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'The Honor goes 'next-gen''
 Developer: EALA (Electronic Arts LA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Category: : FPS
Multiplayer: Xbox Live
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: MOH on steriods?
Date posted: 16 November 2007
Written By: Bjorn
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Honor goes Next-Gen
Or better 'current-gen' since the next-gen consoles are already with us for some time. Anyway, for Electronic Arts Los Angeles, the developer behind this game, this was the very first time that they developed a "Medal of Honor" title for the new consoles.
MOH has always been compared with COD (Call of Duty) and that's simply for one reason. Both are mostly covering the same thing. Still you have gamers who only like MOH and those who only like COD.
We from PlayDevil.com like both games so you're in for a treat. The main question remains though ... is "Medal Of Honor : Airborne" offering something refreshing and new to the current WWII FPS genre ?
The Airborne division
In "Medal of Honor: Airborne" you step into the boots of 'Boyd Travers', Private First Class of the 82nd Airborne Division. Since the title says 'Airborne', the developer introduces a new way of experiencing a WWII FPS. Each mission starts with an interactive 'airdrop' !
This means you can basically choose your own landing spot and while viewing the entire operation from the air, you can strategically plan your own route. This definitely adds a new dimension to the 'Medal of Honor' games since you have total control on where you basically start with the mission.
There are several "safe zones" (green marks) available for you to land but basically you can land anywhere in the level. However, be careful though because if you decide not to land in any 'safe zone' you have absolutely no idea, when you land, "who" will be there. It could be a friend or worse, a nazi. So if you want to land safe, definitely pick a "safe zone" to land. This level of choice is becoming very important in modern gaming and we're glad that EALA included this option.
  
Gameplay
One of the biggest improvement in the MOH series with "Airborne" is the non-linearity of each mission. While there are only 6 missions in the full game, each mission is pretty lengthy and several accomplishments need to be completed before the actual mission is successful.
"MOH: Airborne" is a wide-open game so you're absolutely free to do what you want. That's a major accomplishment.
If you think that "MOH: Airborne" is an 'easy' game and that you can complete it in a few hours, think again. The game starts easy but becomes more and more difficult as your progress further. This is great in the beginning for the average gamer but it starts soon to be a nightmare if you don't have any game experience in WWII shooters or in any MOH game.
You'll die a lot in 'Airborne' and while it supports a 'checkpoint' system, you'll still be playing some of the sections several times. See, it only saves the game after completing objectives.
It also has a new health system which now combines the pick-up system with regenerative life bars.
Another new addition to the MOH series is that you can crouch and start running but when you stop, you return to the crouch position immediately. This will let you evade the enemy from point A to point B.
You have several "authentic" weapons at your disposal in 'MOH: Airborne' such as the M1918 Browning automatic rifle and many others. This inclusion adds more depth into the game's gameplay and while the weapons are authentic, the combat feels just the same way.
This is certainly an achievement for the game itself when you consider how long the series has existed. Your weapons can also be upgraded when you display excellence in marksmanship.
So, how's the AI (artificial intelligence) in "MOH: Airborne" ? Well the game supports 'Affordance AI' which gives the enemy a reactionary intelligence. It really all depends if their cover is solid or not and the shots (if any) you have fired their way.
This enables the game to act and move more realistic than ever. In one situation, I had the enemy lined up for the perfect headshot and when I was about to pull that fire trigger, it ran away ... like it knew I was ready to blow his head off!
Your squad members, which can't be controlled, work very well alongside you. You can even encourage them to advance and put more pressure on the enemy. Great stuff if you ask me!
The only negative point in "MOH: Airborne" is that the game is a bit short. As an average gamer, I completed the full game (on Normal difficulty) in about three days. Now if the developer could release more Multiplayer maps to the game, you could forgive its short single player campaign. Fingers crossed.
Graphics and Sound
Graphical, "MOH: Airborne" shines when played in 'High-Definition' (HD). All the textures are crisp, well detailed and the lighting is excellent. One graphical effect when a grenade explodes is excellent since the game will go into slow motion as a curtain of gray dirt expands from the explosion. Neat!
Also expect some surprises in terms of buildings and vehicles. Even in NON-HD, the game keeps a solid framerate and textures remains detailed enough. Animation of the NPC's (friends and enemies) is pretty good since they all move very realistically thoughout the entire game.
Music has always been one of MOH highlights and this game is no exception. The developer has hired the award-winning composer 'Michael Giacchino" to do the game's score. Giacchino was also the composer for "Lost", "The Incredibles", "Mission Impossible III" and recently "Ratatouille". If we say the music was dull we definitely would be lying.
Sound effects ranging from the firing bullets to the big explosions, everything is well produced and sounds realistic. Even the good voice-acting is a welcome addition.
  
Multiplayer
Online, "MOH: Airborne" had a quite positive feeling on me. Especially on the maps where, like in the single player campaign, you can jump into the battle from a plane.
One team will be parachuting while the other stays on the ground and try to snipe the incoming enemies. Both modes are pretty fun.
There are six maps in total but some of the maps seem a bit too big especially when you are just playing with a handful of players, most of them will be playing a wait-and-snipe style.
Still the multiplayer in "MOH: Airborne" is Xbox LIVE ONLY which means you can't practive against a friend of via system link. Too bad.
Three different multiplayer modes are available, 'Objective Airborne', 'Team Deathmatch' and 'Team Deathmatch Airborne'. Of course like all modern LIVE games, it also supports both "Ranked" and "Unranked" matches.
Overall, the multiplayer in this title is solid online.
Conclusion
"Medal of Honor: Airborne" from publisher EA is back with full strenght. For the first time on the next-gen (or current gen if you like) consoles, this WWII shooter can be easily compared against other great WWII games such as COD3.
Jumping out of a plane is a refreshing addition, in both single and multiplayer and it does add a new dimension to the genre.
While the game is a bit short we do hope that the developer will publish additional MP maps to offer a better replay value.
If you are looking for a decent, refreshing WWII shooter, "Medal of Honor: Airborne" is an excellent choice !
-Bjorn
Ratings
Manual:
85 % |
Graphics:
89% |
Music & Sfx:
92% |
GamePlay:
88% |
|
This game scores
on our 5-point Rating System
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