One of the most popular video game genres is the first-person shooter. Made popular in the early 1990s by games like “Wolfenstein 3D” and “Doom,” the genre lets players control their characters via the first-person perspective to mimic holding a firearm in real life. Following initial success, other studios created new franchises set in the past, the present and the future.

By the 2000s, titles such as “Halo,” “Deus Ex,” “Far Cry,” “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six,” “Medal of Honor,” “Battlefield” and “Call of Duty” covered various time periods and offered unique experiences that established them as genre cornerstones. These series stick to a traditional timeline, preferring to base their games from World War II and beyond. With a few exceptions (“Battlefield 1”), the genre doesn’t experiment with earlier conflicts due to technological limitations.

The state of warfare 300 years ago was primitive and slow compared to the landscape even 100 years ago. Weapons were limited in both range and rate of fire, only shooting a few rounds per minute, and there were no effective air or naval options. Combined with the lack of lethal and tactical equipment, producing an engaging gameplay loop is a colossal challenge.

However, let’s look past those obstacles and imagine what these companies could potentially do. I want large publishers like EA and Activision to push boundaries and take risks on a first-person shooter based in the 18th or 19th centuries. If true realism isn’t feasible, they could come up with an interesting premise, like time-traveling or an alternate history where weapons developed much quicker than real life.

The 1700s and 1800s weren’t the most exciting time to be a soldier, but that shouldn’t eliminate some of the most important time periods ever. With that said, here are some conflicts that FPS games should consider.

Seven Years War (1756-1763)

Despite taking place 150 years before World War I, this has a good case to be considered the first global conflict. The French and British face-off again but this time on a worldwide stage, stretching from Europe to North America to Africa. The variety of locations makes it a good pick, not to mention the sheer number of countries that fought.

American Revolution (1775-1783)

The conflict that earned America its independence is widely known as one of the most unlikely tales of war the world has ever seen. George Washington managed to keep his army of untrained militiamen organized against the British Empire, which had the most developed military in the world. There’s so many famous moments and battles to take advantage of in a single-player campaign.

French Revolution (1789-1799)

The amount of violence, blood and gore in this era would provide great visuals to tell a brutal story. It could follow impoverished peasants struggling to survive or the political clashes between wealthy clergy and nobles. Remember in “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” when the player was publicly executed by Khaled Al-Asad? Imagine a similar level but it’s a recreation of King Louis XVI’s execution (or anyone else, really) by guillotine. The story pretty much writes itself.

Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)

As a direct result of the power vacuum caused by the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte was the thorn in Europe’s side for more than a decade. It took six coalitions and two exiles to rid him of his power and influence over France. There’s so many opportunities to play with here, giving developers a plethora of material to craft a compelling story.

American Civil War (1861-1865)

Though 50 years prior to World War I (the earliest Battlefield setting) and nearly 80 years before World War II (the earliest Call of Duty setting), the American Civil War represents a time when warfare was shifting. The introduction of faster firing weapons like machine guns, testing of air surveillance and consideration of chemical warfare are reasons why this conflict deserves a shot. In my opinion, it has the most potential out of the options listed.

Conclusion

There you have it, those are some 18th and 19th century suggestions for the major FPS franchises to visit someday. While there’s no shortage of 20th and 21st century conflicts to choose from, it’s always fun to ask “What if?” Video games are a fantastic teaching tool. Think about the impact that “Assassin’s Creed” has when introducing players to different eras across the past millennium. FPS titles differ from third-person action-adventure releases, but the core idea of education is still present.

If I had the choice, my pick would either be the American Revolution or American Civil War. I have a soft spot for the Revolutionary War after researching it for years, but I don’t believe the gameplay would be exciting. However, a three-way campaign featuring Patriots, Loyalists and Native Americans would be very interesting.

On the other hand, the Civil War provides a great storyline with the benefit of better mechanics. The amount of new warfare developments during the time makes it very appealing, in addition to lots of alternate history scenarios. What if the war turned into a stalemate? What if Lincoln was still alive? Maybe machine guns are widely adopted or generals approved the use of chemical weapons? Imagine other countries step in and push World War I up by six decades.

All these possibilities sound amazing to play through, but we’ll have to wait for a major studio to capitalize on the idea. Maybe it’s worth looking past the big studios and exploring the indie scene to see if there’s any hidden gems.

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