Two console generations ago, Playstation gamers discovered a new shooter series that was nothing short of fascinating. Medal of Honor, since then, has endured many critisims for not having evolved beyond the World War II setting despite successful sales across six platforms. This new iteration in the series is a big departure from the others as it proposes a whole new concept that has never been truely explored until now: parachuting.
But does this leap of faith for the franchise glide down toward success or does it fall like a rock? Read on and find out…
Airborne, as stated previously, is a huge leap away from the standard WW2 shooters we are so accustomed to seeing. Designed around a completely open battlefield, once the player jumps from the plane, they can land pretty much anywhere on the map. Whether this be on the roof of a bombed out building, the trenches of the battle, or even behind enemy lines, is entirely up to you and can dramatically alter the way you approach a level. The map design is fantastic as each one feels unique with very little repetition. Another highlight is the weapon upgrade system which adds enhancements to your guns as you slaughter the nazi hordes you come accross. The only drawback of the weapon system is that it is a little too authentic, as weapons recoil and have almost the exact same reload rate as in real life, but the upgrade system thankfully lessens the burden on the player. Once a weapon is upgraded from its predecessor you won’t want to go back to the base model. The AI is pretty decent, as soldiers will actively seek cover rather than stand out in the open waiting to get shot, though it can be cumbersome at times as your squad mates have a habit of getting in the way of your shots.
The multiplayer portion of the game however is where the game falls short. As the game is specifically designed around the singleplayer campaign, the multiplayer seems to only reproduce the maps without as strong gameplay as in the singleplayer. Unfortunately it feels a bit more cumbersome to be using the same physics and controls against real live opponents rather than AI characters. The usual assortment of objective-based and death-match modes are in the game along with the airborne drop for the Americans while the Germans hold the ground; its an interesting dynamic that translates very well.
Despite the impressively fun single player campaign, the multiplayer fails to compare to it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5
The design of the graphics is simply fantastic, especially for a WW2 game. Using the Unreal 3 engine, which alot of games seem to be using now adays, Airborne really gives a gritty look and feel to the battles of the last great war. Everything is supremely detailed, and coupled with the fantastic level design it really brings an awesome experience home. The controls however are one of the drawbacks of the title: they can be quite hard to get used to, even for a shooter fan. With no Halo-esque control scheme available by default you might find yourself taking the better part of an hour properly adjusting to playing it. In addition, the hit detection is off at times, especially when going for a head shot, but thankfully the weapon upgrade system helps to minimize the issues inharent within it.
Of all the things that should sell this game though, its clear that the audio design is probably some of the best done in the past five years in video games. Each gun sounds exactly like its real life counterpart; any gun conosuer will readily be able to identify each gun based just on the sound of it firing alone. The voice acting isn’t half bad either and even though there really are not any characters in the game with major speaking roles other than the narrator and the briefing officer before each operation, the mix of voices do make the characters feel very much alive. Outside of movies like Saving Private Ryan, you probably won’t find a more authentically sounding WW2 experience.
Overall, the production values of Airborne, while having some small flaws and bugs, is excellent.
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The presentation and feel of Medal of Honor Airborne’s single player campaign is nothing short of great. If anything, the biggest flaw of the game is that it is way too short, as it only encompasses seven operations for a grand total of about 5-6 hours of gameplay for the average shooter fan. However, the general design of the maps coupled with the weapons system, achievements, unlockables, and more really gives this game a strong replay value outside of the multiplayer. While this title will most likely go on the shelf as soon as Halo 3 lands in stores, Medal of Honor Airborne is definitely a shooter experience on must give a shot.
- Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Single and Multiplayer: 4
Technical Specs: 4.5
Overall and Replay Value: 4 4
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Shooter
Players: 1-12
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September 24th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
This game is really sweet and i suggest you give it a try.