Last week I heard about a game called Peace Maker - a project done by a bunch of univeristy students that made it's way into a fully-fledged game. But what got my attention was it was billed as a strategy game where peace solutions were the only way to win. Now I like my strategy games having played both Starcraft and Civilization to death so hearing someone propose a new entrant to the genre where actual conflict is the quickest way to lose? That sound downright awful on paper but hey, if someone has the balls (or stupidity) to go against the grain than that's fine by me.
Another selling point is the fact this is a 'serious' game and working to convey a genuine point: The game itself is set in the Gaza Strip and aimed at bringing the Israelis and the Palestinians to a peaceful resolution. 'Inspired by real events' the game blurb proclaims. Well I'm all for games actually working to say something worthwhile (not to mention looking for ammunition to use against the anti-gaming crusaders) so my curiosity was piqued: I went to the Peace maker homepage and downloaded the game for myself.
Needless to say, I was not sure what to expect out of the final product.
To begin with, unlike other strategy games, the player does not assume the role of an army commander - no, instead the player's role is more akin to that of a politician. There are no armies to build up - instead it's a simple matter of making decisions and seeing how they play out. Again, it sure sounds like a concept that shouldn't work - but somehow it does. With each player turn, a decision needs to be made in order to progress - decisions such as construction projects and negotiations with the other factions. But what is interesting is just how these decisions work: The outcome of each decision is indeed unpredictable and there's no guarantee they will yield the desired result. More often than not, good new (e.g educational programs being implemented) walks hand in hand with bad news (e.g. people being killed by a suicide bomber). And if that isn't enough, each decision results in a reaction from the opposition and the world so maintaining a balance is trickier than it sounds.
I played the Palestinian campaign for my first play-through and achieved victory within the space of an evening. And I was impressed by how such a simple game can have such an effect on me as the player: Often I found myself bearing witness to some setbacks and thinking 'What Do I Do now?'. And the unpredictable nature of the decision outcomes often left me in a state of nervous anticipation/dread in seeing how they'd play out. And such was this effect that each small step of progression felt like a victory and winning was an ultimate triumph.
The game is billed as being inspired by real-life events and it shows with use of real-life footage and images. Indeed, I felt like I had learned a lot about the Middle East conflicts from the exeprience - perhaps more than any news program could ever hope to. And having played Peace Maker, it really seems that a peaceful resolution between the Israelis and the Palestinians can be possible - now if only the right people will listen....
Mind you, one thing Peace Maker makes clear is just how difficult being a Politician is when you have to please everyone and the rest of the world is watching. And for a gem to do that is indeed something.
So to wrap this up, I enjoyed Peace Maker and for a game to reach me to some degree of an emotional level is indeed an impressive feat. I have wondered in the past if peaceful solutions could work in a strategy genre, where guns and blood dominate, and it would now seem possible.
Needless to say, I've always wanted games to be able to convey ideas and possibilities beyond shooting people in the head so Peace Maker is indeed a step in the right direction.
Now if only more people would put down that sniper rifle long enough to play it....
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