Line #29 VideoGame/TurningPointFallOfLiberty


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/turning_point_liberty.jpg]]
2	A UsefulNotes/WorldWarII AlternateHistory FirstPersonShooter that was developed by (now defunct) Spark Unlimited and published by Creator/{{Codemasters}} in 2008 on [[Platform/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], Platform/Playstation3 and Platform/Xbox360.
3
4	On December 13, 1931, UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill was hit by a cab while visiting UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. While in real life, Churchill was only mildly injured, [[PointOfDivergence in the game's universe]], the accident causes his death. Years later, without Churchill's foresight and leadership, the United Kingdom falls to the [[ThoseWackyNazis Third Reich]] in 1940, and the rest of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East fall soon afterward. While in the United States, the nation chose an isolationist policy, implemented by Republican president Thomas E. Dewey (who defeated UsefulNotes/HarryTruman in 1948).
5
6	A period of development follows the success of the Axis Powers, transforming conquered Europe, Asia and Africa into the Greater German Reich and allowing allies Japan and Italy to share in the prosperity; at the same time, the Nazis start to built up their military. Eventually, in 1953, they launch a massive, surprise invasion on the U.S., one of the few nations that is still free from German rule. The player takes control of Dan Carson, a New York construction worker, and joins the [[LaResistance American Resistance]] against the invaders.
7
8	Despite an interesting plot, the game received generally very negative reviews. The criticisms include a flat, linear storyline that provided little characterization, a very short campaign that can be finished in two to three hours, [[MisbegottenMultiplayerMode a lackluster and unamusing multiplayer mode]], and frustratingly uncooperative gameplay actions, such as climbing ladders. In response to the reviews, the developers have stated that their game was not intended for hardcore gamers, but rather a more casual audience.
9	----
10	!!This game features examples of the following tropes:
11	* TheFifties: The game is set in 1953, in an alternate reality that saw the Axis Powers' victory in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. It primarily takes place on the American East Coast, where you play as a resistance fighter attempting to repel a Nazi invasion of the United States.
12	* ActionCommands: Two different options: An instant kill, where Carson melees the Nazi soldier to death, or using him as a [[HumanShield human shield]]. Occasionally, a German soldier will be standing near an interactive object, such as a furnace or a toilet, allowing Carson to perform an environmental kill with it.
13	* ActionSurvivor: Dan Carson is a steelworker building a skyscraper when the Germans attack New York City, and promptly climbs down from his workplace to street level, fighting Nazi soldiers all the way.
14	* AlternateHistoryWank: The plot is a technically-advanced Third Reich invading the Mainland United States in the fifties, after taking over a major chunk of the rest of the world. The main point of divergence is UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill dying in his 1931 car crash, but like ''Literature/TheManInTheHighCastle'', it relies on Nazi Germany being significantly more successful than was ever possible for it in real life: to name but one example, the climax revolves around a nuclear attack on New York City, where in reality the Nazi nuclear program was long since dead in the water because [[GenocideBackfire most of Germany's best nuclear scientists were ethnic Jews]].
15	* BigApplesauce: The game immediately begins in New York as the military might of the Greater German Reich starts invading the city and ends with the Germans attempting to nuke the city.
16	* BigGood: General George Donnelly, one of the few US commanders not to surrender to the Nazi German occupation.
17	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Carson stops the Nazis from dropping the atomic bomb on New York; however, the bomb's controls are damaged in the firefight, leaving Carson unable to simply jettison the bomb. Instead, Carson rewires the atomic bomb to self-destruct, [[HeroicSacrifice destroying the zeppelin and killing himself, but saving New York]] and inspiring other Americans to continue the resistance]].
18	* CheckpointStarvation: Checkpoints are spaced quite far apart, so if you die you'll be sent back pretty far.
19	* DayOfTheJackboot: Notably pre-dates both ''VideoGame/{{Homefront}}'' and ''VideoGame/WolfensteinTheNewOrder'', though ''VideoGame/FreedomFighters2003'' came out a few years before it.
20	* EliteMooks[=/=]HeavilyArmoredMook: The heavy weapons soldiers armed with [=MG48=] Karabine heavy machineguns. On normal difficulty they've got the same stats as any other Mook, but on the highest difficulty they have twice as much health as a normal Mook.
21	* ExplodingBarrels
22	* GasMaskMooks: A number of Nazi mooks wear gas masks. In the police station level this makes sense as they end up using gas grenades against you, but in other levels it just seems purely cosmetic.
23	* GrappleMove: Enemy soldiers can be grabbed and used as {{human shield}}s.
24	* GroinAttack: At one point in the [[spoiler:White House]], Carson finds a Nazi burning some American paraphernalia in a furnace and has the option of doing an environmental kill; in which Carson overpowers the mook before kicking him between the belongings [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments and right INTO]] [[KarmicDeath the furnace]].
25	* HannibalLecture: When Carson confront the quisling President James Stevenson in the Oval Office, the puppet ruler tries to reason with Carson and justifying his collaboration with the Nazis. If you let him continue his monologue, [[ISurrenderSuckers he will try to pull a pistol on you]]. But this doesn't actually save him from getting his ass kicked by a construction worker.
