After all, he tells us with a sly smile, he wouldn’t lie to us… would he? He chalks it up to the confusion of the war. Clyde says that his tale, as fantastical as it all may sound, is completely true… although there are other versions of his story out there, ones which conflict with the ones the player has been through. It’s also one of the greatest moments in gaming not the gameplay of the level, which pulls you in instantly with action, adventure and nail-biting experiences, but Clyde’s story.Ĭlyde’s final narrative statements, along with flashbacks, will have any player’s jaw dropping and their mind reeling as the truth sinks in. We don’t see Wilson again, but Clyde drags himself out the water and lives to tell the tale… and this is the tale he’s telling, the one he’s sticking to. Having saved the day, Clyde and Wilson leap from a German zeppelin into the river. They fly off to protect London in an action-packed sequence. However, a German air-raid kills the officer who arrested him and forces Clyde and Wilson to return to the action. Once they’re back in friendly territory, Clyde faces a court-martial and is handcuffed to the railing of a boat on the River Thames. With the player staggering back to the safety of British lines, weighed down by Wilson and unable to hold a weapon to defend yourself, it’s a harrowing journey. It’s a defining moment when Clyde saves him. When Clyde comes across Wilson, trapped in the wreckage of the plane, he’s left with a difficult choice: live up to his promises and save the man, doing the honourable thing even though trying to carry him back home is a suicide mission… or kill his friend in cold blood to silence him, and get back safely by himself. And, well, we know Clyde’s a habitual liar and we know that probably isn’t going to happen.
Except Clyde told Wilson that all of this would lead to medals and glory, and promised that he would make sure Wilson would return home safely. Still, they manage to recon a munitions base and are soon leading a bombing raid on the enemy base. That makes sense, right? Because why wouldn’t your player be the good guy?Ĭlyde and his gunner, Wilson, are ambushed by German planes and a dogfight breaks out. When we first meet this American pilot, we find him cheating at cards, stealing a plane and lying about his identity… so players interpret him as a bit of a lovable rogue. Players take control of the main protagonist Clyde Blackburn. It has an online mode too, but the writing of Friends In High Places really is the best. From trench warfare and driving a tank in France to guerrilla missions in the Arabian Peninsula, Battlefield 1 has many strengths, with a variety of global campaigns and stunning graphics amongst them. When the intro level has players taking control of soldiers who get slaughtered every few seconds, you know you’re in for a nightmarish ride which cuts close to the bone. Sometimes it isn’t about the quick fix and, without a great story, you’ve only got half a real game.īattlefield 1 dumped players in the midst of World War One, and it’s an emotionally exhausting game which pulls no punches in showing the grim reality of war. But there are still many players who enjoy playing by themselves, who demand and deserve great story campaigns. After all, isn’t the rush of online gaming enough? GTA V offered the best of both worlds by giving both a self-contained story and a mayhem-fuelled online mode. With so many games being online, some players question why games even bother including story modes anymore. It was also a pretty damn pointless waste of five hours. During that time, I took part in an extreme sports skydiving tournament, did some street racing, took on a deathmatch challenge and then, just for the sheer thrill of it, I took part in an extended game of cat-and-mouse against another player which caused chaos in the streets.
I’ve just spent the last five hours on the streets of Los Santos in GTA V’s online mode. For proof of this, play Battlefield 1’s campaign story called Friends In High Places, where you’ll learn the tale of Clyde Blackburn. While gunning down rival players or team-playing quests may be awesome, it’ll never have the same emotional impact as a well-written tale. Story modes are, and always should be, one of the focus points of any game.