The reveal Call of Duty: Vanguard is already making our author excited for the release, but one thing is currently unsettling him: Will there be colorful anime skins on the battlefields of World War II? Hopefully not!
Who is upset here? Jürgen Horn loves shooters and places a certain value on historical accuracy. The idea of using a pink Tommy gun adorned with cute anime cat girls to take down Nazis in Normandy fills him with horror.
Historical settings should at least be historically accurate
That’s why World War II fits so well as a setting: I was quite blown away by the reveal of Vanguard and I’m really looking forward to the release in November.
While World War II is not my favorite setting, on the other hand, this iconic conflict is particularly well-suited for shooters. There are no modern gimmicks here, and one can battle with a few well-known weapons and vehicles to one’s heart’s content.
Why are skins in Vanguard a problem? However, World War II also conveys specific visual expectations. One simply knows how a Tommy gun, an MG 42, or a Luger pistol should look.
A Tiger tank comes in field gray or appropriate camouflage, and the uniforms of the Wehrmacht, US Army, or the Red Army can be instantly recognized by their respective style. This immediately creates a sense of familiarity and immersion.
If the aforementioned tank suddenly appeared in bright pink with a grinning anime cat on the turret, it would quickly ruin the historical battlefield atmosphere. Similarly, if the soldiers of the Red Army suddenly appeared in bright neon green instead of their usual green uniforms or if the weapons exhibited strange glowing effects.
For me, that would be a brutal break in style and would cost me quite a bit of enjoyment in the game. As much as I think colorful skins and, for that matter, anime decor are great in shooters like Apex Legends or Valorant, I believe they are utterly inappropriate in historical settings.
Why could colorful skins still come? On the other hand, the range of skins in the World War setting is certainly limited. There was only a certain range of design variations in the respective armed forces, and those who would like Wehrmacht soldiers in red uniforms will not find them in any history book.
So if the developers would adhere to the available, historically accurate templates, the selection of new skins would be severely restricted, and that in turn would be bad for the profit that Activision certainly wants to achieve from the game.
Imagine a skin pack where you unlock the skin “Camouflage German Forest 1944” and then revel in subtle, darker greens and browns. For that, at least, I wouldn’t spend any money.
Therefore, the developer will try to create and bring cool skins into the game, primarily for economic reasons.
I understand that; as I said, earth-toned camouflage and gray field gray is incredibly dull in the long run. But does it have to be so colorful or even anime aesthetics?
What would be a good compromise? There are indeed ways to make the skins in Vanguard interesting and original without completely deviating from the historical design framework!
This can actually be quite simple because if you look at pictures of war equipment from the era, it quickly becomes apparent, especially with the US Army, that colorful artworks often adorned the aircraft. These included fierce predator faces on the nose of the aircraft or cheeky pin-ups on the sides of the machines.
Other armies of the time also allowed the decoration of equipment, and here the developers can certainly exercise a bit of creative freedom and allow more than just historically documented motives. As long as the basic aesthetics fit, hardly any player should get upset.
Interestingly, designs like these already seem to exist in the game, as a preorder bonus includes a skin for a weapon featuring characteristic aircraft artwork at the muzzle.
The other idea would be to also allow a bit more artistic freedom with uniforms and accessories, incorporating designs that, while never present in war, are at least thematically fitting.
Here, one can take inspiration from games like Wolfenstein or movies like Iron Sky. As long as the steel helmet and the cloak fit, the rest of the uniform can be designed a bit more freely. The known elements immediately categorize the design on the side of the Axis powers.
I wouldn’t have a problem with that at all. Just please, dear developers, spare me from colorful anime skins; they really have no place in this game.
What do you think about the whole thing? We have embedded a survey here where you can express your opinion and vote. Have fun!
