MOVIE REVIEW
FURY
War is a…game
Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf,
Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal;
directed by David Ayer
by Doug Young
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You’re about to set your eyes onto a world full of epic tank battles, furious skirmishes, and
high-octane clichés. We’re talking, of course, about Fury. This guide is intended to introduce
you to this game…er, movie, how it plays, as well as many ancillary features like gore, wasting
Nazis, collateral damage, stereotypically archetypal soldiers, and more.
It’s just weeks away from the end of World War II and you are a member of an American
M4 Sherman tank. From Africa to France, and on to Germany, you will destroy the opposition
from the war’s most fearsome tanks such as Panthers, Tigers and Hummels. Go inside the
tank and feel the claustrophobia that the tank operators themselves must have endured.
Pound the enemy as part of a squadron or along muddy roads, cut off from supply lines and
support, or take respite in captured German villages while menacing the civilian survivors and
enjoy random looting and pillaging. Engage in non-stop military arcade action with authentic
weapons when confronting the enemy. Endure the standard dialogue between the crew when
they are idling between battles such as playful jibes and insults, the meaning of it all, the
nasty extent of the muck and mayhem, and viciously harassing the new recruit fresh from the
typing pool and who never fired a weapon as he replaces one of the tank’s gunners whose
innards are now adorning the inside of the tank.
Choose a character to identify with and that you have seen in
countless war scenarios, such as:
• The newbie who hasn’t seen any action, is scared out of his wits, and is full of
moral dilemmas until he is beaten and worn down by the horror of it all;
• The religious guy who constantly quotes the bible and sermonizes so as to make
sure everything is contextualized in solemn and grievous tones;
• A mentally challenged grunt who likes to menace his crewmates with his gruffness
and animalistic tendencies;
• A person of color in the form of an Hispanic solider who can wax philosophical
while also going along with the group as warranted;
• And finally, a war weary tank commander who has seen it all, imposes stern order,
keeps the crew from going too far, and elicits deified loyalty and yet, goshdarnit
if he doesn’t also have a soft spot for the men he leads into battle.
Multiple mission styles are included with objectives such as Assault, Idling, Bitching and
Bonding. Throw yourself into just a few tank battles while spending the rest of the time
engaged in macho psychological posturing and confrontations with your crewmates. You
won’t know whether they are threatening to kill you, teach you a lesson, exert dominance, or
simply trying to stay sane and alive amidst the boredom and chaos. You can even take a
detour and engage in some threatening sexual dominance of a couple of females that’ll have
you thinking of “Grand Theft Auto.” Have fun!
And have we mentioned the action? When it does come it involves either brutal ambushes
where you get to witness other tank crews torn to pieces or incinerated before your eyes, or
taking out rogue enemy tanks that are either very bad shots or are hulking masses that you
have to outmaneuver. But the best game action is saved for the end where your tank crew is
alone on a muddy crossroads with a single large farmhouse nearby that’s now an abandoned
field hospital filled with rotting corpses inside and hundreds of German troops marching
toward you from the other side of a wooded hill. In true gamer fashion, you and your crew
have to decide to stand your ground, hunker down in the tank and mow down the hundreds
of advancing soldiers. The enemy comes at your tank without any cover making them easy
pickings for your turret and machine gunners. Ah the carnage!
However, becoming a great tank commander or crewman alone isn’t enough to win. In
FURY TANK COMMAND, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your
combat skills with other members of your team and being responsible for your role on the
battlefield. Only together will you achieve victory, or die trying. And if and when death comes
to your tank mates, unlike when it comes to your anonymous targets, there will be plenty of
time to grieve with touching music and reflective pathos. We’ve made sure that the advancing
horde will halt their attacks and give you just enough breathing room so that you have some
quality time to let the emotions sink in.
The simulations come complete with copious amounts of the atmosphere and environ-
ment you’ve come to expect from such scenarios, such as plenty of grey, rainy skies, empty
countryside with verdant fields and tree lines to hide dangers, wandering civilians trying to
surrender, and plenty of dead bodies and rotting animals to paint the perfect mood. It’ll feel
like you are there, at least in virtual form, so you can snuff out the baddies. Fire up the
engines and get going! Berlin awaits!
