Hogs of War
Box art for the game, a military helmet with the words "born to grill".
PAL cover for the PlayStation release
Developer(s)Infogrames Sheffield House
Publisher(s)Infogrames
Director(s)Mark Glossop
Alan Coltman
Programmer(s)Jacob Habgood
Andrew Fox
Artist(s)Ricki Martin
John Guerin
Izzy Stewart
Platform(s)PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation
  • PAL: 25 August 2000
  • NA: 29 September 2000
Windows
  • PAL: 3 November 2000
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics, artillery game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hogs of War is a 2000 turn-based tactics video game developed by Infogrames Sheffield House and published by Infogrames for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. The game is set in the First World War-era where anthropomorphic pigs engage in combat. Hogs of War features 3D graphics and both a single-player career mode and offline multiplayer, with voice artistry by British comedic actors Rik Mayall and Marc Silk.

Development on Hogs of War began in 1997 by Gremlin Interactive, which was later purchased by Infogrames in 1999. Initial builds of the game were rough and cancellation was considered, but the game's developers asked for more time. The game received mixed reviews at launch but received high praise for its comedy. It drew numerous comparisons to the Worms series of games, in particular the 1999 game Worms Armageddon. A sequel was announced but never released, although the franchise has had subsequent board and card games and an official remaster is in production. The game is considered by some critics to be a cult classic.

Gameplay

Hogs can use a variety of items, such as the rocket jet pack.

Hogs of War is a turn-based tactics game, where players take turns controlling individual members of their squad of hogs to engage in combat with the opposition, similar to the Worms video game series. Each level is made up of two or more teams of five, loosely based on nations competing in the First World War.[1] During a turn, players takes control of a single squad member in a third-person perspective to move around the map, including jumping over terrain and swimming over bodies of water, yet can only engage in combat when stationary.[1]

Each squad member can be assigned a class type, where they have immediate access to certain weapons and abilities. There are four main class types; heavy gunners that specialize in long-range heavy weapons (mortars, bazookas, rocket launchers, etc.), engineers that specialise in explosives (grenades, land mines, TNT, etc.), espionage that do not appear on the mini map and use sniper rifles and camouflage, and medics that can heal other units in both close and long range.[1][2] Other than inventory items, players can also gain access to military vehicles, such as tanks and turrets like heavy artillery and pillboxes,[1] as well as stationary buildings like bunkers and hospital tents.[2]

The game features several modes, including a standard deathmatch (either single-player or multiplayer) and a single-player campaign. At the start of each campaign, the player chooses their nation and squad of up to eight characters, who have customisable names.[3] The game features six teams[lower-alpha 1] based as parodies of nations in the First World War, such as "Tommy's Trotters", named after Tommy Atkins), a parody of the United Kingdom portrayed as either incredibly posh or hooligan-like, and use British slang with multiple regional accents.[5][6] The main objective for the player is to conquer all five regions of the world map, with each region containing five missions against each opposing nation.[lower-alpha 2][3] Through the campaign, characters can be promoted as the player progresses through the campaign by earning medals given for completing tasks, such as finishing the level with zero characters felled.[2] The campaign features semi-permadeath, where a character will be permanently lost after three deaths.[3]

Plot

A pig-shaped collection of islands located in the South Pigsific Ocean, known as Saustralasia, has been found to be a rich source of swill (depicted like oil being harvested by pumpjacks) that is described as the "lifeblood of pigs", and that whoever controls the swill controls the world, thus leading to all nations engaging in an all-out war to conquer the region. The chosen national squadron battles through each of Saustralasia's five main regions; Hogshead, Saustralia, Trottsville, Bellyopolis and Arstria.[3]

Upon conquering each territory, the squad is shown an educational film (in a satirical vintage fashion) on survival techniques, such as "keeping secrets safe", a video showing off a secret military project.[7] Upon defeating all other nations and laying claim to Saustralasian mainland, the squad engages in a final battle on the Isle of Swill with the nationally ambiguous "Team Lard". Regardless of which chosen nation is victorious, all pig nations celebrate the end of the war. Despite this, a remaining soldier feels like nothing has been accomplished by the war. The sergeant I.P. Grimly (Rik Mayall) gives an upbeat message regarding the end of the war, stating that the war was all worth it for the medal received at the end.[8]

