Technology of War: Guns of the Nations

Technology of War: Guns of the Nations is a third-person shooter devloped by Hawke Gaming Industries, Kojima Productions (independent), PlatinumGames and Yager Devlopment and published by Bandai Namco for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the MAVi gaming computer. It takes place in war-torn Earth after an horrible oil crisis in Saudi Arabia in the year 2021.

Setting and Plot
In 2021, the world is in chaos after an horrific oil crisis, the "war economy" plunging the world into never-ending battle. This fuels the need for private military companies, the Five biggest PMCs (Raging Lions PMC, Chernyye Orly, Hirsch Jaeger Armaments, Praying Mantis and Raven Sword, which together rivaling the power of the entire armed forces of the United Nations) are owned by a single mother company, Chimera, with the Warmaster at the helm. NEURON, an special operations forces founded by NATO, is dispatched to remove the biggest PMCs and Chimera to extinction and restore peace in Earth.

Director Hideo Kojima stated in an interview with Polygon that the game's setting was influenced by Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, a game that Kojima work on back in his Konami days, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Spec Ops: The Line; anime like Ghost in the Shell, Gunslinger Girl and Appleseed, and movies like 13 Hours, The Expendables, Die Hard and Black Hawk Down among others.

Gameplay
Technology of War: Guns of the Nations is a semi-open world Third-Person Shooter Action RPG, where the game progresses through different operations, which tell a mostly non-linear story. The separate operations are linked together by the NEURON's Aerial Command Center (much like the ACC in MGSV and the SHIELD's Helicarrier from the Avengers), which acts as a base as the protagonist heads out to partake operations, and then returns. Levels can be replayed, and are ranked with a scoring system which can grant different bonuses at the end of the level depending on how well they were cleared. The game's story structure has been compared to a TV series. Small missions are completed individually, and all tie together to present the overall story. While past games have been set in stone, it is now up to the player to go to, and complete each mission, allowing them to "carry the game" themselves.

As a member of Neuron, Akira Howard needs to eliminate the high-ranking PMC members and engage in full force if needed.

Binoculars can be used to mark enemies, a feature which allows the player to track enemy movements on the map and see them through walls. The feature is active by default, but it can be turned off. The enemy AI has been described as almost like real soldier in the battlefield, and their paths cover wider areas.

Enemy vehicles can be stolen and used as transportation, and a means to get into hostile areas. Crashing a vehicle in enemy territory will immediately alert nearby sentries.

Additionally, the first thing started with in development was the character customization system, so the player could feel like they are - or can become - the female NATO Special Ops protagonist. Takahisa Taura and Hideo Kojima explains that they wanted an experience where the player, as NATO Special Ops Operative, is doing the fundementals of combat like breaching doors, CQC takedowns and wearing a ghillie suit in order to become immersed in the world of the game.

Combat
Technology of War: Guns of the Nations features a Synergetic Action system for combat, allowing the player to control both the protagonist and their comrades at the same time during battles, or alternatively for two players to each control one of the protagonist and their comrades.

Akira can climb up, mantle, slide, crawl forth and back, lean side and throw back grenades. The game's blood and gore system is detailed in the vein of Soldier of Fortune's. For example, their hands get torn apart if they got shot in there.

The gunplay itself very visceral and realistic on par with games like Spec Ops: The Line, The Third Birthday and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019). The gameplay was described by Takahisa Taura as being inbetween that of Astral Chain, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) and Spec Ops: The Line in a video posted on Hawke Gaming Industries's YouTube.

Playable Character

 * Akira Joan Howard-Jericho - The Protagonist of Technology of War: Guns of the Nations. A Neuron rookie from Canada, newly recruited into the team, she must work together to take on the battle, fight the high-ranking PMCs, and save the world itself from brink of Global thermonuclear war. The protagonist's hairstyle, dyed hair color, eye color, skin color and lip color are all able to be customized by the player at the beginning of the game. The protagonist's outfit can be customized during the game using the locker room at the Neuron ACC. (Character appearance and personality is heavily inspired by the Female character/Akira Howard from Astral Chain and the last name is derived from WWE Wrestler Chris Jericho) (VA: Brianna Knickerbocker)

