@patman99: I don't understand how anyone can find this particular setting to be insensitive. If you find this game insensitive, then all other war simulations are offensive, which they kind of are. Luckily the magic of videogames, gameplay mechanics, and absurd point systems overshadows the seriousness of most of these conflict simulators, but they're all largely offensive in a broader context.
I don't disagree regarding other real-life war simulations. In saying that, it is the 100 year anniversary of WWI and in addition to the numerous memorials/events that are taking place in various countries to remember the war (as a bad thing that happened not as a glorious conquest of good over evil), there's this video game that essentially trivializes the whole thing. You can have a game set in WWI and it not be insensitive. Think of Valiant Hearts. I also believe you could do something less serious but so long as the irony of the context is explicit (e.g. the tv show Danger 5). This game, however, despite being incredibly ridiculous, as you mentioned, does not seem to be going for the satire route nor does it seem to be treating the subject matter with any sort of seriousness. The lack of seriousness and absurdity of this game is being imposed by us (i.e. we can see how absurd it is but it is not necessarily something that the developers intended). In that regard, what is the point of even having it set during WWI? They could have easily invented a context of a fake conflict set around the time of 1910s-1920s.
As a Canadian, I find this game slightly insensitive. I'm not against WWI (or any real-life conflict) being the subject of a videogame but there should be some amount of respectfulness given. Perhaps the single-player will really try to educate people on the atrocities of WWI but, after seeing this, I have some doubts.
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