Development and release

Hogs of War was created by the founder of Gremlin Interactive, Ian Stewart. He was inspired by the film Babe and by the 1995 video games Command & Conquer and Worms. According to game developer Andrew Fox, the premise of the game was "Worms, except in 3D and with pigs".[9] Development on the game began in 1997 and took 3 years to complete. This long development time was due to Gremlin Interactive being purchased by Infogrames in 1999.[10] Two teams developed the game with a focus on different system versions. One produced the PlayStation (PS1) version and was led by Jacob Habgood, and the other for Windows was led by Fox. All sound and art assets were shared between both platforms while different 3D engines had to be made.[9] The game drew inspiration from the black comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth that was also set in the First World War. The American military march, "The Liberty Bell", composed by John Philip Sousa, was added by Habgood as the game's theme tune. Habgood chose this music as it was in the public domain and fit the mood of the game due to its age and use in the comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus. The high draw distance and number of polygons that could be used, especially on PlayStation, meant that in order to allow the players to have range, the number of players and other assets had to be cut.[11]

The initial build of the game was described by Habgood as being "slow and hideous". It contained no gameplay elements and the pig characters were tall and humanlike. It was suggested to cancel the game, but the development team asked for more time. The next build was dubbed "Cubes of War" by the developers as it focussed more on gameplay rather than graphics leading to simple cubes replacing the pigs. This was to demonstrate that the gameplay was fun before another build added in graphical improvements for the pigs.[11]

Gremlin Interactive was taken over by the French company Infogrames in 1999, which was a benefit to the game as it provided more time for development. Following the takeover, Infogrames supported the game and continued its development. The company decided they wanted to hire French comedians from the show Les Guignols to voice act in the French version of the game while for the English release Rik Mayall and Marc Silk were hired. Each language version of the game was localised in terms of the comedy, voice work and puns.[11][4]

Hogs of War was released for the PlayStation in Europe on 25 August 2000,[12] with a North American release following on 29 September.[13] The game was released for Microsoft Windows in Europe on 3 November the same year.[14] In 2003 the publishing rights were acquired by ZOO Digital, who subsequently re-released the game again for the same consoles.[14]

Reception and legacy

The PlayStation version of Hogs of War received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[15] The game received high praise for its comedic value. Scott Stienberg of IGN praised the "goofy sense of humour and endearing antics" of the game, noting it as a strong contributor to the game,[23] while Frank Provo of GameSpot called the game's comedy "drop-dead funny" and "sidesplitting".[1] Nebojsa Radakovic of GameRevolution said that many of the death quotes are just "hilarious".[22] Greg Orlando of NextGen said he was also appreciative of the game's feel, specifically noting Mayall's performance.[25] Eurogamer described the game as "hilarious", praising the music, sound effects and voice work, also stating that "sound has to be Hogs of War's biggest selling point".[20] In a 4 out of 5 star review, Chris Baker in the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine called the game the "most pleasant surprise of the year" with praise being given for "the variety of landscapes".[27]

Hogs of War received less positive remarks towards the graphics used. Radakovic stated that the game's graphics were mediocre and the game contained too much texture warping and simple models.[22] Steinburg also called the graphics "strikingly primitive", and the game's graphics were "dated".[23] Provo commented that the games' graphics did "nothing to elicit inspiration or excitement" during a campaign, and also commented that the single-player was dull.[1] J.C. Barnes of AllGame commented that the graphics were simplistic and devoid of fancy textures.[16]

The game drew comparisons to Worms and Worms Armageddon with Radakovic saying that Hogs of War is "essentially a 3D version of Worms" and that "while it brings along some of the positive points of Worms, it fails to capture the same hilarious gameplay, adding little with the new 3D world".[22] A group of reviewers for GameFan went further, saying Hogs of War is similar as "Worms [but] it's missing that charm only Worms can deliver".[21] Provo stated that the "all-around nuttiness" of the game lifted it into the same realm as Bomberman or Worms.[1]

