There are endless video games that have war as a core component. War-themed games even transcend genre. First-person shooters likeCall of Dutyare always set in some kind of war. Real-time strategy games such asCommand & Conquerand turn-based strategy games likeCivilizationare also built on the foundations of warfare. Of course, there are any number of games based on World War 2, from originalist adaptations likeGlory of Generalsor more futuristic ones such asWolfenstein. Modern games are even realistic enough for the average person tomistake gameplay clips for actual war footage.
However, war is a concept almost diametrically opposed to video games. Video games are meant to be entertaining and dynamic. While the context around a war could be interesting, the unfolding ofreal wars themselves are usually boring and deadly. As a result, developers tend to take a few liberties in their games to make in-game warfare more palatable for players. This simplification of warfare through game design leads to a few misconceptions in the wider public about the reality of waging war.
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One Man Army
As a player, there are few things more satisfying than running around a map, and taking out enemies one by one. Throwing away all strategy, and tactics to fight through hordes of enemies as a single unit is very common in FPS games. That said, it’s not purely limited to FPS games. For example, it is possible to buildone man armies with hero characters like Zhao MinginTotal War: Warhammer 3.
Of course, if it were possible for a single person to defeat entire armies, then militaries wouldn’t need to move thousands of troops to the battlefield. Games attempt to cast the player as the main character in singleplayer campaigns, but wars, and even individual battles, are very much a team effort. Older games were often limited by their time, but more recent games are much better in portraying firefights more accurately. For instance, inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Gaz isn’t fighting against the Al-Qatala terrorists alonein the “Piccadily” level. He is assisted by his fellow SAS troops, and even local London police officers.
Dealing In Absolutes
Video games tend to deal in absolutes when it comes to casualty reports after a battle. Intuitively, it’s much easier for players to understand the outcome of a battle if troops are either in the living or dead column. The same can be said for vehicles, which are either completely destroyed or intact. Some games likeCivilization 6use health bars to mimic damage, but that’s just a game mechanic.
Most RTS games are guilty of this, but there are a few exceptions, such as theCombat Missionfranchise, that give a more detailed post-battle report. In real wars, casualty reports don’t only include deaths, but also wounded troops and soldiers missing in action. Similarly, damaged vehicles that need to be repaired are included in battle reports along with parts that may need to be replaced.
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Wiping Out The Enemy
Because of the absolutes, video games often require a player to completely wipe out the enemy to win a battle, or kill every last soldier to destroy an enemy army and destroy every last army to wipe out a faction. TheTotal Warfranchise is the best example of this phenomenon. The player is often required to kill every last unit to defeat an army. This is especially true in the late game on Legendary difficulty inTotal War: Warhammer 3whensome factions like the Dwarfshave unbreakable units that are impossible to rout because the AI gets absurd morale buffs.
This is misleading because there are very few examples of every last soldier in an army being killed. Even the bloodiest battles throughout history saw at most a third to a half of the army killed. Higher kill counts also became more common withdeadlier weapons as demonstrated in the World Wars, but even their deadliest battles never saw an entire army killed. It’s much more common for the losing side to retreat or surrender, and for soldiers to be taken into captivity instead of being outright killed.
Combatants Only
Speaking of soldiers, video game armies tend to only include combat troops. This includes infantry, cavalry, artillery, and essentially any unit that actively participates in the battle. Yet, to traverse difficult terrain, armies need construction troops to build roads, and bridges along the way. To repair broken down vehicles, armies need engineers to support their advance.Most games don’t portray those non-combat units at all.
This is important because, without context, a simple numerical analysis of a casualty report could lead to an underestimation of losses. If most of the losses are incurred by combat troops, then overall combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced. Hence,Hearts of Iron 4is actually one of the better games to represent non-combat units.
Omnipotence
In video games, the player is often presented with complete information about the battlefield at any given time, and can give orders to troops who will blindly obey them at a moment’s notice.InCrusader Kings 3, players have access to data all the way down to the strength of an army, and its overall quality. Of course, skilled and experienced officers would have a general idea about the state of the troops under their command, but the same cannot be said for a general commanding multiple battalions. As such, there is either no fog of war on the battlefield, or it’s very tame compared to the uncertainty that a real battle would entail.
This is also a problem invehicle-based war games such asWorld of Tanks.World of Tanksplayers have complete vision around them, but anyone who has been inside a real tank will know that the driver is pretty blind. This is why tanks without any infantry support are extremely vulnerable. Moreover, if the tank is damaged, the player will immediately know which part is affected and how long it will take to repair it.
Lastly, units in games will blindly follow the player’s orders with few exceptions, and orders will be relayed instantly. There is also no delegation of duties to officers.Age of Empires 4is a good example of this phenomenon, andthe franchise almost set the standard in this regard. Thus, video games offer players a level of information, command, and control beyond any general’s wildest dreams.
