Turning Point: Fall of Liberty

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Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Developer(s)	Spark Unlimited
Publisher(s)	Codemasters
Engine	Unreal Engine 3.0
Platform(s)	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows
Release date	NA February 26, 2008[1] AU March 13, 2008[2] EU March 14, 2008[3]
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Online multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T OFLC: M
Media	DVD-DL, Blu-ray Disc
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse, Gamepad

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Spark Unlimited for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. It was released in North America on February 26, 2008; in Australia on March 13, 2008; and in Europe on March 14, 2008.^[4]

The game takes place in an alternate history in which Winston Churchill dies in 1931, eight years before the start of World War II, presenting the possibility of what could have happened to Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world without his leadership. The United Kingdom is subdued by Nazi Germany in 1940, and the rest of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union fall soon afterwards. The United States, infected with anti-war sentiment, does not get involved overseas. The game takes place in the midst of the Greater German Reich's invasion and occupation of the east coast of the United States of America in 1953.^[5]

Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Campaign 2.1 Background 3 Plot 3.1 New York City 3.2 Washington, D.C. 3.3 London 4 Multiplayer 5 Pre-release marketing 5.1 Demo 5.2 Collector's Edition and exclusives 6 Reception 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Gameplay

In Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the player assumes the role of Dan Carson, an average New York construction worker who has no prior connection to the military. Unlike other similar war games, the player's objective is not to win the war, but merely to survive in an environment of total war as a resistance fighter.^[6]

The game includes many advanced versions of weapons used in World War II, and several that were being researched and developed late in the war but never made it to production. Super-heavy tanks such as the Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus and Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte appear in the game, as well as the Nachteule troop-transport zeppelin, the Flugzeugträger aircraft-carrier zeppelin, and various advanced jet fighters and bombers, all of which are utilized by the German invasion force.^[7]

[edit] Campaign

[edit] Background

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is based on an alternate history where the point of divergence occurs with Winston Churchill's death in 1931 from being hit by a cab in New York City instead of surviving.^[8] Without his leadership, the United Kingdom falls to the Third Reich in 1940 through a successful Operation Sealion, forcing Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to surrender. This allows Germany to sweep across the surrounding countries completely unopposed.^[9]

A period of development follows the success of the Axis Powers, transforming conquered Europe into the Greater German Reich and allowing allied Japan to share in the prosperity; at the same time, new weapons like jet fighters and atomic bombs are engineered, raising tensions between the now technologically superior German Reich and the United States. An unexpected invasion of America, Operation Humpback Whale, is launched in 1953, a combined German and Japanese offensive striking at the nation on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The opening scene of the game places the player, a construction worker named Dan Carson, right in the heat of the surprise attack on New York City.^[10][11]

[edit] Plot

[edit] New York City

Following his escape from the skyscraper he had been working on prior to the attack, Dan Carson joins up with National Guard troops attempting to set up a defensive perimeter around the subway and railway systems to allow civilians to escape. After fighting back initial advances by the Germans on the perimeter, Carson is sent to assist other American troops scattered across the city. Carson travels through a recently abandoned stretch of subway line, eventually reaching a small factory depot where he is able to destroy one of the German patrol zeppelins assaulting the position and escape New York on board one of the evacuation trains. Unfortunately, this turns out worse for the U.S. as the German invasion force overruns Washington, D.C. and forces President Dewey to resign, allowing the Nazi-supported Speaker of the House James Edward Stevenson to lead the new puppet government.

[edit] Washington, D.C.

Some time later, Carson arrives in Washington, D.C. and becomes a member of the American Resistance. After their safehouses in the area are compromised, the Resistance frees General George Donnelly, who was on trial for treason against the Stevenson administration, to aid in their efforts against the Nazi regime. The Resistance finally decides to assassinate President Stevenson, and launches a full assault against the heavily fortified White House. Carson himself kills Stevenson, and the Resistance then demolishes the historic building. During the attack, the Resistance also discovered secret documents detailing the existence of a secret lab that developed an atomic bomb under the Tower of London, as well as plans to test the bomb on New York City. The Resistance manages to secure a small plane and airdrop Carson over London in order to put an end to the threat.

