Guest Post
A new chapter in in the interactive history of the Civil War has been announced by Activision Publishing. The press release describes Civil War: Secret Missions as “a completely new episode in The History Channel’s Civil War franchise, the game will allow players to assume the role of Union and Confederate soldiers fighting behind enemy lines in legendary battles.”
The first game was generally received as lackluster when released due to non-dynamic environments and clipping issues as well as a lack of any coherent narrative or campaign mode. Another point of contention that should have been addressed was the bumbling enemy AI. But the new game promises to add a deeper tactical element to the franchise.
There is a rich history to the Civil War, especially in terms of covert military tactics,” said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. “American warfare in the 1860’s was brutal yet surprisingly sophisticated, so it was essential for us to capture this duality.
This Civil War FPS will offer a variety of missions meant to disrupt the opposing army. Examples include train raids, stealing enemy ships, disrupting enemy supply lines and destroying enemy artillery. Based on everything in the press release it seems like this will be a 19th century Ghost Recon.
The game will feature historical military units and the likenesses of famous generals from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. Weapons like the “shotgun, pepperbox revolver and the coffee mill gun” will reflect the guerrilla tactics used at the time. They also promise a “heavy reliance on scouts and naval warfare.”
The game has yet to be rated by the ESRB. Look for it on the 360, PS3, PS2 and PC later this year.