I’ve spent a lot of time on this site critiquing video games and their developers.
…a lot of time.
…a lot.
…like a lot.
And #1 on the list for 2020 has been Call of Duty and Infinity Ward. Hell, I even got blocked by the lead designer for what I thought was a very mild joke.
Now to be clear, I do not condone harassing developers on Twitter. I don’t condone harassing anyone. You can not like someone without bombarding them with hateful tweets directed at them. By all means, voice your frustration and critique of a game but don’t issue death threats and constantly bombard people for any reason. This was like one of maybe 3 total tweets I’ve ever directed at Joe and I thought it was pretty harmless. Clearly, he did not.
But I would like to say that, like many of you I’m sure, I have been very disappointed with the lack of transparency, professionalism, and overall support from the developers at Infinity Ward this year.
I understand that as a game developer you are constantly bombarded by people trying to tell you how to adjust your game. Some people want shotguns nerfed, others love them the way they are. Some people want a balanced competitive title, others want the chaos and “god guns”.
What NO ONE wants though is a development team that seems to remains silent to anyone’s feedback for months, especially when there are game-breaking glitches and bugs that seem to go unaddressed for way longer than any other online gaming experience.
Still, while I have been very vocal here, on Twitter, and on-stream about my disappointment in this team, I have poured more time into Modern Warfare than any other game this year. Why? Because despite the bugs and unbalanced mechanics, the game is still pretty fun and it’s one of the few games that all of my friends have.
But there is another game that has come out this year that I am very fond of; a game that has done the exact opposite of basically every critique I’ve had for CoD this year. It has a very transparent development team that makes decisions WITH the community and when they make one that the community doesn’t like, they explain why. It has a very balanced system of heroes and weapons that provide options for every playstyle. And it has game types that support both the casual player and the competitive grinder.
That’s right, I’m talking about Rogue Company.
I recognized last week that I have not talked enough about how much I love this game and everything the team at First Watch Games is doing. Lead designer Scott Lussier, a former Halo Champion and MLG caster, has done such an exceptional job communicating with the community on every single change being made in the game and the reasoning behind them. And the game itself? It’s damn near perfect. Rogue Company is one of the few titles I’ve played that has successfully balanced the majority of the heroes out the gate and is constantly working to ensure that the “meta” is wide and diverse.
Also, I love the game modes. Extraction and Strikeout are “king of the hill” style lobbies while Demolition is the classic two-site bomb plant mode found in competitive games like CS:GO, Valorant and SnD from Call of Duty. All modes can be played casually and competitvely, but the teams that learn how to strategize and catch thier opponents off-guard with excellent tactics will always rise to the top. In turn, the game forces you to play as a team or die on your own.
And this week, ranked play is coming to the game:
With all these positives and literally no negatives other than not having as many friends willing to play as often, I’ve decided that I’m going to go all in on Rogue Company this fall/winter. I mean, it’d be hypocritical not to, right? Why keep playing a game that I am constantly complaining and critisizing when there’s a great game waiting right in front of me?
I’ll still be playing Cold War, Warzone, and especially, Cyberpunk 2077. But I think it’s time as a gamer to stand with and support a dev team that is doing everything right. If we don’t choose to support those who act in the ways that we believe in, how can we expect the communities we are passionate about to change?
And that’s why I want you all to vote Kanye 2020.
JKJKJKJKJKJK. I don’t care who you vote for.
Well, I do kinda. I care that you vote for someone that you believe will stand for your beliefs regardless of the political party or their chances of winning.
I wasn’t going to talk about the election because honestly, it’s such a headache every 4 years for me. My parents, my friends, random people on the internet; all trying to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong, and none of them caring about what I think.
So I’ll give this advice: don’t get forced into voting for something because you’re worried about what others will think of you and don’t criticize people for their decision either. I’m not telling you who I’m voting for or why because I believe everyone should do their own research and decide who you stand with. And I can promise you this: I will never judge you for who you pick because I don’t want you to judge me for who I pick.
It’s not about blue vs. red, us vs. them, liberal vs. conservative, etc. It’s about trying to pick someone that we think will make this country a better place for ourselves and our neighbors. And you’re not “wasting your vote” by voting for someone with no chance to win either as much as some people would like you to believe. You’re exercising your right as an American citizen to vote for who you think will best lead this country for the next 4 years.
Here’s hoping that it’s not Harambe or Cthulu.
