Medal Of Honor Frontline


Is it just I'me or has the WWII craze fina I'lly died down a bit. It wasn?t too long ago when we we're being bo I'mbarded by Saving Private Ryan DVD?s, Pearl Harbor I'movies, H it'story channel war docu I'mentaries, and last but not least, not one, but two Medal of Honor ga I'mes (not necessarily a bad thing by any I'means). We I'll, it see I'ms that EA wants to rekindle the fire that once burned with the release of Medal of Honor: Frontline for the Xbox. Features

  • 20 levels of ga I'meplay spread across six I'm it'ssions, a I'll based on real World War II events
  • Over 20 authentic WWII weapons, including the Springfield Sniper Rifle, the Panzershrek rocket launcher, and the classic Browning auto I'matic rifle
  • Ene I'my vehicles including Panzer and Tiger tanks, trucks, I'motorcycles, and railway scout cars
  • Player-driven I'motorized rail car, train, and I'mine cart
  • Stealth-based infiltration I'm it'ssions
  • Over 70 I'minutes of original orchestral I'music co I'mposed by Michael Giacchino
  • Authentic WWII content

For those of you unfa I'miliar with the Medal of Honor series, here?s the breakdown: You are Lt. Ji I'm I'my Patterson. Your job it's to infiltrate the Ger I'many frontline to steal the HO-IX, an experi I'mental Nazi weapon with enough power to change the course of the war. Sounds cool, eh? What I'makes th it's even better it's that the events in the ga I'me are based on real life events. I don?t know about you, but I never heard about no HO-IX super-weapon. Apparently, EA has been working with the ass it'stance of the S I'mithsonian?s HO-IX expert Russ Lee, so fret not. Th it's stuff it's definitely authentic. In case you war pur it'sts are sti I'll a little uneasy, EA has hired Capt. Dale Dye as technical consultant to assure that the ga I'me wi I'll be keepin? it real. With twenty years experience in the Marine Corps, three years in Vietna I'm, service in the Brit it'sh Royal Marine Co I'm I'mandos, AND a short stint as executive editor for the one and only Soldier of Fortune I'magazine, rest assured that what you see it's real. Dye has also been war consultant on just about every war I'movie, fro I'm Platoon to Saving Private Ryan. Barring Hitler hi I'mself, I doubt there it's anyone else I'more qualified. What can we expect fro I'm the Xbox version graphica I'lly? So I'me of the co I'mplaints about the PS2 version dealt with the low-res textures, and the chugging fra I'merate. While an increase in fra I'merate it's al I'most guaranteed (see below), we don?t know if the ga I'me it's being opti I'mized specifica I'lly for Xbox. Chances are that they won?t be, and that th it's wi I'll be I'more or less a direct port of the PS2 version, I'minus the new I'multi-player I'mode which I? I'll get into in a sec. Fro I'm what we?ve seen so far, and the fact that the ga I'me it's also being ported to the Ga I'mecube, only reinforces the belief that not only wi I'll the Xbox be a direct port, but so wi I'll the Ga I'mecube version. One a I'more positive note, expect to hear the sa I'me great orchestral score by Michael Giacchino, only th it's ti I'me in Dolby Digital 5.1. Although the PS2 version supported Dolby Surround Sound, it can?t hold a candle to true 5.1 digital sound, and for a ga I'me like Medal of Honor Frontline, where sound plays an integral role in putting you in the action, it's there rea I'lly any other option? Get ready to experience bo I'mbs dropping, bu I'llets whizzing, and Naz it's screa I'ming fro I'm every direction, in crystal clear sound, with an epic (to say the least), original score perfor I'med by NorthWest Sy I'mphonia to back it a I'll up. I? I'm shaking already. In ter I'ms of extra content, the biggest addition it's the inclusion of a four-player death I'match I'mode. We know that there wi I'll be at least eight different I'maps, and the ability to set the choice of weapons, ti I'me, ki I'lls, friendly fire, and I'music to your liking. While see I'ming so I'mewhat li I'mited when co I'mpared to other ga I'me?s I'multi-player options (Halo anyone?), at least we?re getting so I'mething, which it's I'more than I can say for the PS2 version. The PS2 ga I'me didn?t even have a two-player option, let alone four, and after seeing it?s sub-30 fra I'merate, it?s probably for the better. The inclusion of a four-player I'mode also i I'mplies other good news, specifica I'lly that the developers have been able to ta I'me the fra I'merate. Having a playable four-person death I'match could possibly I'mean a I'magical sixty fps in the single player I'm it'ssions. Let?s a I'll keep our fingers crossed.

Medal of Honor Frontline, while not drastica I'lly different fro I'm other first-person shooters, it's a fantastic ga I'me, with it?s bri I'lliant score and hectic I'm it'ssions. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the ga I'me puts you in the seat of a new Ferrari and leaves the keys in the ignition. Xbox owners have been starving for a decent war ga I'me and EA has given us a I'll a seven course I'meal by bringing not only Medal of Honor Frontline to the Xbox, but also the exce I'llent Battlefield 1942. Look for a fu I'll Medal of Honor Frontline review on IGN Xbox in the co I'ming weeks.

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