Turning Point: Fall of Liberty

Turning Point rewrites the events that precipitated World War II with one question in mind: What if Winston Churchill had been killed by injuries he suffered after being hit by a taxi in 1931, leaving Britain to succumb to the Nazi Wehrmacht? We find out pretty quickly that — by Codemasters’ and Spark Unlimited’s estimations, at least — the Nazis would’ve mounted a massive assault on U.S. soil.

The game opens with the first wave of such an attack, and from there, it shows off its high production values and preference for cinematic presentation over straight-up war simulation. The result is a very linear, dramatic rollercoaster underpinned by the kind of action music usually reserved for an Indiana Jones fi lm. And like any action flick, damn if it ain’t entertaining — albeit seriously unrealistic. You play as Carson, an everyman construction worker who coincidentally knows how to aim, reload, and fire every weapon he comes across, both Germanand U.S.-made. He even possesses the miraculous ability to regenerate his health like Master Chief after taking five or six slugs to the torso. Yep, as thrilling and cinematic as the game can seem at times — much more so than Call of Duty 2 — it just feels incredibly inauthentic to near distraction.

The multiplayer — which could have given Turning Point some serious legs on Xbox Live — is also a big letdown. With only four maps, two modes (deathmatch and team deathmatch), and some of the worst aiming and movement this side of Prey, Turning Point’s multiplayer seems like a tacked-on bullet-point feature for the back of the box.

There’s something to be said for the game’s over-the-top, Red Dawn–inspired single-player experience, and it may satisfy some hardcore shooter fans. But ultimately, the choppy multiplayer options and ultradisbelief- suspending campaign deliver an uneven “What If” history lesson.