Retrospective reviews of Hogs of War have been positive. In 2012, WhatCulture called Hogs of War a 'forgetten gem'.[30] In 2018, Aaron Birch and Ryan Lambie of Den of Geek ranked Hogs of War 58 out of 60 of the most underrated games of the PlayStation, saying that this turn-based strategy game got a lukewarm reception on its release in 2000, but is now considered to be an overlooked classic.[31] In 2022, GameRant's Martin Geoffrey listed Hogs of War as one of the 10 most unappreciated PS1 games stating that by modern standards it's an "incredibly" dated game, both in terms of visuals and gameplay, but it still remains unique in the gaming landscape.[32] Some critics refer to the game as a cult classic.[lower-alpha 4]

In February 2008, Infogrames announced Hogs of War 2 for Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 2 and Windows.[38][39] It was scheduled for release in April 2009, but was not released. During this period, Infogrames was experiencing financial problems and was reincorporated as Atari, SA.[40] Lead programmer Jacob Habgood described the game as being a "European phenomenon" but that it didn't sell well in the US. Habgood commented that these poor global sales may have been a reason for no sequel for the title.[10]

A remastered edition, known initially as Hogs of War: Reheated and later renamed to Hogs of War Lardcore, started production in March 2019, with no official release date.[41][42][43] The remaster came about after programmer Luke Melville did a Master's degree at Sheffield Hallam University under the supervision of Habgood who gave Melville the original source code. This led to a team being put together under the leadership of Ian Stewart to work on an official remaster.[44][33]

Stone Sword Games created a card game based on the video game called Hogs Of War: The Card Game, which was released in 2020 after being crowdfunded through Kickstarter. This was followed by a crowdfunded board game called Hogs of War: Miniatures Game, which was released in 2022.[45][36][46]

