Games to Reality: Military Edition

Many games have vehicles that would be awesome if they were real. Almost all FPSs have vehicles in-game, and many of the settings of these games have futuristic military technology. With that in mind, along with my Dad and older brother in the United States military, here is a list of my Top Five military vehicles that would evolve the battlefield into a new era.

5. StarCraft Battlecruiser (StarCraft)

The StarCraft Battlecrusier is like the combination of a Navy Destroyer and an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress. Carrying enough firepower to lay waste to Zerg, Protoss, and Terran bases, imagine a fleet flying overhead to provide air reinforcements for ground troops. While not the backbone of an air invasion, the Battlecruiser could lay enough damage to allow for medical evacs, ammunition drops, and strategic retreats, providing an all-in-one support.

4. Highwind (Final Fantasy 7)

The Highwind would function as a dropship for soldiers. The vertical takeoff capabilities allows for rapid placement and retrieval, along with a quick retreat, thanks to its jet propulsion transformation ability. Replacing the highly respected, but vulnerable, helicopter, it would take more than a simple RPG to take this bird down. The curved shape of the Highwind would also allow for stronger anti-radar capabilities.

3. Metal Gear Rex/Metal Gear Ray (Metal Gear Solid Series)

The Metal Gear Rex could replace the M1 Abrams tank and become the heart of the armored ground game. Metal Gear Rex could be modified for specific environments and because of its size and damage potential, the US military could manufacture fewer and have a smaller, more efficient armored division.

The Metal Gear Ray would effectively replace submarines, acting like gigantic sharks patrolling the seas. The hypothetical engineering of the MG Ray is truly future-tech, but with a solid base in science. Both land and sea capable, the MG Ray would assist in beachfront assaults, allowing MG Rex to assist during inland conflicts.

2. Metal Slug Tank (Metal Slug Series)

The Metal Gear Rex replaces the M1 Abrams, but there is something that the Metal Slug Tank can do better than the Rex: jump. Also with the size of Rex, the Metal Slug Tank is perfect for town invasions or scouting. The atypical treads allow for better traction and they are single-manned, but allow for squads to act together. Also, the great eject feature allows soldiers to somersault in the air at least four times, creating confusion as they escape.

1. Tachikoma (Ghost in the Shell)

A Shirow Masamune creation, the Tachikoma is a single-manned hexapod tank. A thinking tank that could provide combat support, the applications of the Tachikoma surpasses anything else on the list. Working in urban and jungle environments, optical camouflage, and advanced artificial intelligence would change modern warfare entirely. Actually, many of Shirow’s mechanical designs would be amazing for the military.

These are my top five military vehicles that would evolve warfare. The fourth and fifth are more of a fantasy for the future, but three to one are potentially possible, with massive amounts of research and development. By no means am I a warmonger, I would rather have soldiers protected without eighty pounds of gear slowing them down. But not all future technology works like we would want it, shown by the Scorpion Tank from Halo with its highly advanced “Sheila” A.I.