By Ashleigh Johnson

Daily Titan Copy Editor

On Nov. 10, Activision released “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” for XBox 360, PC and Playstation 3.

While the game has become a commercial hit, it’s also been making headlines with an eyebrow-raising mission sequence titled “No Russian.” Violence in media, specifically video games, is a topic that has been examined for years now to the point where any gamer – myself included – will greet the subject with muffled groans and rolling eyes.

Jack Thompson, a now-disbarred lawyer, gained some level of notoriety after attacking games such as “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” and “Bully” for their violent content, claiming that they encouraged criminal behavior.

Extensive psychological studies were conducted to see if there is a correlation between video games and violence. A majority of these studies proved inconclusive.

While video game developers are certainly well within their First Amendment rights to add elements of violence to their games and there is no proven psychological link between abnormal behavior and video games, at what point do buckets of blood cross the line from having some artistic merit and plot value, to becoming gratuitous?

In the controversial mission, you are placed in control of an American CIA agent going undercover to gather information on a Russian mercenary.

In order to remain undercover, the CIA agent takes part in a brutal massacre of innocent civilians in an airport, who initially watch curiously as the group enters, but then are quickly mowed down by a hail of bullets as screams fill the air.

It’s shockingly realistic and completely devoid of the “GTA” franchise’s bloody yet morbidly lighthearted vibe.

This segment of the game is crucial to the overall plot. However, the game designers could have still told the same story without subjecting the player to approximately 10 minutes of what essentially boils down to virtual slaughter.

Violence has its place in art – and yes, I do consider video games an art form. If done well, it can be used to deliver compelling messages, to shock the viewer outside their comfort zone into a new train of thought.

When used merely to shock and add a splash of color, it can traumatize half the audience and cause the other half to high-five in testosterone-fueled celebration.

The fact that the developer had a choice to avoid including buckets of blood, but did it anyway, proves that there is a line when it comes to violence in art and it’s possible to not only cross it, but then beat it to death with a baseball bat after having sex with it.

By Skylar Smith

Daily Titan Staff Writer

The video game strategy is no stranger to controversy and negative media attention, and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is no different.

Many things about “Modern Warfare 2” are open to criticism, but one level is responsible for the brunt of the controversy.

In this level you play as a CIA agent whose task it is to infiltrate a terrorist group led by Makarov, a Russian gun for hire. Part of the job is to accompany him on a terrorist raid in a Russian airport where he plans to gun down civilians, and he does just that.

Before I begin to describe the scene, you should know that you have the option of skipping the level and continuing with the story. Not only that, you will never be forced to shoot civilians, you can simply watch and you will not be punished by the game for it.

The level begins as you descend in an elevator. Makarov turns to you and says, “Remember, no Russian.” As the elevator doors open you, Makrov and three other Russian terrorists walk up to a large group of civilians and open fire.

You must then follow Makarov throughout the airport, choosing whether or not to join in the massacre, all the way up to the hangars where you must fend off waves of SWAT teams before reaching your escape vehicle.

To avoid spoilers, I will just say that this scene, however terrible it may be, is necessary for the plot as it is a turning point for the entire game.

Infinity Ward and Activision are taking a lot of heat for putting this in their game, but I believe this level, however painful and controversial it may be for some to play, is necessary.

Infinity Ward is making a bold statement by keeping the “No Russian” level in its game, and it could possibly be a major stepping stone in how we view video games as an artistic medium.

The level is not meant to make the player feel good; no one in their right mind would play this level and want to go out and reenact the events. The level is meant to make an impact on the player, causing them to think about the reality and weight of incidents such as this.

“Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” made similar moves by putting players in the middle of all too real situations, such as a nuclear explosion. This level left an impact on gamers worldwide.

“No Russian” is a level that the video game industry needed. Although the overall plot of “Modern Warfare 2” is weak at times, it’s moments in games like these that prove developers, like Infinity Ward, have the ability to push video games to be emotionally engaging and artistic.