Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #219

by Jeff Marchiafava on Jun 03, 2011 at 11:46 AM

In issue 217 of Game Informer, we asked gamers what their favorite military FPS franchise is. This issue we ran a small sample of the responses we received, but there were plenty of other players who shared their opinions as well. Keep reading to see what franchises your fellow gamers prefer, and to see how many people are confused by what constitutes as a military FPS.

Team Battlefield:

On the subject of favorite military FPS I would have to go with the Battlefield franchise, for several reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love COD and I've been a fan of fast-paced shooters since Doom - Quake 2 was a favorite of mine for years. But Battlefield brings so much more to the FPS mix. Scalability for one: The size of the maps adds a lot of realism for me and makes for a more open world feel.

Another reason is the Frostbite engine introduced in the Bad Company series. I'm sorry, but when I shoot a 40mm grenade at a thin wall of a house, I expect something to happen. This is a big problem for me in COD, it takes away from the realism. I love taking down a house in BC2, or just blowing a hole in a wall and being able to jump into a house. Destructibility is an excellent feature of the Frostbite engine.

Another great feature of the Battlefield franchise is the sound effects. I've never heard a more realistic game. When a tank fires off a shot next to your head, you can feel it in Battlefield. All in all I'd say that Battlefield is just more entertaining for me due to how much realism they try and put into the game. Fast-paced shooters are fun and all, but I get tired of just sprinting around killing people to get the best K/D ratio. I really look forward to Battlefield 3 as I was a huge fan of Battlefield 2 for the PC, and when I saw the Battlefield 3 cover for your previous issue of GI, I couldn't wait to read it. --Brandon Cook
I have to say that Battlefield is my favorite military FPS (although I'm not one to think about "favorites", so much as "preferences"). Not only were they around before Call of Duty, but they've been using the XP-to-rank-up-and-unlock-guns-and-stuff system since 2005 - a whole 2 years before Call of Duty 4 was released. On top of that, the vehicle and destruction mechanics keep the game more cognitive than many other shooters, and the balance is far better, too (really, whose idea was it to give the airstrikes to the guys who are already winning? Do they really need the extra help?). --Alex Opificius
It seems that every couple of years some great military shooter comes out and just wows people. In the last decade these shooters were mostly in the Battlefield or Call of Duty franchises. The teams over at DICE, Infinity Ward, and Treyarch, have certainly improved over the years and it's nice to see games evolving over time with bigger and better features. Personally, I love a good amount of action, and no franchise has mastered action better than Call of Duty.
But Call of Duty is not my favorite military FPS. There is a developer that captures war in such an incandescent way that I have been enraptured for countless hours. Their power comes from scale. Planes flying overhead, strafing and bombing; tanks rolling across massive deserts; snipers pulling off headshots from what seems like miles away; paratroopers landing behind enemy bases wreaking havoc; houses and buildings collapsing with any notion of cover being demolished as you sprint away. War was never brought so close to home, and we owe it all to DICE. Competitors make great games, but Battlefield is a step above all the others. --Alex X.
The one and only military franchise for me is Battlefield. I use to be a Halo fan until my brother showed me Bad Company. When I opened up multiplayer for the first time I saw an assortment of vehicles and plenty of weapons. The single-player campaign wasn't half-bad either. But the real surprise was Bad Company 2, which really had me hooked when I first played it. More weapons, vehicles, and plenty of game modes, not to mention the great "Vietnam" add-on. If there were more maps (urban ones) I would never take that game out of my Xbox. --Keegan Leary
My only choices for best military FPS are COD and Battlefield, since I've played those the most. COD had one of the best shooters ever (COD 4) but I think they've been on a steady decline since then, as well as not innovating enough in its yearly releases. DICE keeps their Battlefield games fresh, and continually adds stuff that makes the them interesting (Frostbite destructibility, bullet drop). Battlefield wins. --Vincent
My favorite FPS has to be Battlefield: Bad Company 2. While you probably are getting tons of emails and letters about Black Ops and MW2, Battlefield stands out from the degenerate wasteland of FPS games by one simple thing. Teamwork. COD promotes lone wolf tactics and hardly any more teamwork than "Watch my back," or "Shoot that guy." Battlefield strongly exhibits how good a game can be if a few people can support each other with simple stuff such as spotting, UAV help, and destroying tanks to help your squad get to the objective. --Grant Jensen
My favorite military FPS would have to be the Battlefield franchise. Infantry and vehicle combat with balanced gameplay (and in the newer ones, the Frostbite Engine) make it the best around. --Tristan Fabiny
In my opinion, the Battlefield games are my favorite FPS series. Call of Duty is close, but doesn't quite make it. Frankly, I don't think Bad Company campaigns are very good, but the multiplayer redeems itself. Call of Duty is very fun, too. The campaign is good, but I don't like Black Ops MP for some reason, and I don't really like zombies either. --Ed T Molina

