Video games have been in the public consciousness since the early 1980s; however, they only received popularity among the general public once home consoles were introduced. Throughout the years, video game genres have come and gone from the spotlight. The 90s saw the rise of the family-friendly platformer, the 00s introduced us all to open-world sandbox games, and now war games seem to be the top dog. Two of the highest-selling games in 2021 were Call of Duty: Vanguard and Black: Ops Cold War and this fascination doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. But why is this? Let’s look.
A Common Enemy
Modern war games pit the player and their allies against a team of enemy soldiers in a shooting match. These games can take place during major historical events or in completely fabricated settings. Either way, the main objective remains the same. War games are a classic example of good vs evil, and it is this simple nature that makes them easy to understand.
Simple Mechanics
Every war game that you come across will have a different set of mechanics; however, there is very little that developers can do to shake up the formula. This simplicity may sound like a bad thing on the surface, but it does help new people get on board with the game.
A classic war game requires the player to move around and shoot the enemy. You may also need to throw grenades or use power-ups, but these are the only changes to the core mechanics that you will come across. Even war games that deviate from the typical formula, such as Titanfall, include an extensive tutorial section so that you do not get confused.
Online Play
Online gameplay was a concept that came about during the mid-2000s and it changed the way the general public viewed video games forever. This update allowed gamers to log on to a server and play alongside friends or complete strangers, and there is no better way to solidify your gaming bonds than with a fight through the trenches of war.
A war game provides a gamer with the opportunity to battle alongside their friends using different tactics and skills that complement one another. You can even communicate with one another via a headset.
Mobile Games
Now that almost everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, it makes sense that mobile games have sky-rocketed in popularity. These small devices can’t contain the highly detailed games that are available on consoles; however, which means that developers must get creative with these titles. That is why companies like Plarium choose to focus on simple war games. There are a lot of different angles that they can add to this concept while still engaging the average person.
Conclusion
It doesn’t seem like war games are going to disappear any time soon, but at least now you know why. They have a lot to offer and can target a variety of audiences using different mediums. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the average gamer to avoid playing a war game for long.