[edit] London

Landing on the White Tower, Carson makes his way inside the Tower of London and into the underground German lab. Carson destroys two of the atomic bombs, but a British scientist there informs him that one fully operational bomb has been moved onto a zeppelin bound for New York City. The zeppelin docks with the Tower Bridge for last-minute repairs, giving Carson time to secretly board it. After the zeppelin leaves London for its target, Carson fights his way through it to find the atomic bomb. He manages to find the bomb just as the eastern American coastline becomes visible on the horizon. With time running out, he rewires the bomb and arms it. Moments later, the bomb explodes, killing Carson and destroying the zeppelin but saving New York City.

[edit] Multiplayer

Multiplayer in Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is available online via Xbox Live, PlayStation Network or through a System Link. Gameplay is divided into two modes: deathmatch and team deathmatch with players able to play as Nazi soldiers or as the American Resistance. Gameplay is centered on four maps based on locations within the game and each map also has its own player limit with eight as the maximum.^[12]

[edit] Pre-release marketing

[edit] Demo

A basic demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 25, 2008, which showcased the initial level of the game and also demonstrated some gameplay features such as grappling and using enemies as human shields. However, the demo received negative feedback from gaming websites who criticized several disappointing aspects of the gameplay such as viewing sensitivity, problems with the AI, and graphics issues. The game's developers at Spark, however, stated that the game should not be judged by the demo, and that they have corrected several of the issues many people had with it.^[13][14]

[edit] Collector's Edition and exclusives

A Collector's Edition of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty was made available for the Xbox 360 only. This edition includes a soundtrack and concept art book for the game. Those who reserved any version of the game before its release received a "Join the Resistance" pre-order gift pack containing a behind-the-scenes DVD, postcards featuring scenes from the game, and a timeline poster detailing the events leading up to the story. Video game retailer Gamestop also offered two exclusive items with a reservation of the game: an 8" by 11" lithograph print depicting the assault on New York City and a game code to unlock infinite ammo during gameplay.^[15]

[edit] Reception

Reviews
Publication	Score
1UP.com	C+[16]
Edge	3/10[17]
Eurogamer	3/10[18]
Game Informer	3/10[19]
GameSpot	4.5/10[20]
GameSpy	1.5/5[21]
IGN	5/10[22]
TeamXbox	5.3/10[23]
X-Play	1/5[24]
Compilations of multiple reviews
Compiler	Score
Game Rankings	46.0% (Based on 18 reviews)[25]

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty received generally negative reviews. IGN.com noted the unique concept for the game's plot, but criticized the quality of the gaming experience as "archaic". Other criticisms included a flat, linear storyline that provided little characterization, a lackluster and unamusing multiplayer mode, and frustratingly uncooperative gameplay actions such as climbing ladders. The musical score was better received, being described as a solid and well-made part of the game. Overall, the game was considered a "shining example of a great idea poorly executed."^[26]

1UP.com gave the game a slightly higher rating, but identified the game's worst shortcoming as allowing "the potential-laden narrative (to take) a backseat for most of the adventure." While most criticism was aimed at the under-development of the plot, the review also commented on problems with repetitive objectives and control inconsistencies. In the conclusion, the review stated that "every time Turning Point does something well, it falls short somewhere else." On a more positive note, the game was called "a more than competent deviation for someone itching to kill more Nazis," mainly due to solid gameplay and the intriguing story.^[27]

In response to the poor reception of the game by reviewers, the developers of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty have stated that their game was not intended for hardcore gamers, but rather a more casual audience. They claim that reviewers are "too hard" on casual games, explaining the low scores that several games, including Turning Point, have received over recent weeks.^[28]

[edit] See also

• Alternate history
• Counterfactual history
• What If? (essays)
• Edward F. Cantasano

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Official Turning Point: Fall of Liberty Website