Ahh… Washington DC.
The nation’s capital. The home of freedom and liberty, where the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol proudly stand as the beacons of democracy. Also, one of the most invaded places in the history of movies and video games.
Like New York City, no invasion or cataclysmic natural disaster is complete without the inclusion of Washington DC. There has to be iconic shots of the White House being destroyed by alien ships (Independence Day), swept away by a giant tsunami (Deep Impact), bombarded by asteroid fragments (Armaggedon), or festooned by Nazi banners hanging off the front portico (Enterprise).
Then, of course, there are the video games.
It’s as if the American way of life cannot change without some drastic changes being done to the nation’s capital. Below are some of the games set in Washington DC:
Red Alert 2
One of the most refreshing storylines ever made by Westwood (before EA fucked everything up), RA:2 sees the Soviet Union invading the USA during the 1960s.
Now a lot of people might scoff at the idea. After all, the US helped Russia rebuild after being defeated by Allies in the previous game. History, however, begs to disagree. Remember Germany during World War 2?
One of the most memorable scenes in the game is when the Soviet generals have infighting (as they always do), and the player has to kill the rival general in a White House studded with the Soviet hammer and sickle.
In addition, the multiplayer mode contains a map of Washington DC. The White House can be garrisoned by troops, while the Washington Monument can be razed to the ground by tanks. Of course, this will hurt the real estate prices of Washington DC corporate housing and suburban mortgages. But none of that matters when you’re tromping around with Apocalype tanks in the capital.
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Instead of the Soviets invading America, this time it’s a triumphant Nazi Germany.
Just like Red Alert 2, the game starts with the invasion of New York City. Instead of Kirov airships, the sky is filled with giant Zeppelins sporting the blood-red swatiska, as well as exotic German jet fighters and bombers.
In this game, the player, a lowly construction worker, joins the American resistance just as the US military crumbles under the Nazi onslaught. In one of the most audacious scripts ever in a video game, the player must somehow sneak into the heavily guarded White House, kill hundreds of occupying German soldiers, and kill the puppet President installed by Hitler.
And oh, just for kicks, the player has to destroy the entire structure as well.
If that’s just one “construction worker”, we can’t imagine what the Delta Forces or SEALs could do in this game.