“I’m bored of World War Two”. I hear these words and I wonder… how can people be so, hmm, blasé about it? How can something so terrible be used as a means of entertainment, to the extent that people grow weary of it?

Now I admit I’ve been one of those people who have played games set in this era and probably will again. Occasionally, I’ve wondered if it’s a bit off to use real world history, real world tragedy, as a setting for a videogame. But first person shooters, the genre that uses this setting, don’t have a great range of environments to choose from, do they? They must, by their nature, have some conflict at their core. Whether that be based on events set 70-odd years ago or on an alien world, they are also removed from what is real; there is typically a slight twist to them. Can you think of any FPS games based around recent world events? Call of Duty 4 was based on a fictitious conflict.

Of course, it could be said that a jaded attitude is understandable because of this limited scope and perhaps I’m in the minority but I sometimes find myself hesitating when faced with a virtual enemy. If they shoot at me, then fine, no messing about. Until then, I’ll hold off on the death dealing. Perhaps I’ve been lulled into having a ridiculously strong conscience where NPCs are involved, perhaps it’s the increased realism of settings on a graphical level or perhaps it’s a mix of these two things. I don’t know.

What I do know is that I’m looking forward to the next instalment of the Call of Duty franchise not purely because of the setting - back to WWII - but because of the story it may have; if it is anywhere near that of Modern Warfare, it should be beyond the average tale told by FPSs. I also like the sound of the new developments it promises to bring with the behaviour of virtual fire and perhaps water. But, most of all, I’ll be looking to get it for the multiplayer aspect - I don’t need to concern myself with moralising over the content there; instead I’ll be taking potshots at friends and strangers alike.

Be sure to come and join me, won’t you? I promise you won’t be bored!