Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty | |
---|---|
Unreal Engine 3 | |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Spark Unlimited and published by Codemasters for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was released in 2008 in North America on February 26, in Europe on March 14;[1] and in Australia on March 21.
The game takes place in an alternate history in which Winston Churchill dies in 1931, eight years before the start of World War II, presenting the possibility of what could have happened to Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world without his leadership; the United Kingdom is subdued by Nazi Germany in 1940, and the rest of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East fall soon afterward. The United States, infected with anti-war sentiment, does not get involved overseas. The game takes place in the midst of the Greater German Reich's invasion and occupation of the East Coast of the United States in 1953.[2]
Gameplay
In Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the player assumes the role of Dan Carson, an average New York construction worker who has no prior connection to the military. Unlike other similar war games, the player's objective is not to help the Allies win the war, but merely to survive in an environment of total war as a resistance fighter against Nazi Germany.[3]
The game includes many advanced versions of weapons used in World War II, and several that were being researched and developed late in the war but never made it to mass production. Super-heavy tanks such as the E-100 and Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte appear in the game, as well as the Nachteule troop-transport zeppelin, the Flugzeugträger German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, and various advanced jet fighters and bombers, all of which are utilized by the German invasion force.[citation needed]
The player can wield up to two weapons, which can be German or American. Weapons range from submachine guns to rifles to rocket launchers. He can also wield up to four grenades. When the player gets close to a Nazi soldier, a prompt comes up. Pressing the melee button when the prompt is seen allows two options to be taken. One is an instant kill, where Carson melees the Nazi soldier to death. The other is the human shield, where Carson knocks the Nazi soldier out, holds him in a stranglehold, and takes his sidearm. He can walk around killing other Nazi soldiers with the human shield protecting him against most damage until his human shield dies. Occasionally, a Nazi soldier will be standing near an interactive object, such as a furnace or a toilet, allowing Carson to perform an environmental kill with it.
Multiplayer
Campaign
Background
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is based on an alternate history by Stephen R. Pastore where the
A period of development follows the success of the
When secret plans for an American invasion by German and Japanese forces are found by the British Resistance, codenamed Operation Humpback Whale, Germany and Japan are quick to deny it, saying these accusations are ludicrous. President Dewey believes their lies, and continues his isolationist policies, refusing to stock up on arms and increase the size of the military in case of a possible invasion. The invasion plans turn out to be true, however, and Operation Humpback Whale is launched in 1953, with a combined German/Japanese offensive striking at the United States on both the
New York City
The game begins with German aircraft attacking New York City. The protagonist, Dan Carson, is a construction worker who is on an unfinished skyscraper when the surprise attack hits. Surviving the attack, Carson manages to link up with a
Washington, D.C.
Following America's surrender, a General named George Donnelly, in defiance of President Stevenson's orders, leads a raid against the Nazi controlled
London
Landing on the White Tower, Carson takes out the snipers guarding the outside of the Tower, and makes his way inside. Carson destroys two heavily guarded atomic bombs, but a British scientist informs him that the last bomb has been moved onto an extremely large Zeppelin bound for New York City. The Zeppelin is docked over the Tower Bridge for last-minute repairs, where the Resistance sees the atomic bomb being loaded onto it. Carson sneaks on board the Zeppelin. Running out of time, he kills the last squad of Nazi soldiers trying to halt his tampering with the atomic bomb, but the bomb's controls are damaged in the firefight, leaving Carson unable to simply jettison the bomb. With time almost run out, Carson rewires the atomic bomb to self-destruct. The atomic bomb explodes, destroying the Zeppelin, killing all of the Nazi troops in and near it, as well as Carson himself; however, this sacrifice saves New York City. This last act of sacrifice will inspire millions of other Americans to join the American Resistance to fight the Nazi oppressors and restore democracy throughout the world.
Marketing
Demo
A basic demo was released on the
Collector's Edition and exclusives
A Collector's Edition of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty was made available for the
Reception
Aggregator | Score | ||
---|---|---|---|
PC | PS3 | Xbox 360 | |
Metacritic | 39/100[22] | 42/100[23] | 43/100[24] |
Publication | Score | ||
---|---|---|---|
PC | PS3 | Xbox 360 | |
Edge | N/A | N/A | 3/10[11] |
Eurogamer | N/A | N/A | 3/10[12] |
Game Informer | 3/10[13] | 3/10[13] | 3/10[13] |
GameRevolution | N/A | N/A | D[14] |
GameSpot | N/A | 4.5/10[15] | 4.5/10[15] |
GameSpy | [16] | [17] | [17] |
IGN | 5/10[4] | 5/10[4] | 5/10[4] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | N/A | 6.5/10[18] |
PC Gamer (US) | 40%[19] | N/A | N/A |
PC PowerPlay | 5/10[20] | N/A | N/A |
PlayStation: The Official Magazine | N/A | [21] | N/A |
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty received "generally unfavorable reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[22][23][24] IGN noted the unique concept for the game's plot, but criticized the quality of the gaming experience as "archaic". Other criticisms included a flat, linear storyline that provided little characterization, a lackluster and unamusing multiplayer mode, and frustratingly uncooperative gameplay actions such as climbing ladders. The musical score was better received, being described as a solid and well-made part of the game. Overall, the game was considered a "shining example of a great idea poorly executed".[4]
In response to the poor reception of the game by reviewers, the developers of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty have said that their game was not intended for hardcore gamers, but rather a more casual audience. They claim that reviewers are "too hard" on casual games, explaining the low scores that several games, including Turning Point, have received over the weeks following its release.[26]
See also
- Alternate history
- Counterfactual history
- What If? (essays)
- Edward F. Cantasano
- Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II
References
- ^ a b IGN staff (26 February 2008). "WWII Comes to America as Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Ships to U.S. Stores". IGN. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "Turning Point: International Journal". Codemasters. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Jackson, Mike (19 April 2007). "Preview: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Geddes, Ryan (28 February 2008). "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Murray, Williamson (2000). "What a Taxi Driver Wrought". In Robert Cowley (ed.). What If? The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been. New York: Berkley Books. pp. 306–307.
- ^ "Turning Point: International Journal (Week 2)". Codemasters. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- Play. Vol. 6, no. 6. p. 48.
- ^ "Turning Point: International Journal (1951)". Codemasters. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "Blog by Turning_Point_Team". IGN. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "Weekly Ad". GameStop. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008.
- ^ Edge staff (May 2008). "EDGE REVIEW: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (X360)". Edge. No. 188. p. 93. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (14 March 2008). "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b c Biessener, Adam (April 2008). "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". Game Informer. No. 180. p. 86. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- Game Revolution. Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b McInnis, Shawn (12 March 2008). "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Review (PS3, X360)". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Lopez, Miguel (10 March 2008). "GameSpy: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (PC)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b Lopez, Miguel (10 March 2008). "GameSpy: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (PS3, X360)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Lynch, Casey (April 2008). "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". Official Xbox Magazine. p. 74. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". PC Gamer. June 2008. p. 74.
- ^ "Review: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". PC PowerPlay. No. 151. June 2008. p. 60.
- ^ "Review: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. No. 6. May 2008. p. 86.
- ^ a b "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Turning Point: Fall of Liberty for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Hatfield, Daemon (13 March 2008). "Hudson's Low Wii Expectations". IGN. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.