A couple of days ago I was playing the solo campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and I got to the much discussed “No Russian” mission. (Do yourself a favor and go get a copy of Modern Warfare 2.)

The mission puts the player in the shoes of a special forces operative who is working undercover in a Russian terrorist group. The terrorists arrive at an airport and proceed to shoot everybody in sight and then make their way out while cutting down the police. During the mission, the player can control this operative and in fact contribute to the massacre.

I had heard about this before the game launched and I was interested in this mission. I thought they were just making too much noise about it but then my opinion changed when I played through it.

I was amazed at how the game actually makes you get involved and how your feelings affect the way you play. I just couldn’t bring myself to shoot at the people. I just couldn’t, especially after seeing one of the victims crawl to safety for the first time. I thought that I would probably fail the mission if I didn’t fire so I just shot over the people, at the monitors and the vending machines. I even did a Terminator 2 on the police outside and only shot at their legs.

I think there is no penalty for shooting innocents, or for refusing to shoot them for that matter, but what caught my interest was the fact that the player’s feelings are involved. By making the player part of the scene it conveys a stronger message than just making it a cutscene. The fact that you actually hesitate, even if it’s just for a couple of seconds, and decide whether to shoot the people or not makes it a great device to get the player involved.

The developers were obviously looking for a strong reaction with this level. We have all seen the “bad guy” in a movie or game pull off some horrible plan where hundreds of innocents die. When you’re just an spectator, you’re totally detached from the situation and it kind of lessens the blow but it’s definitely tougher when you have to push the button or pull the trigger.

Games are always praised for good stories and plots, situations that provoke emotions in people. Infinity Ward took a gamble by portraying this kind of situation but I think it is a powerful tool to immerse the audience into a story. All forms of entertainment evolve over time and video games, as such, must evolve as well, not just in terms of graphics and animations but with their stories and the situations portrayed in them. I think developers should focus on this kind of interaction with the players. Stories should strive to make the players feel and get invested in the game.

For people who keep on looking at video games as toys, these situations will always arise some controversy but I think it’s an important step forward for games as entertainment.

Congratulations to Infinity Ward and keep it coming. This is what games need to move forward and I’m sure more gamers will appreciate it.

Read [Gamertell] Read [Destructoid] Also read [IGN]  Site [Infinity Ward]

Image Credit: Achievement image from Technology Ninja