26	* HarderThanHard: "Insane" difficulty, which significantly increases the damage enemies do. However, their aim and reaction time remains the same, and you can still survive several hits before dying, making it actually reasonably manageable and a lot easier than, say, "Veteran" difficulty from ''Call of Duty''.
27	* HoldTheLine: The New York National Guard that is battling a fighting retreat out of NYC.
28	* InvadedStatesOfAmerica
29	* ItsRainingMen: The first enemy that the player encounters is a paratrooper and is quickly disposed of with an ActionCommand as part of the tutorial. In the same tutorial, the player has the chance to shoot down some Nazi paratroopers.
30	* LaResistance: The American Resistance.
31	* MonumentalDamage: The Art/StatueOfLiberty is bombed by German bombers during the start of the invasion (surviving pieces of the statue's crown are depicted on the game's European box art). The Chrysler Building is also knocked over. For the good guys, the American Resistance bombed the [[spoiler:White House]], which was occupied by the Nazis.
32	* MooksButNoBosses: Every enemy in the game has the exact same stats (taking about 5 bullets to kill from the [=MP50=] or tommy gun), and most tend to carry the same weapons as well. The only real standout are the heavy weapons soldiers, as they have unique movement animations and come armed with miniguns (on the highest difficulty they also have double health). President Stevenson has quite a bit more health than normal for some reason, but he's very much an optional fight since you can just shoot him in the face while he's talking.
33	* MustacheVandalism: The Resistance hideout has a poster of James Edward Stevenson drawn with Hitler mustache, devil horns, and a thought bubble with the words "I hate freedom."
34	* NeutralityBacklash: The United States remained isolationist in the Second World War, and allowing the Axis to win the war. This doesn't prevent the Nazis from launching their full-scale invasion of the U.S.
35	* NoSwastikas: Averted. Interestingly, in the commercials for the game it originally showed the Iron Cross on the flags instead.
36	* NukeEm: The Nazis' atomic bomb as a last resort in quelling the resistance in America by 'testing' it on New York City, and is the last mission in stopping them before it's too late.
37	* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: Thomas E. Dewey became President in 1948. Under his rule, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero he kept America isolationist and refusing to have the military prepare for possible Axis invasion, which becomes his own undoing]]. By the time the invasion happens, Dewey is overthrown and replaced by Nazi collaborator James Edward Stevenson.
38	* PointOfDivergence: Winston Churchill died from being run over by a cab in 1931, as opposed to surviving with mild injuries, causing the timelines to diverge.
39	* TheQuisling: Nazi-sympathizer and Speaker of the House James Edward Stevenson, who becomes President of the American puppet government.
40	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: For some reason, the Quisling President Stevenson has quite a bit more health than normal enemies (it takes a couple dozen rounds of [=MP50=] fire to drop him) if you just stand around and let him talk until he pulls a pistol on you. If you shoot him in the face while he's talking like you're supposed to, he dies in one shot.
41	* ShootTheTelevision: Resistance fighter Angelo shoots a TV featuring the puppet leader, President Stevenson, denying the existence of the German atomic bomb. But the TV is own by the Resistance in which Angelo gets chided by another Resistance fighter for blowing their "third set this week".
42	* StormingTheCastle: Occurs three times. Rescuing General George Donnelly at the United States Courthouse; assassinating President Stevenson at the White House [[spoiler:and blowing it up in the process]]; and infiltrating the Tower of London.
43	* StupidJetpackHitler: Thanks to the Axis winning WWII, the Greater German Reich developed their Wunderwaffen, including [[TankGoodness super-heavy tanks]] such as the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerkampfwagen_VIII_Maus Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte]] (which were real-life tank prototypes that didn't make it past the production phase), [[DropShip Nachteule troop-transport zeppelin]], the Flugzeugträger German aircraft carrier [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graf_Zeppelin_class_aircraft_carrier Graf Zeppelin]], and various advanced jet fighters and bombers.
44	** [[LyingCreator Said the developers]]. Except most of these are not actually in the game, [[BlandNameProduct just generic tanks]]. If you want to see those tanks realized, ''VideoGame/WarFrontTurningPoint'' is the game to play.
45	* UniqueEnemy:
46	** The heavy weapons soldiers armed with miniguns ([=MG48=] Karabines) are very rare; there are only about 5 to 7 of them throughout the entire game. They behave like standard HeavilyArmoredMook enemies, with heavy firepower and a slow walk, but can't actually take more damage than normal enemies (though their health is doubled on the highest difficulty).
47	** You only fight "Vampyr" night-vision snipers in a single segment near the beginning of the game.
48	* ThisJustIn: The player is briefed on the next mission by news broadcasts.
49	* ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld: The ''Graf Zeppelin''-type airships that are part of the Greater German Reich's invasion. The last level takes place on a zeppelin that is about to nuke New York.

Context VideoGame / TurningPointFallOfLiberty