Deciphering the Order of War with 3D Artist Nadya Butylina
Cinematic. That’s the word that best describes the experience of Order of War, developed by Wargaming and published by Square Enix. Troops charge while squadrons of planes descend in formation. Tanks careen through open fields and village streets amidst explosions and gunfire. This RTS game allows players to take command of forces in the air and on the ground in an attempt to repel and defeat the enemy, from different perspectives. Researched to establish incredible historical accuracy, Order of War provides players with two campaign options; that of the American forces fighting the Germans on the Western Front or as the Germans fighting the Red Army on the Eastern Front. Whether you choose the perspective of Allied or Axis forces, the visual approach of this game is grand and epic. Players are empowered with an unparalleled view of their strategic decisions conducted on a massive scale. It’s clear that those who designed Order of War wanted to bridge the space between cinema and history with the most striking visual style possible. In this goal, they have exceeded any game to date.
Order of War is incredibly realistic in many ways. Deeply committed to historical accuracy, the locations and weaponry are presented with great precision. Additionally, playing this game is not for those who are dependent on “hacks” for their wins. There are no “cheats” or shortcuts. For example, if you gain the benefit of troop reinforcements, you’ll have to wait for them to show up. If you are defeated in a sub-mission of a campaign, you’ll have to restart it. This game demands you earn the conquering of opposing forces. At the expert gamer level, it will likely take you about ten hours to complete one of the campaigns. While testing your quick reflexes and strategic choices, you’ll be immersed in a world of remarkably realistic surroundings. Your missions may not be easy or quick but you’ll be astonished at the believability of the world you are inhabiting. Nadya Butylina is a 3D artist who crafted much of this environment for Order of War. Using the Autodesk Maya program and then adding textures with Photoshop, Nadya based her work on a library of photos from the mid 1940’s. She communicates, “We did extensive research to ensure we presented everything from the buildings to the tanks, planes, and other aspects exactly as they would have appeared in the summer of 1944. The end was coming and everything was showing the effects of a long war. We wanted the context to be honest regarding how things looked but we also wanted to establish a tone and style that communicated this specific period. I studied a lot of photographs from that time and painstakingly hand painted textures to create this look for the game.”
Praise for Order of War has come from leading reviewers like IGN’s Mark Birnbaum, Gerard Torres of Eurogamer, Simone Tagliaferri from Multiplayer.it, and others. Awards from Country of Games magazine, “Domestic Game of the Year” from PlayGround.ru, and “Editor’s Choice” from Gaming magazine are just a few of the accolades that single out Order of War as one of the year’s most popular and respected games. While many present this pivotal time in the history of planet Earth, none do it so realistically or with the magnificent style as Order of War.
Writer : Calvin Honey
