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I played them in order of release. The atomic bomb subplot seemed seemed laughably nonsensical in terms of the narrative and a mediocre example of a tragedy. T

I played them in order of release. The atomic bomb subplot seemed seemed laughably nonsensical in terms of the narrative and a mediocre example of a tragedy. The characters and relationships weren't built up to the point were it could produce the desired shocking effect in my opinion. They were just about to make an escape... and then what? Keep being random Marine bros, while everything else remains the same? I recently watched The Last of Us, and I think the 5th episode is a stellar example of what I think makes up a good tragedy. At the time I played the game, I didn't really pick up on the torture scene—not sure that was the never before seen, brave and shocking portrayal of the realities of the War on Terror that you remembered it as. My problem with the plot was that it was logically incoherent, completely bonkers, and really ignorant of politics the middle east and Russia in that time period. I guess that's what happens if you don't have the benefit of hindsight. Black ops was definitely more of a jingoistic Tom-Clancy-type epos, but it was great historical fiction with a narrative that was beautifully spun and made sense. It has a bit of Fight Club mixed with the Rambo movies and the Manchurian candidate. It plays on all the Cold War fears of nuclear annihilation, secret weapons programs, brain washing, sleeper agents, number stations, etc. and manages to create a great atmosphere. It ties in a bunch of famous places and events like the Bay of Pigs. Vorkuta Gulag, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Vietnam, the Rebirth Island chemical weapons facility and Kowloon walled city. The subtle hints and finally the revelation of the twist that Reznov is a figment of your imagination, a demon of revenge implanted into your psyche back in Vorkuta, are perfect. Your own comrades at the CIA are torturing you, because your they have realized you have been brainwashed after you kept sabotaging their attempts to stop the Soviet plan. It seems like you reveal the purpose of the numbers, because you remember the ship that acts as the transmitter, where you then kill Krevchenko, but his dying words reveal that the numbers were really part of the instructions to activate you as a sleeper agent to assassinate Kennedy. I found that ending incredibly satisfying.

strken 3y ago
Yeah, I agree with that. Specific scenes in MW were amazing and it captured a sense of place very well. The overall plot was so bad that it actually improved my immersion in the game and made me appreciate the writing of individual scenes more, while the more coherent plotlines later in the series are good enough for me to pay attention and be annoyed. I trace that back to the WW2 pedigree of the earlier games, which were vignettes from historical battles, strung together more like a war diary than a novel. The torture scene was definitely not intended as a big plot point, and the writers likely didn't expect most players to even pay attention to it. I mentioned it because it was a small detail that created a greater sense of realism and moral ambiguity for me. Later games didn't have much moral ambiguity at all.

strken 3y ago

Yeah, I agree with that. Specific scenes in MW were amazing and it captured a sense of place very well. The overall plot was so bad that it actually improved my immersion in the game and made me appreciate the writing of individual scenes more, while the more coherent plotlines later in the series are good enough for me to pay attention and be annoyed. I trace that back to the WW2 pedigree of the earlier games, which were vignettes from historical battles, strung together more like a war diary than a novel. The torture scene was definitely not intended as a big plot point, and the writers likely didn't expect most players to even pay attention to it. I mentioned it because it was a small detail that created a greater sense of realism and moral ambiguity for me. Later games didn't have much moral ambiguity at all.