Neuron

 * Maximillian Jericho - The captain of the Neuron task force. He is a good leader, and trusted by the team. He raised the protagonist and their twin as his kids. (Character heavily inspired by Maximillian Howard from Astral Chain and Kazuhira Miller from Metal Gear Solid)
 * Issac Briggs - A former CIA officer and an expert of advanced weaponry, tradecraft, stealth, sniping, armed and unarmed combat tactics.
 * Alicia Lopez - A member of the Neuron task force alongside Akira. Gets along well with Max, despite her teasing.
 * Jin Wong - A member of the Neuron task force alongside Akira, and long time acquaintance of Max and the twins. He acts as the twins' coach in Neuron.
 * Marie Wentz - A Malaysian soldier recruited into the Neuron task force from the PASKALs. Takes care of menial jobs like cleaning the hallways and fixing firearms.
 * Olive Espinosa - Used to be a newscaster, but after witnessing the damage done to the Oil Crisis and the War Economy, volunteered to join the Neuron task force and is now an operator who supports the force from ACC.
 * Andriy Makarov - Used to be from Chernyye Orly but defected to Neuron due to a suspected activity. Over the course of the events of the game, he aids Neuron by providing information about the PMC, and also gives him information about other groups who are presumably affiliated with the Chimera (who also happen to be his competitors). His missions are quite similar to the Kobin missions in Splinter Cell: Blacklist. (Character is heavily inspired by Andriy Kobin from Splinter Cell)

Raging Lions

 * Dimtiri Blakeson - The Commander of Raging Lions. Has a tinge of darkness beneath his chivalrous demeanor (Character inspired by Dimitri from Fire Emblem Three Houses)
 * Drake Molinson - A man from Winconsin who was spared from 9/11. Owes him a life debt and is his most faithful operative. (Character inspired by Dedue)
 * Annette Dominic - The intelligent yet absent minded estranged daughter of Dominic from Idaho. (Character inspired by Annette)
 * Ashe Frankson - A former SOCOM operative. Aspires to be a operative like his adoptive older brother.
 * Mercedes Wilson - The adopted daughter of a Air Force family with a gentle, easygoing personality.
 * Sylvain Sanderson - An New York chasing major.
 * Felix James - The sharp-tongued former Marine who challenges any person he deems strong to a duel.
 * Irene Grandford - The marksman member of the Raging Lions.

Chernyye Orly

 * Netrebova Lera Pavlovna - The ambitious and determined commander of Chernyye Orly.
 * Grinin Androniki - Cold and calculating at the surface, he conceals the honorable motives of his schemes and sinister countenance.
 * Sharshina Yurievna - The shy and withdrawn daughter of an Soviet-Afghan war veteran.
 * Zhiglov Innokentievich - A hotheaded soldier who prefers to act first, apologize later.
 * Lidiya Henadiyivna - Former singer for the Kiev Opera Company who idolizes Svetlana prior to the Oil Crisis. The only commoner of the class, she is searching for someone to take care of her, both emotionally and financially.
 * Ushakov Yevdokim - Carries great pride in his mission and status. Competitive and industrious, he strives to be Netrebova's superior. (Character based on Ferdinand from Fire Emblem: Three Houses with personality from Olga Gurlukovich from Metal Gear Solid 2)
 * Sergei Afanasievich - The carefree who goes out of his way to shirk responsibility. Has a keen interest in the Anti-Tanks.
 * Petra Shariati - IRAF soldier joining Chernyye Orly PMC as an exchange operative. Does not have a full grasp of the Russian language due to being an Iranian.

Hirsch Armaments PMC

 * Claude von Riegan - Commander of the Hirsch Armaments PMC from Germany. A cunning strategist who is the heir to Chimera.
 * Annette Saunier - The daughter of an French Foreign Legion veteran, she is lazy and has a habit of manipulating people, especially men, into doing things for her.
 * Kasandra Wawro - A girl from Poland who aspires to become a great mercenary.
 * Raphael Kangur -An orphaned son of a WWII veteran with a love of family, food, and building his muscles.
 * Luigi Galiano - A sensitive and shy young man who has a secret passion for painting, but was sent to the PMC to become a operative
 * Lorenz Reidel - The haughty yet responsible and eloquent Austrian operative.
 * Lysithea Izabella - The young and sister to a Hungarian Revolution veteran. Wishes to be taken seriously and despises being treated like a child.
 * Annina Räisänen - The quiet and reclusive adopted daughter of an Afghan war veteran.

Weaponry and Gear
Technology of War: Guns of The Nations features a vast selection of firearms from pistols, shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, carbines, battle rifles, marksman rifles, sniper rifles, LMGs and launchers as well as the special weapons with a huge variety of attachments. Weapons and attachments can be unlocked through the use of the Armory Tree, When the player first begins, they're given basic weapons, gear and a single attachment at the earliest tier. The player can then advance on the tree by playing the game to unlock more weapons and attachments by spending ORP (Operation Result Points), earned by completing operations and side missions.