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ The six teams are: Tommy's Trotters, Garlic Grunts, Sow-A-Krauts, Uncle Ham's Hogs, Piggystroika, and Sushi Swine. The Italian release swapped Sushi Swine for Suini Bellici.[4]
  2. ↑ The final region contains six missions, and a team made up of members of each of the other nations.[3]
  3. ↑ Three critics of GameFan gave the PlayStation version each a score of 71, 84, and 85.[21]
  4. ↑ Attributed to multiple references:[4][33][34][35][36][37]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Provo, Frank (6 September 2000). "Hogs of War Review". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Stahl, Ben (1 May 2000). "Hogs of War Preview". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Infogrames Studios, ed. (2000). Hogs of War official game manual (PAL) (PDF). Infogrames Studios. pp. 8–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Play Staff (28 October 2023). "23 years later, Hogs of War remains an unlikely turn-based classic from the PS1 era". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Caldwell, Brandon (12 September 2017). "Have You Played… Hogs of War?". Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  6. ↑ GameSpot staff (29 September 2000). "Hogs of War Ships for the PlayStation [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Infogrames Sheffield House (25 August 2000). Hogs of War (PlayStation) (1 ed.). Infogrames. Scene: 3. Level/area: Trottsville.
  8. ↑ Infogrames Sheffield House (25 August 2000). Hogs of War (PlayStation) (1 ed.). Infogrames. Scene: 6. Level/area: Arstria.
  9. 1 2 Moore, Ewan (17 April 2020). "'Hogs Of War' Developer On Worms, Rik Mayall, And The Lost Sequel". GAMINGbible. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  10. 1 2 Locke, Phil. "The Making of Hogs of War" (PDF). Retro Gamer. pp. 68, 69. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 Matthew Smith Interview and Hogs of War History. The Retro Hour. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Les Archives des News – News d'Août 2000" [News Archives – August 2000 News]. Infogrames (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2000.
  13. ↑ IGN staff (29 September 2000). "Hogs of War Shipping to Stores". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Hogs of War Releases". MobyGames. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Hogs of War for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  16. 1 2 Barnes, J.C. "Hogs of War (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "PlayStation Reviews (H)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 19 October 2000. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  18. ↑ Zano (August 2000). "Les Cocohons de guerre". Consoles + (in French). No. 103. p. 100. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  19. ↑ Pfister, Andrew (November 2000). "Hogs of War" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 136. Ziff Davis. p. 260. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  20. 1 2 Ellis, Keith "DNM" (23 July 2000). "Hogs of War Review (PSOne)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 7 January 2001. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  21. 1 2 3 Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (November 2000). "Hogs of War (PS)". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. Shinno Media. p. 24. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Radakovic, Nebojsa (1 November 2000). "Hogs of War Review (PS)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  23. 1 2 3 Steinberg, Scott (29 September 2000). "Hogs of War Review (PS)". IGN. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  24. ↑ pilou (14 August 2000). "Test: Les Cocohons De Guerre (PS1)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  25. 1 2 Orlando, Greg (November 2000). "Hogs of War". Next Generation. No. 71. Imagine Media. p. 135. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  26. ↑ Bickham, Al (July 2000). "Hogs of War". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. No. 60. Future Publishing. pp. 118–19. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  27. 1 2 Baker, Chris (November 2000). "Hogs of War Review". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 38. Ziff Davis. p. 164. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  28. ↑ Rossignol, Jim (January 2001). "Hogs of War". PC Gamer UK. No. 92. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on 2 March 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  29. ↑ "Hogs of War Review". Play. No. 59. Paragon Publishing. June 2000.
  30. ↑ Nichol, Robert (16 February 2012). "Forgotten Gems of Gaming: Hogs of War". WhatCulture. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  31. ↑ Birch, Aaron; Lambie, Ryan (20 September 2018). "60 Underrated Playstation One Games". Den of Geek. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  32. ↑ Martin, Geoffrey (2 April 2022). "10 Underappreciated PS1 Games That Need To Be Part Of PS Plus Premium". GameRant. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  33. 1 2 Tailby, Stephen (10 October 2023). "PS1 Cult Classic Hogs of War Is Bringing Home the Bacon with a Crowd-Funded Remaster". Push Square. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  34. ↑ Cooper, Dalton (7 October 2023). "Cult Classic PS1 Game is Making a Comeback After 23 Years". GameRant. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  35. ↑ V. Rossi, José (4 January 2024). "Pub Bathroom Still Has Advertisement for 24 Year Old PS1 Cult Classic". GameRant. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  36. 1 2 Coulson, Josh (28 July 2020). "Hogs Of War Is Getting An Unconventional Remaster". TheGamer. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  37. ↑ Pembrey, Graham. "Ultimate Guide: Hogs of War". Retro Gamer. Future Publishing. pp. 74–79.
  38. ↑ Leyton, Chris (13 February 2008). "Infogrames Confirms Hogs of War 2, Airborne Raiders Return, NWN2 Expansion 2 News". Total Video Games. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  39. ↑ "Infogrames FISCAL 2007-2008 (unaudited figures)" (PDF). Infogrames. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  40. ↑ "Infogrames Entertainment S.A. Announces Completion of Acquisition of Atari, Inc". Infogrames. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  41. ↑ "REHEATED". Hogs of War. Urbanscan Limited. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  42. ↑ Rossow, Hannes (24 September 2020). "Frontschweine - Kein Scherz: PS1-Klassiker kehrt als PS4-Remaster zurück" [Hogs of War - No kidding: PS1 classic returns as a PS4 remaster]. GamePro (in German). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  43. ↑ Rossow, Hannes (26 December 2020). "Frontschweine für PS4: Die Macher des PS1-Remakes im Interview" [Front pigs for PS4: The makers of the PS1 remake in an interview]. GamePro (in German). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  44. ↑ Beckwith, Michael (28 July 2023). "Hogs Of War Lardcore remaster interview – bringing home the bacon". Metro. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  45. ↑ Meehan, Alex (23 September 2020). "There's a new Hogs of War miniatures game, 20 years after the video game's release". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  46. ↑ Moore, Ewan (23 July 2020). "'Hogs Of War' Is Finally Coming Back, Thanks To Kickstarter". GAMINGbible. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
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