I’ve kept quiet on Medal of Honor since EA announced it. At first it seemed like EA was cashing in on the Modern Warfare train, while stirring up some controversy by releasing a being based on a current, real-world conflict. While many will be split on the US vs. Al-Qaeda, we will stray from arguing for or against the controversial setting and focus strictly on the merits of the gameplay. I’ll start by saying this, Medal of Honor is Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield Bad Company 2 squished together, to a point. This is not necessarily a bad thing. At all. While the game’s multiplayer takes elements from both games, it still manages to stay away from feeling like a blatant rip-off. MoH feels like its own game. It’s something you really have to play to see a clear line on the differences, but after 5+ hours spent with the beta, it’s clear that MoH has legs and could possibly have a successful multiplayer component. Medal of Honor is all about combat. There are 3 loadouts to choose from between each death: Rifleman, Special Ops and Sniper. No medics or method of healing other than hiding out unlike DICE’s previous effort, Battlefield. Each loadout has three weapons, a primary, pistol, and an explosive weapon/device. As you amass victories or kills, you’ll unlock weapons and scopes, as well as level up. MoH is full of pretty basic multiplayer features that you would see in Call of Duty 4 or any random Battlefield title. The differences start fleshing out with how it actually plays.
The gameplay in MoH is the sweet spot for fans of both the Battlefield series as well as CoD. It maintains some key elements from Battlefield such as vehicles, some stylistic similarities as well as class progression. CoD shows up with the scorechains (killstreaks), with a touch of the infamous Hardcore modes from CoD. Which brings me to my next point; you’ll die in MoH, a lot. MoH differs from MW2 and Battlefield by staging battles in areas that focus on close combat, and quick kills. It only takes a few rounds, if not one to drop someone to this ground. MoH also lacks a kill cam, so you’ll have deaths where one minute you’ll be running towards the next objective, and the next you’re staring at your dead self. This type of gameplay encourages cautious movement, and the importance of avoiding open areas at all costs. If there was one feeling I had playing the two available gametypes, Combat Mission and Team Assault (Team Deathmatch). It is a must to be running in groups, even when picking people off. You’re a sitting duck without another person to cover you in almost any situation due to the quick deaths. You could say that about a lot of multiplayer games, sure, but progression or snaring more than one kill before a death is pretty rough without someone at your back. This is really what I felt separated MoH from the rest, the intense firefights which are ended almost as quickly as they’d begun.
The two available modes in the beta, Combat Mission and Team Assault are enjoyable, even if Combat Mission is heavily inspired by Battlefield and Team Assault plays a lot like CoD’s Team Deathmatch. Combat Mission is definitely the standout mode which has the Americans pushing forward and either capturing points or destroying them, while Al Qaeda’s objective is to prevent this, similar to Conquest mode in Battlefield Bad Company 2. The available Combat Mission map in the beta is Helmand Valley, a large map that has Americans trying to destroy outposts and capture weapons such as AA guns. Combat Mission is really where I sunk my talons into MoH and played the most. Team Assault, which is set in the Kabul City Ruins in the beta, is your basic team deathmatch, but manages to feel different with the level of strategic combat involved. Lives are short lived, respawns are quick, and running around like a fool is going to place you to the bottom of the leaderboard pretty darned quick. When it all comes down to it, the gameplay in MoH is frenetic and fast where those who play with their smarts will dominate. In the looks department, MoH once again mashes Cod with Battlefield to create realistic landscapes with great environmental effects on almost all surfaces. Bullets will kick up dust and concrete, grenades knock down trees and sned shards of rock flying, whilemortar strikes kick up some wild dust clouds that will leave you uncertain if a group of Al-Qaeda are waiting on the other side for it to settle.
These effects really bring home the importance of keeping your wits about you, especially in hectic firefights. When you get into the heat of battle, knowing your environment is key to survival in MoH. Medal of Honor has potential even if it feels like a Battlefield/Call of Duty mashup. The gameplay is really what separates it from its obvious influences and it maintains a unique visual style. Quick, gritty combat is the name of the game and initial sessions of MoH will involve you dying a lot, but once you get the hang of it, the speed the game is played is bound to keep players on their toes. While vehicles are present, they are rarely used and quickly toppled with the right equipment. This gave me a sense that everyone is equal on the map, whether on foot or in a tank. While MoH feels like it is a “best of” compilation of other successful shooters, my time spent with it made me seriously reconsider that feeling. Sure, it’s not the most original shooter in the last few years, but it has some great gameplay elements that feel tuned instead of ripped-off. While all I’ve played so far are a few maps in the beta, I’m eager to get my hands on the full game when it releases for the Xbox 360 on October 12th. Keep your eyes peeled on PlanetXbox360.com as we lead up the exciting release of the new and improved Medal of Honor, featuring both single-player and multiplayer.
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