The visuals have a great art direction and engine. |
The levels are set up in a way that make you feel like a part of the larger whole, instead of playing the lone super soldier storming his or her way through the game single handedly, you are constantly in contact with other units, either to aid them or request support. It really succeeds in bringing home the key element of modern warfare, that of combined arms, with every unit fulfilling its own role in the overarching military machine. The campaign makes you feel like a predator without having to lower the difficulty level to achieve this end, whether playing as a bog standard marine or as a member of the special forces you are constantly given specific, defined roles beyond just kill the bad guys with bullets. The whole atmosphere is kept very low key and professional, there is a regular degree of communications chatter in the background but you thankfully won't find any melodramatic Hollywood antics on show. Instead, while the dialogue can get heated, it retains a professional level of detachment that actually resonates with the player much more than any over the top Hudson-esque moments. Without the xenophobia and overtly bombastic accompaniments that often accompany war games it also makes for a title that, despite the still touchy subject area, makes the experience enjoyable regardless of your personal politics. The enemy and setting are treated with a level of respect that washes aside all accusations of exploitation or headline grabbing and the developers have used this to wrap the gameplay in a rich and unique setting.
During firefights suppression plays a very important element. |
Thanks to the high rate of damage there is a decent level of challenge and due to the organic layout of the cover Medal of Honor keeps you in the moment, always thinking and moving, and this keeps the high level of immersion at a constant throughout. The way that play switches between different personnel throughout the campaign also provides an effective manner to view the after effects of a previous mission's actions from elsewhere in the task force and makes for a good mixture of different tactical disciplines ranging from all out frontal assaults on enemy camps to missions where you are outnumbered and outgunned, deep in enemy controlled territory. Medal of Honor isn't a dry simulation, however - there are dramatic moments such as when you leap off the back of a transport chopper to save your teammates who have been left behind or when holding out a gradually collapsing hut as dozens of enemies swarm your location. But it's the style of delivery and measured application of such scenes that makes for a more refined and engaging experience.
Across the campaign you get to experience a variety of fighting styles. |
If you have two teams who are a bit more closely matched these issues fortunately don't crop up too often but it means that for the more experienced players the most efficient killzones on a map are so effective that the game starts to become repetitive, as there's rarely any benefit to utilising other parts of the layout. That said the gunplay is just as fast paced and satisfying as in the single player and the netcode is robust. Offsite support is available to those who rack up killstreaks but nicely balanced to the streak size in question so that they never feel overpowered. Getting the top level assists is a genuine achievement that will require well over half a match to accomplish and thanks to the limited supply of ammunition players will have to demonstrate genuine skill and daring to get them. In a nice touch some of the bonuses also provide buffs to you and your teammates such as improved armour and ammo resupplies which adds a level of timing and co-operation that can turn the tide of battle.
Despite being a vehicle sequence in a first person shooter the helicopter gameplay is actually exciting for once. |
The fundamental issue with the multiplayer is that while fun and well put together, with some good map design in places, there just isn't the depth there to keep players coming back long term. As an accompaniment to the single player game it works but if it had been a standalone multiplayer offering it wouldn't be acceptable. The core gunplay is strong but the maps are heavily skewed to one or two areas and as such players learn all the tricks and techniques far too quickly leaving little room to grow or vary the experience. To lengthen the single player offering the developers have created the really rather excellent Tier 1 mode which is a time attack take on the campaign. Players are given one life with which to complete each level and can stop the clock by pulling off certain skillful kills such as headshots, multikills and so on. The levels are long enough that surviving on the one life can prove pretty challenging when combined with the speed element that sees you taking dangerous risks in order to keep your time low. There are global leaderboards for all the levels and this does a really fantastic job of extending an already entirely satisfying solo offering. Tier 1 doesn't feel tacked on in any way and is a pleasant and rewarding way to re-experience the campaign all over again.
Picturesque scenes like this are common throughout. |
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Score: 8/10
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