Summary
While the first-person shooter genre has reigned as one of the most popular genres in the video game industry for decades now, the role of enemy infantry barking dialogue has seen some highlights. Distancing themselves from the more simplistic cannon fodder one-liners and death animations of some other FPS titles, some titles have put extensive effort into portraying their foes as more of a coordinated enemy force.
Ranging from multi-species alien conglomerates proclaiming player-adjusted dialogue, to functional radio chatter among humanoid foes, enemy chatter in FPS titles has a range of tones and purposes. These games show how big of a role it can play in making a game feel immersive.
The irradiated wasteland of GSC Game World’sS.T.A.L.K.E.Rfranchise is host to all sorts of mutated creatures. However, among the most lethal and monstrous of all enemies are fellow humans.
The Russian-speaking mercenaries and bandits ofS.T.A.L.K.E.R’s ‘Zone of Alienation’ may seem like run-of-the-mill bad guys to a native non-Russian speaker. However, when translated, the murderous chatter of enemy infantry revealssome grotesque conversations. Their dialogue involves high-flung ideas of how they are going to spend their pillaged wealth, or artistic expressions of how they wish to paint with the player’s blood. The venom inS.T.A.L.K.E.R’s dialogue is enough to place fear in players when not understood. Beyond that, it seems to take on an even more petrifying tone when translated.
Thecritical and commercial successof Ubisoft’s open-world FPS seriesFar Cryhas fluctuated in the franchise’s 20-year history. But regardless of reviews, the guerrilla combat and enemy AI chatter have remained staple aspects of the series' identity.
Arguably peaking in 2008’sFar Cry 2, the dynamic chatter from ground troops of the APR and UFLL creates a realism and fluctuating tension that is still applauded to this day. Arrogant screams claim that enemies can ‘practically taste’ the player when they’re outnumbered; groups of soldiers push their allies into the firing line in fear of the player’s seeming invincibility.Far Cary 2’s military grunts are not just expendable bodies for players to mow down, but relatively human creations in a dynamic open world.
Video game enemy chatter is often many things; expressive, combative, and tactical. In Gearbox Software’sBorderlandsseries of looter-shooter FPS titles, enemy chatter can be all of those things but, above all, it is funny.
Especially found in combat scenarios featuring the Psycho enemy type (as featured on the games' cover art),Borderlands' enemy chatternot only humanizes its cannon-fodder troops, but is most likely designed to elicit a smile or a chuckle from the player. From rogue bandits singing off-key renditions of Richard Wagner’s 1856 piece ‘Ride of the Valkyries,’ to Psycho’s uttering that they were close to paying off their mortgage with their dying breath,Borderlands' combat is bolstered by the chaos and creativity on display in every engagement.
The thunderous footsteps and sickly murmurings ofBioshock’s respective Big Daddies & Little Sisters have become somewhat synonymous with the series. But beyond that, players' most fearful altercations within Rapture’s walls are arguably those of the Splicers. Not only are they more numerous, making up the majority of foes Jack will have to defeat, but their dialogue in and out of combat reinforcesBioshock’s dense and diseased atmosphere.
With minds addled by excessive amounts of ADAM and influence fromcriminal mastermind Fontaine, the Splicers' twisted thoughts uttered in Rapture’s dimly lit halls betray their former lives and murderous intent. From lost children to bloody art pieces, the Splicers of Rapture may not be as foreboding a presence as the ADAM-harvesting Little Sisters & Big Daddies. However, their chattering thoughts more than make up for it.
Some video games use enemy chatter to fill long periods of quiet or to minimize their deaths when players mow them down. However, in 2005’sF.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon, Replica forces coordinate and communicate so effectively through their radio transmissions that players can use these details to their advantage.
AlthoughF.E.A.R’s moment-to-moment gameplay is one of the most memorable aspects of thepsychological horror FPS, the natural-sounding conversational dialogue between AI foes is something that fans have reveled in since.Monolith Productions' mantrais: “Whenever possible, AI characters should talk to each other about what they are doing.“F.E.A.R’s Replica forces proclaim their concern, terror, and optimism about their current situation as the player starts to pick them off.
By themselves, the well-equipped infantry ofCrysis' Korean People’s Army is nothing particularly groundbreaking from a modern industry perspective. While the dynamic chatter of AI KPA grunts consists of practical callouts of infantry locations and plans of attack, the game’salterations when adapting difficulty levelsare what sets it apart from even the most contemporary of comparisons.
Although the KPA’s strategic chatter provides a functional purpose in providing real-time developments to enemy movements and contributes toCrysis' power fantasy, switching to the hardest difficulty in the game — Delta — not only adapts the accuracy and damage of AI opponents, but also ceases the live translation of KPA conversation from Korean to English. As such, the subliminal handicap given to lower-skilled players is not only removed, but the chatter that once allowed for more strategic engagements is recontextualized as the military might of the KPA comes down onCrysis' Delta players.
Titanfall 2’s campaign is home to some ofthe most acclaimed setpieces and narrative beatsof the eighth console generation. Respawn Entertainment’s multiplayer AI takes the infantry chatter seen in the title’s single-player mode and incorporates it into its PvPvE offering.
As player Pilots fly about the map and pick off targets thanks toTitanfall 2’s expanded movement systems, allied and enemy grunts can be heard not only narrating their own actions, but commenting on those of the player-controlled characters. Their comments range from bolstering their comrades, to actively running from players who are on a killing spree. The AI infantry ofTitanfall 2’s multiplayer modes are arguably more dynamic and reactive than many other FPS titles in recent years.
Even in theHaloseries' inaugural 2001 title, the alien troops of the Covenant proved to be a formidable enemy force. However, what differentiated the Grunts and Elites of the Covenant from other, more one-note cannon fodder was their ability to react dynamically and comment on what destruction players were throwing their way.
Even if not bolstered by the hidden skull modifier ‘I Would Have Been Your Daddy’, the allies andenemy forces of theHaloserieshave consistently spouted humorous and impactful barks and chatter throughout gameplay. From screams of ‘Demon!’ when the Master Chief is spotted, to Grunts fleeing John-117 if their Sangheili commanders are defeated, the alien races ofHalocontinue to be a source of comedic and combative audio fromHalo: Combat EvolvedtoInfinite.