Team Call Of Duty:

I just wanted to answer your Question of the Month with another question. Why waste a whole month on such a question? You KNOW it's gonna be Call of Duty, no contest. In fact, if you made a pie chart with the responses Call of Duty would be the only one able to be labeled on the pie chart - all the others would have to be color-coded and described on a legend. The real question is what are our favorite renditions of Call of Duty? --Anonymous
My favorite military FPS franchise would be Call of Duty, even though Treyarch and Activision both had different games. The campaigns are awesome and so are the multiplayer modes. Black Ops was a huger hit than Modern Warfare 2, but I loved all COD games. -- Alexander Velez
I think it is obvious that Call of Duty is the best first-person shooter franchise of all time. Every Call of Duty is better than the one before it. Awesome graphics, easy controls, amazing campaign stories, and an unbelievable multiplayer experience are just a few of the many reasons that I buy every Call of Duty game as soon as it comes out. I hope they keep up the good work and keep producing great games for years to come. --Matthew Prestage
My favorite military FPS franchise just has to be Call of Duty. I have enjoyed it since the WWII days, and still go back to play those ones sometimes. Both Infinity Ward and Treyarch have made me smile every time. With addictive multiplayer, a wide assortment of weapons, and engaging storyline, Call of Duty has crafted one of the most famous, and greatest franchises of all time that will be played for many more decades to come. --Miko Ortiz
Modern Warfare 2. The way the weapons look and feel are beyond words, especially if you have HDMI and surround sound. The controls are perfect; everything is right where you need them, from grenades to switching weapons, to taking cover. When it comes down to money well spent, in or out of a recession Modern Warfare 2 is worth every penny. Campaign mode, the ever so addictive multiplayer modes (until hackers), and last but not least, the Special Ops mode. Me and my friend are still trying to get all the stars! I just can't say it enough, MW 2 is the best game ever made. --Stephon Brooks
I would have to say that Modern Warfare is the best military FPS franchise today. The Call of Duty franchise made outstanding WWII set moments, but Modern Warfare leaves players in awe for jaw-dropping moments. It paved the way for future FPSs to be just like it, but not as good. --Rick Rice
Call of Duty is best FPS to me. They have fairly good graphics, controls, excitement, diversity, and are an all-around series that you can play for hours and not get bored of it. They're so much fun I even got my wife to finally play games with me; we bought another PS3 and two copies of Black Ops so we don't have to use split screen anymore. --Brad

Not A Military Shooter:

