Operation Body Count
Encyclopedia
Operation Body Count is a 1994
first-person shooter
that used the Wolfenstein 3D
ray casting
engine
. It was developed and published by Capstone Software
.
s in the top floor of the building by Victor, the leader of the terrorist
gang.
As a member of a special Government Assault Team, it is up to the player to command their team and reach the top floor (the 40th level), rescue the hostages and eliminate the terrorist threat by killing Victor.
games of its time, Operation Body Count had various gametypes to choose from before starting the mission.
engine, gameplay is very similar to the majority of other "clones" of the time. The game consisted of 40 levels. The first few levels are set in the sewers
, where you attempt to make your way up to the basement
of the building. During these levels, you mainly combat giant rats
, as well as sewer monsters.
Upon getting into the UNN building, you then combat the terrorists. When you make it up to level 40, you come face-to-face with Victor himself. Armed with a semi-automatic shotgun
which he isn't afraid to use, and brandishing black sunnies and a dark trench coat, Victor isn't going to go down without a fight.
Despite these factors, Operation Body Count was largely ignored due to other games such as Doom overshadowing it. In addition, the gameplay was often criticized for being choppy and repetitive, with very blocky 2D sprites which animated quite poorly compared to other games of the time.
1994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
that used the Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and...
ray casting
Ray casting
Ray casting is the use of ray-surface intersection tests to solve a variety of problems in computer graphics. It enables spatial selections of objects in ascene by providing users a virtual beam as a visual cue extending...
engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
. It was developed and published by Capstone Software
Capstone Software
Capstone Software was a subsidiary of IntraCorp, a Miami, Florida-based computer and video game company. Founded in 1984, Capstone created first-person games such as Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, William Shatner's TekWar and Witchaven, and is also known for releasing games based on movie/TV...
.
Plot
Terrorists have taken over the UN Building and have seized the government officials in the building. They are now being held as hostageHostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
s in the top floor of the building by Victor, the leader of the terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
gang.
As a member of a special Government Assault Team, it is up to the player to command their team and reach the top floor (the 40th level), rescue the hostages and eliminate the terrorist threat by killing Victor.
Gametypes
Like most other first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
games of its time, Operation Body Count had various gametypes to choose from before starting the mission.
- Level 1: The easiest setting, for beginners. Minimal enemies who take little damage before dying.
- Level 2: Normal difficulty. Most enemies pose a moderate challenge and appear in full swing.
- Level 3: Hardest difficulty. Enemies are much more numerous and take more damage before going down.
- N: Network Play (DeathmatchDeathmatch (gaming)Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
). - T: Team Play. Same as Network, but involves teams.
- M: Modem Play.
Gameplay
Using a modified Wolfenstein 3DWolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and...
engine, gameplay is very similar to the majority of other "clones" of the time. The game consisted of 40 levels. The first few levels are set in the sewers
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
, where you attempt to make your way up to the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
of the building. During these levels, you mainly combat giant rats
RATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
, as well as sewer monsters.
Upon getting into the UNN building, you then combat the terrorists. When you make it up to level 40, you come face-to-face with Victor himself. Armed with a semi-automatic shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
which he isn't afraid to use, and brandishing black sunnies and a dark trench coat, Victor isn't going to go down without a fight.
Features
There were several features in this game which attempted to rise it above similar games on the market at the time, such as:- The player can activate a proximity mapMapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
, which appears in the corner of the screen, and does not "freeze" the game world to obstruct gameplay. - The terrorists have set booby traps for the player, such as mines, which are often hidden under corpses or sometimes in plain sight.
- When the player character gets out of the sewerSanitary sewerA sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s and into the UNN building, they can then command team mates to help in killing the terrorists for that floor. - Many floors in the UNN building have windowWindowA window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s and balconiesBalconyBalcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
showing simulated views of the cityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
outside. Shooting these windows would result in the glassGlassGlass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
breaking. - Levels are completed by finding an elevatorElevatorAn elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
or stairsStairs-People:* Scott Kannberg , guitarist of Pavement* A. Edison Stairs , New Brunswick politician* Denis Stairs , engineer, Montreal businessman* Ernest W. Stairs , New Brunswick politician...
, which is often the same one you use to enter the level in the first place. Capstone's other major release, Corridor 7Corridor 7Corridor 7: Alien Invasion is a first-person shooter computer game developed and published by Capstone Software. It was widely ignored for its outdated Wolfenstein 3D engine, which was technologically surpassed by Doom at the time...
, had a similar feature. - Although none of the levels featured dynamic lighting, you could turn the lights for the entire floor on or off when you find the generatorElectrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
switch for that level. Doing so also alerts all the enemies on the floor to your presence. - All floors and ceilings are fully textured unlike Wolf 3D, which had neither.
Despite these factors, Operation Body Count was largely ignored due to other games such as Doom overshadowing it. In addition, the gameplay was often criticized for being choppy and repetitive, with very blocky 2D sprites which animated quite poorly compared to other games of the time.
Weapons
Operation Body Count featured a 5-weapon arsenal:- ShotgunShotgunA shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
: The most basic weapon in the game. It doesn't require ammunition, so you always have it to fall back on, however it is very slow to fire and tends to lose accuracy and efficiency over long ranges. - Uzi 9MMUzi submachine gunThe Uzi is a family of Israeli open bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns. Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols. The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows for the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.The first Uzi...
: Together with your shotgun, you also start the game with this weapon. It has a very fast rate of fire, but poor accuracy. Good for quick, controlled bursts. - GalilIMI GalilThe Galil is a family of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries Ltd of Ramat HaSharon...
: This assault rifle has much better accuracy than the Uzi 9MM, and also chews a lot less ammunition, making it an excellent weapon for defeating the majority of the terrorists faced in the game. - FlamethrowerFlamethrowerA flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
: Ignites terrorists in hot, sticky napalm. By far the most effective weapon in the game and the most brutal. Can also be used to ignite furniture and other objects in the game. Must be used with care in enclosed areas however, as ignited furniture can hurt you from the extreme heat given off. - Grenade LauncherGrenade launcherA grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
: Fires an explosive projectile at your target, which kills virtually anything and anyone in the game with one shot, and makes the entire level shake to its foundations.