Released early this summer, Medal of Honor: Frontline was (and still is) one of
the best first person shooters on the Playstation 2. Now the game is making its
appearance on the GameCube with nice results. This version is almost identical
to the PS2 version with the exception of a multiplayer mode. The excellent
atmosphere has been retained during the porting process, but unfortunately so
were the game’s shortcomings, particularly cumbersome controls and inconsistent
framerates. Despite its flaws, Medal of Honor: Frontline is still one of the
best first person shooters on the GameCube.
Frontline puts you in the shoes of Lt. James Patterson, a soldier thrust into
Europe during the most pivotal part of WWII. Oftentimes, you must perform
missions without any outside assistance, leaving you to take on legions of Nazis
on your own. You must use your wits and the weapons at your disposal to help
determine the outcome of the Second World War.
From
the get go, Frontline lets you know just how immersed you will be. The first
level is D-Day. You start out on a boat with many of your comrades, making your
way to the shore. Your boat soon gets hit, sending you and those around you
into the water. Under the water, you see and hear shells zoom through the
water, leaving bubble trail and hitting soldiers. You finally make your way to
the beach and, amidst a flurry of explosions and gunfire, begin to play the
game. While this level of intensity isn’t quite this current through the game,
the level of immersion and atmosphere stays constantly high through the whole
game. The one negative about the gameplay are the controls, which tend to not
aim properly. This makes it tough to hit even relatively close enemies unless
you are holding down the Aim button.
The
game’s multiplayer features, while a bit limited, are still a worthy attempt.
The game features two types of play: Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch. The
multiplayer mode doesn’t have any new maps, just augmented versions of
pre-existing levels.
The
graphics are almost exactly like the PS2 version, which is both good and bad.
The original’s excellent character models and facial rendering have been
faithfully retained, as have the muddy textures and erratic framerates, which
fluctuate between 30 and 60 FPS even when the action isn’t very intense.
Sound
has always been a field in which the Medal of Honor series has shined, and
Frontline is no exception to the rule. The sound and music are excellent. The
sweeping score accentuates the mood of the game. The sound effects are great,
the weapon sounds are authentic and the sounds of explosions and plane engines
roaring overhead provide excellent ambience.
Frontline provides an engaging environment and nice gameplay to give an overall
great experience. While this version falls into most of the same pitfalls as
the PS2 version, it is still a faithful port of an excellent game.
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Gameplay: 8.5
Frontline gives
the closest WWII console experience yet. The game’s missions are varied and the
action can be very intense. The only minus is the controls, which can be pretty
tough to grasp.
Graphics: 8.0
The character
models are nicely done and very detailed and the lip-synching and facial
expressions are very well executed. However, the jumpy framerates and
occasionally muddy textures soil an otherwise great graphical presentation.
Sound: 9.5
Frontline’s sound
is excellent. The music is sweeping, and the authentic sounds and ambience
enhance the mood of the entire game.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.0
The game’s
atmosphere is incredible, and the engrossing environment really gives you a
sense of being smack dab in the middle of WWII.
Multiplayer: 7.9
While a worthy
effort, the multiplayer mode in Frontline is very limited and not quite what it
was made out to be.
Overall: 8.5
With good
gameplay, amazing sound and absorbing atmosphere, Frontline is a great title not
to be missed. While far from perfect, Frontline is still one of the best first
person shooters around. Anyone would hasn’t played the PS2 version should
definitely give Frontline on the GameCube a look.
