comes to history’s
various bloody conflicts, it’s World War II that gets all the attention in the
video game department and why not? Much like the many Hollywood movies centered
on that war, games have been inspired by the historic battles that gave birth to
heroes and villains. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to experience a game set during
a conflict? Activision thought so when it released The History Channel Civil
War: A Nation Divided, a first-person shooter brought to us with the
blessing of The History Channel. Unfortunately, this one falls short in many
ways.
As the single-player mode
begins, we are treated to all the historical photographs and narration you would
find in a History Channel program. We are given a glimpse into one of the
bloodiest conflicts in American history that took place between 1861 to 1865
that had brother fighting brother. The game spans 12 levels and you alternate
between the North and South as you take part in the Civil War’s historic battles
such as the battle for Fredericksburg as well as Bull Run. Being able to see the
war through the eyes of a Confederate soldier as well as a Union officer will
give you a chance to experience the war from different perspectives.
As a Confederate soldier,
you’ll push back the Union Army in the Battle of Shiloh or watch the North
retreat to Chattanooga during the battle at Chickamauga. You’ll interact with
your brothers at Antietam and then watch them die at Cold Harbor. The there’s
the Union Army side where you’ll play as a blue coat and taking a part in
battles such as the march on to Petersburg or the battle of Fort Fisher. You’ll
experience what it was like in Gettysburg and Chattanooga. In short, you will be
in the frontlines of the war’s most violent skirmishes.
This, of course, is great
news if you’re first-person shooter fans that enjoy their battles both fierce
and lengthy. You’ll have objectives to complete throughout the game like pushing
the line or reach an area where you can outflank to opposing forces. You’ll find
yourself enjoying the charge across the field or through a city despite the fact
that the game does very little to put you in the boots of a soldier from the
North or South. Really, there’s no story here. You won’t get to know your
solider intimately or see what makes him tick nor will you be able to change the
course of history.
What the game does right
are the era specific weapons. Yes it takes long to reload a Springfield musket
or even a Henry .44 caliber rifle but that’s what it was like fighting with
these weapons. This, however, might not sit well with fans of this genre,
especially since recent games like Call of Duty 3 does things faster and
better. Still, you have to admire the historical accuracy and the fact that in
some battles you might have to rely on your Bowie knife and bayonet. I can count
more than a few moments were I was out of ammo and had to push past the enemies
with my cavalry saber. It’s these moments that show great promise … until the
awful enemy AI rears its ugly head.
You’ll find that some
enemies won’t notice you running at them with a saber or a Colt revolver until
you’re mere inches away from them. Then again there are some enemies you can’t
kill until you do engage them in battle. To top it all off, your enemies’
accuracy changes from expert marksman to clumsy shots. Then again there are
moments when the action is hot and the bloody battles start becoming fun but
those moments are fleeting since you’ll run across a number of glitches. At one
point I unloaded an entire clip from my Spencer carbine on an enemy that
actually seemed like he was engaged in battle only to see that I had
killed him only he was stuck frozen there on the battlefield. Then there was the
time I flung a grenade that landed right on the feet of two unsuspecting blue
coats only to be astonished to see them still firing away after the grenade
exploded. If things like these happened during the Civil War I really have to
start watching the History Channel a lot more often.
The 12 missions move
around rather quickly with the exception of certain battles like Gettysburg or
Antietam and while that might seem like a really bad thing it’s for the best
since the gameplay is practically broken. Unfortunately, there isn’t even a
multiplayer mode online or offline. It would have been great to have played
against a few friends in a Team Deathmatch between the North and South side and
it would have been great to have found a Brothers In Arms-styled multiplayer
mode with objectives to complete. I would have even settled for an online North
versus South multiplayer mode with up to twenty gamers on the field.
Graphically speaking,
Civil War looks like a good-looking budget title. The character models don’t
look good up close and their facial expressions don’t look natural. From afar,
it’s a treat watching soldiers locked in battles as cannon fire erupts and
demolished buildings or kicks up dirt. You’ll see blood spray out of your
enemies and allies and you’ll wince the first time you impale an enemy with your
bayonet. The backgrounds look great and are beautifully detailed and the grass
looks almost natural.
The narration is certainly
straight out of a History Channel produced program and even more so since it
includes photographs. There’s some music and that sounds like part of the
program as well. When it comes to the game, the accents and dialogue are
passable and the sound effects are actually pretty good as well. You’ll like the
cannon and the sounds of a Gatling gun or the sound of many muskets going off at
once.
The History Channel
Civil War: A Nation Divided
had all
the makings of an amazing first-person shooter but due to a number of horrible
glitches, a short single-player mode and no multiplayer mode makes this a game
that could have given fans something other than a WWII shooter. If you’re
looking for s decent first-person shooter, this isn’t the game and will surely
disappoint.
|
|
Gameplay: 5.0
Charging down the battlefield,
slamming the butt of your rifle across the face of your enemy and then impaling
them with the bayonet brings home the feeling you’re fighting a battle between
the North and South. Shooting a “Johnny Reb” who doesn’t bother to look to his
right when you’re almost upon him feels like you’re shooting fish in a barrel
and that’s not good.
Graphics: 6.5
The visuals aren’t exactly
next-generation and we have seen better when it comes to the character models.
What the game does right graphically are the explosions and the beautifully
detailed environments. Watching the troops charge down fields during the battle
of Gettysburg is something else.
Sound: 6.7
The canon fire and explosions sound
amazing and even the gunfire sound right. The Southern accents are perfect and
the dialogue sounds right too. The music is fine but the History Channel
narration is what steals the show.
Difficulty: Medium
The various campaigns have plenty of
challenging skirmishes … but it’s not due to the enemy AI. Really, you’ll get
killed by the game’s various glitches than from the enemy. And those used to
fast reloading will have to get use to reloading slower than Arkansas molasses.
Concept: 4.0
The History Channel vibe is present
and accounted for and, while the game’s story isn’t rich with characterization,
the era specific weapons and the historic battles make for a genuine Civil War
experience. Unfortunately, no multiplayer mode means you won’t be playing this
game after you finish the single-player mode.
Overall: 5.5
It’s sad to see such great potential
go to waste in an Xbox 360 game that could have been a unique shooter set during
a war other than World War II. While the historical battles can feel
appropriately fierce at times, A Nation Divided is too short and flawed
and with no multiplayer mode there’s not much here shooter fans will enjoy.
