| War of Rights | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Campfire Games |
| Publisher(s) | Campfire Games |
| Engine | CryEngine |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | December 3, 2018 (early access) |
| Genre(s) | Tactical shooter, first-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
War of Rights is an upcoming tactical first-person shooter video game in early access. The game is set during the American Civil War with players choosing between two teams of either the Union or the Confederacy. It is being developed by Danish company Campfire Games.
History
Campfire Games founders Mads Larsen and Emil Hansen began developing War of Rights in 2012, [1] and successfully raised US$118,000 on Kickstarter three years later. [2] They released an early access version on 3 December 2018, [1] and added the ability to fire artillery in 2020. [3]
Setting and gameplay
War of Rights is set during the Maryland campaign, featuring maps for the battles of Harpers Ferry, South Mountain, Shepherdstown, and Antietam. [4] The game is multiplayer only, and participants can choose from one of seven character classes alongside different enlisted and officer military ranks. [5] It emphasizes realistic aspects of Civil War battlefields, including a chain of command; players can receive positive benefits for following orders and maintaining their place in tactical formations.[ citation needed]
Reception
Ian Birnbaum of Vice magazine has written about War of Rights' uncritical use of Confederate symbols and use of racial slurs despite the then-recent Charleston church shooting and the consequent US reckoning over the continued use of those symbols (such as displaying the Confederate battle flag). Birnbaum contrasted the first-person shooter against grand strategy games with more impersonal perspectives, saying that it was "built with one of the most realistic-looking game engines in the business [...] and it will put at least half the players in the shoes of Confederates. That's a far more involved, intimate experience." [2]
Separately, Eddie Kim of MEL Magazine has written about problems with player-led racism, highlighting the experiences of a Black streamer named Andrew Norris. "It's obvious in so many of these moments that Norris is in on the joke, cackling over racially charged situations that he purposefully incites," Kim wrote, but "other times you can just tell Norris isn't quite laughing at the premise, like in a clip from February where multiple people drop the N-word while calling for the killing of Black people and their allies." [6]
References
- ^ a b "War of Rights lands on Steam Early Access". www.cryengine.com. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2022.[ non-primary source needed]
- ^ a b Birnbaum, Ian (November 23, 2015). "Is It OK to Play as a Confederate Soldier in a Civil War FPS?". Vice. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Alice Marion (22 July 2020). "Realistic Civil War Re-enactment Game War of Rights Adds Working Artillery". Game Rant. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
- ^ "War of Rights". warofrights.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ "Steam :: War of Rights :: Field Report 45: Character Customization Preview". Steam. War of Rights. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-09.[ non-primary source needed]
- ^ Kim, Eddie (April 2022). "The Black Streamer Who Trolls Racists for the Lulz". MEL Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2023.