It might not be the most well-loved retro title out there, but Hogs Of War certainly has its fair share of fans that still look back on it fondly. Released way back in 2000 for the original PlayStation and PC, it was a turn-based tactics game starring, as the name suggests, a bunch of pigs... dressed up in World War II gear.
Yes, it's as daft as it sounds... but that's part of why those who played it back in the day still have a genuine affection for it. See, the gameplay was never quite as streamlined or rewarding as other anarchic turn-based battle sims like Worms, but it had two things going for it: A very silly sense of humour, and the voice talents of the late, great Rik Mayall.
So while it might not be at the very top of everyone's list for a modern remaster, there are some who'd love to see the franchise return on modern consoles (albeit maybe with a toning down of certain elements). One such person is Andrew Fox, who worked on Hogs Of War as the Lead Programmer as part of the (now defunct) Sheffield-based studio Infogrames.
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Speaking to GAMINGbible over email, Fox responded positively to the idea of a remaster... but questioned whether the game has stood the test of the time, or if a return to Hogs Of War might expose flaws that were better hidden 20 years ago.
"Oh boy, if someone funded [a remaster], I'd love to see it on the Switch," Andrew said. "What a beautiful match up that would be! But will the game have stood the test of time, or would it simply be a short-lived nostalgia trip for us lucky few? We may never know."
Personally, I've always had a soft spot for Hogs Of War. It was a game that I played to death with my family growing up, although as a kid I was obviously a lot more forgiving of its issues. In the cold light of modern day, there are some things I really don't see Hogs Of War being able to get away with.
"If I looked back after all these years I'd probably look to change everything," Andrew continued. "But Hogs was the perfect snapshot of the times, a time capsule of games development in the late 90's / early 2000's. Changing anything would probably only serve to take away from its charm, even if it made it somehow "better" (assuming there is such an objective term in games). I guess that means I'd have to leave it as it was, warts and all."
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While it's important to note that Andrew was speaking from a gameplay perspective, there is one key area which Hogs Of War would have to address in any potential remaster. I'm of course talking about the majority of the voice lines for the Japanese and German soldiers in the game, which are widely based on stereotypes that I don't think anyone has been okay with for some years now.
Yes, it was a cartoonish game, but I like to think we've all moved on in the last two decades. As Andrew himself said, changing it too much could rob the game of its charm... but let's maybe all agree that the clunky gameplay and funny writing were the charming parts, not the well-meaning but badly dated stereotypes. The UK and US soldiers are still hilarious, though.
You can check out my full interview with Andrew right here. We go over the development of Hogs Of War, the inclusion of Rik Mayall, and whatever the hell happened to the sequel that was announced before mysteriously disappearing.
Topics: PlayStation, PC