Favorite military FPS franchise? Halo, hands down. Rockets. Energy Swords. Needlers. Need I say more? A game where every player giggles with every explosion. It's been around for so long, and Bungie has never left me dissatisfied. I just want Master Chief back. --Rezwan Rahman
Beyond the slightest hint of a doubt, my favorite military FPS series is Halo. This series has continually surprised with its gripping story and stunning graphics. I am now working on decorating my room with scenes from Halo and have started a collection of Halo memorabilia. I think that Bungie has created a masterpiece with this series. --Bill
My favorite military FPS franchise is Halo because of the story and fun multiplayer. I started playing Halo back in 2006, which made me late to the party since Halo came out in 2001. I love the story, music, and the multiplayer experience. I love each of the six Halo games, including Halo Wars, which is not an FPS. Of all the Halo games I played, I like Reach for the better multiplayer and customization. Even though Reach is the last one by Bungie, I look forward to playing more Halo games in the future. --John Fife
Of all the military shooters I've played, I have to say Killzone 2 was my favorite. I love the gritty, futuristic fighting/Space Nazis feel, and the online was great. The maps were characters themselves. --George Parker
Although it hasn't broken out into widespread success, my favorite franchise is Section 8. Their science fiction battlefield game had loads of potential and was a lot of fun to play, from running around as a super-fast soldier to blasting people with tanks. The armor customization was key to figuring out your role in online matches, and the sequel "Prejudice" has even more customization. Prejudice lets you choose different bullet types for different weapons, adding in as much gun customization as armor, and making decisions on the field even more critical. Prejudice is also turning out to be the first $15 FPS to actually have a $60 game's worth of content. I hope everyone takes Section 8: Prejudice for a spin and "burns in" with the rest of us. --Aric Cox

The First Is Still The Best:

My favorite military FPS is Medal of Honor, because it was the first FPS I ever played. In one mission I had to infiltrate a facility in a Nazi disguise, and I was on the edge of my seat, trying not to look suspicious. When the first Nazi soldier ordered to see my papers, I hit the wrong button and shot him in the gut with my silenced pistol. I was spotted and killed, and I've been hooked ever since. --Steve
My favorite military FPS franchise is definitely the Medal of Honor series. It was the first military FPS I have ever played. I think the music is extremely awesome and totally fits the atmosphere. The gameplay is great, and to sum it all up, I THINK IT'S FREAKIN' AWESOME! --Gabriel B.

Brother In Arms:

Favorite military franchise? Brothers in Arms. No contest. It has one of the best video game storylines I've ever experienced, and some of the best gameplay as well. All the other tactical shooters I've played have been clunky and slow, but BIA made it smooth and easy to control. On top of that the in-game maps can actually be found on a map. They aren't just what a gamer is supposed to think a bombed city looks like, scripted to how the designers want it. In BIA they are made directly from photos, old maps, and the developers actually going there. Awe-inspiring detail mixed with characters I actually want to know, and great gameplay put BIA above all other competitors. --Jack

A Forgotten Classic:

Joint Operations is my favorite military FPS. The core of JO is freedom. It gives you more options than any of the games constantly beating us over the head with their offering of options like, face paint, masks, guns, and maps, which are all cosmetic from my point of view.

The high level of freedom can be found in all Novalogic games, though. The maps are practically endless. If you decide to fly a chopper from end to end on a regular-sized map, after about 15 minutes you'll pop up on the opposite side, much like a globe. The combat can take place anywhere, from any distance. If you have the skill and experience to take someone out from 1000m, you can, if you can see that far and account for gravity.

If you want to take it easy in the field or on a hill, you can without worrying about dying every 25 seconds. Or if you want to get up close and personal and rack up 80-120 kills in a match, you can always attack or defend a control point. If you want to operate heavy armor, fly a nimble support chopper or a fear-inducing attack chopper, or camp and ensure that none of those kinds of threats can come after your team, you can do it all, without fear of the match ending before you even have the opportunity of reaching the battlefield in your tank.

You can play in small, special ops rooms with friendly fire on and 20 players or less, or you can play against hundreds of opponents on absolutely massive maps, still putting the "modern" MAG to shame, considering how long ago Nova's massive servers were put together. --Shane

SOCOM, Sort Of:

It was SOCOM until they went third person and rendered the game unplayable. --David Warner
So what's your favorite military FPS, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below!