There have been a number
of really great Playstation 2 titles that are just recently being introduced to
the Xbox crowd (Metal Gear Solid 2 and, awhile back now, Silent Hill 2). And,
fortunately for Xbox owners, the games usually come with extra goodies. Such is
the case of Medal of Honor: Frontline, a great first-person shooter that fans
often pointed out was lacking a few things . . . including a multiplayer
option. Well, Xbox owners rejoice, this is our chance to get acquainted with an
excellent and enjoyable first-person shooter . . . all this and a multiplayer
option to boot!
You assume the roll of
Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson, the hero of the first game in the Playstation
series, who finds himself on that boat heading for the beaches of Normandy
during the infamous D-Day (as seen in the Spielberg movie “Saving Private Ryan“)
during the second World War. You see the war through Patterson’s eyes and
follow him as he is sent on a dangerous mission to uncover a secret Nazi
experimental weapon that could spell disaster for the Allied side. Soon
Patterson finds himself knee-deep in top military campaigns such as Operation
Market Garden or Overlord (as seen in the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers“).
Almost immediately you’ll
come face to face with the raw intensity of this game. While not as incredibly
violent–there’s no blood or body parts flying around in this game–as a war
game is expected to be, the action comes on strongly. Control-wise, Medal of
Honor handles perfectly and its steady frame rate makes this one smooth ride.
You can switch weapons on the fly and sneak up behind unsuspecting Nazis and
place a bullet to their cranium. There’s even an Aim Mode for a more accurate
shot, although this mode isn’t so good when the target in question is on the
move. The weapons are all of the period too. Whether you’re shooting a Colt
.45 or pumping round after round of a Thompson machine gun, your arsenal is
quite stocked.
The game is separated by
different missions or levels each with its own briefings and own objectives.
One mission might have you sabotaging a German U-boat or rescuing an Allied
informant. There’s even an Indiana Jones-styled mine cart run where you get to
shoot at Nazi troops as your cart rushes along the tracks. And the best part
about all of this is that you are not often alone in these missions. There are
times when Allied troops are on hand to help you out, giving you cover fire or
helping you during intense encounters. You’ll find several civilians that are
eager to see the downfall of the Reich and help you while others are just too
frightened to do anything.
Gamers will be impressed
by the intelligence of the computer-controlled enemies. Many of them will try
to find cover as you shoot at them while others don’t rush at you blindly. They
are incredibly perceptive and often sensitive to your brisk movements–as you’ll
see for yourself when you come across some sleeping Nazi troopers.
EA must have been
listening to all the complaints about the original game not offering a
multiplayer mode because they were thoughtful to include a multiplayer mode in
this version. Anywhere from two to four players can play through two different
game types such as Deathmatch and Team. The Deathmatch game is an all-out
battle where the player that reaches the score limit when the time runs out wins
the game. Team puts you and a friend up against another team of to see who
score the highest. You can even select the maps–which have been taken directly
from the single player mode.
The game was really
gorgeous as a PS2 game and even more so now with the Xbox’s accelerated graphics
capabilities. Surprisingly, though, the game does not look at all that
different–which is not a bad thing at all, believe me. The unavoidable
“jaggies” from the original are gone and certain details stand out more now.
The shattered building look amazing as gunfire lights up the remains of some
town in Holland. The soldiers move realistically across the field, their limbs
and uniforms look so crisp and authentic. This is just one of those visual
treats.
And speaking of gorgeous,
the game’s score that plays throughout the game is just simply beautiful and
stirring in the same way a rich film score is. By far, this is one of the best
scores heard in a game. Keeping the wonderful score company is the great sound
effects and voice acting. It’s thrilling to hear threads of a German tank or
spent bullet castings tapping on concrete. The voices are amazingly rich that
you can pin point the location of the German commander just by listening
carefully. You’ll be surrounded by voices as a mother pokes her head out the
window to call for her daughter while a German soldier is angrily shouting at a
frightened civilian.
An amazing experience from
the very start, Medal of Honor: Frontline for the Xbox is still as thrilling as
it was the first time around. For gamers playing this game for the first time,
you will be blown away but the raw intensity of the action. For those who have
played the game before, there is no dramatic change except for the phenomenal
addition of the multiplayer games. This one is a real Must-buy either way.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 9.8
The game offers two controller
configuration options but you are not limited to just those two. Either way you
slice and dice it, the controls in this game handle like a dream. Since the
game moves along rather smoothly in this version, the action is fast and
intense. The long list of period appropriate weapons is also great, especially
for those gamers that want to know what it was like to fire the old Browning
automatic rifle.
There are plenty of
objectives in each level that either has you photographing secret documents or
crashing a mansion dressed as a member of the kitchen staff. They’re all pretty
inventive and extremely fun and, thankfully, can be replayed at any point in the
game.
Graphics: 9.7
The amazingly detailed backdrops
just draw gamers into the game with its overall depth and beauty. The green
farmlands have flourishing pastures that seem to span on forever as a grand
windmill catches on fire in the distance. And the more savagely destroyed
cities are reduced to rubble, the remaining walls pockmarked with bullet holes.
The soldiers also move and
react realistically. The game is free of blood but you do get to see some
really gruesome death scenes. When you shoot certain soldiers, they grab at
their wound, look at their hand and then drop dead. Some of them are thrown
back by the brunt of the bullet or just collapse–their jaws moving as they say
something to themselves out loud. The detailed and expressive faces of each
character will also amaze you.
Sound: 10
Seldom does a game’s score reduce
players to awe-struck admiration as the score found in this game. Not only is
it hauntingly beautiful but it makes this a truly cinematic experience. Really,
the soundtrack is just one of the game’s many highlights.
There are also amazing
sound effects that range from the sharp retorts of the Panzerschreck to the
flying Mustangs that pass overhead while explosions and gunfire rip through the
battlefront. The voice acting is also wonderful and done just right with the
Nazis barking at you in German or comrades crying out in pain or anger. If you
have a good surround stereo system hooked up to your console, this is the game
to have cranked up.
Difficulty: Medium
Thanks to the sharp-as-a-tack
intelligence of the computer-controlled enemies, the Nazi forces put up
something of a challenge. The enemy forces you to use your combat-minded
intuition by coming up with strategies beyond just going in with guns blazing.
Shoot a gunner and another soldier makes a mad dash for the machine gun turret
to take his fallen comrade’s place. The enemy also makes good use of grenades
to try to flush you out.
Concept: 9.8
From the opening sequence on the
beaches of Normandy to the final confrontation in the secret weapons facility,
the game’s designers kept realism in mind all the way through. The game also
feels cinematic, with its cleaver interweaving of actual war footage and
real-life military campaigns such as Operation Market- Garden. Add plenty of
level objectives and characters to interact with and you have a gaming
experience with plenty of combat.
Multiplayer: 9.5
A feature that should have been
included in the PS2 version of the game, the multiplayer option just adds more
fuel to an already well-lit fire. Up to four players can join into the fray as
Axis or Allied troops with the action seen in split-screen fashion (it’s split
four ways if you’re playing a four-player game). The two multiplayer games,
Deathmatch and Team, are just even more thrilling with four players.
Overall: 9.2
One of the PS2’s most enjoyable
first-person shooters is now an even more enjoyable Xbox game with its small
visual boost and great multiplayer option. Those unlucky souls that did not get
a chance to play the Playstation 2 version will find this a stimulating war
experience. Do not miss this one.
