Now, I'm hoping that I'll be able to post an Assassin's Creed 3 review before I get back, but if I don't, I promise I'll be making up for it when I get back.
As for right now, I'll be reviewing Medal of Honor: Warfighter. So let's get this started!
STORY
Medal of Honor: Warfighter picks up an undisclosed amount of time after 2010's reboot of the franchise, and follows the actions of Tier 1 operators as they try to foil a terrorist plot involving public bombings using high explosives. There's also a subplot involving one of the main operators, "Preacher", and his efforts to rekindle his troubled marriage. When his former professional life intersects with his family life, he must make a choice as to whether he can live without Tier 1, and the ability to protect his family.
The plot tries to differentiate from it's action movie inspired brethren (CoD), and you really get the sense that the guys at Danger Close have a deep respect for the Tier 1 operators. It's admirable, but it doesn't stop the story having problems. One thing about CoD campaigns is that you always know where you are, why you're there, and when in the timeline you're there. MoH:W doesn't achieve this, as the dates of each mission is set at various intervals in the past, and the destination of each mission is only ever mentioned once or twice. It makes the game seem like one big blur.
Adding to this is the lack of memorable or likable characters. No one has their own personality. They're all the typical sort of bro's that you might expect, and no one has any recognizable or relatable traits.
PRESENTATION
The most blatantly obvious thing about Warfighter is that the sound design is amazing. Guns sound like they pack a punch, while explosions and war-machines sound exactly as powerful as they should. Voice acting is rather bland on the other hand, but chances are you won't even hear any dialogue over the concerto of war as it is.
The graphics in engine are quite good, with lighting effects in particular something to be amazed with. Character animations are good, but the models themselves could use a bit of work. The landscapes are all fairly varied, with Flooded towns in the Phillippines contrasting with Terrorist inhabited caves in the Middle East.
Overall, the game looks pretty great, and it sounds fantastic. The cutscene graphics however are really impressive. The only problem is that certain characters fall pretty deep into the Uncanny Valley. The characters are so close to looking human, without looking perfectly human, that it looks a bit weird. Still impressive though.
GAMEPLAY
So we all know how FPS games work these days, right? You run from cover to cover, popping out to shoot enemies in some twisted version of whack-a-muslim, all the while following your invincible team-mates. MoH does little to differentiate from the formula, but when it does deviate, it really shines. For example, one mission requires you to chase down a sniper who has killed a contact that you were watching. This involves chasing him through the busy roads and back streets of Pakistan. It's a standout moment of the campaign, and to be honest, they're some of the best driving controls I've used in a First Person Game.
Other standouts include play metal gear solid in a car, as you try to avoid detection while escaping Dubai, chasing down a VIP on foot through OpFor bases as you dodge bullets and return fire, and hunting down a terrorist cell one by one like an American Military Batman.
Otherwise, the gameplay is pretty standard, and it works well enough. Guns are more modular, and the ability to switch between iron-sights and scope, full auto and semi-auto is nice. It gives a nice amount of freedom when approaching situations, but the fact that you can only approach from one direction kind of defeats the purpose.
Player characters have a nice sense of weight to them, as vaulting over cover and sprinting/sliding all feel and look natural, and adds a much needed sense of realism to it (if only to differentiate it from it's competition).
That said, MoH is very short, and most of the time, it follows the same pattern as every other modern war shooter today. When it strays from the path, it achieves moments of brilliance, but it doesn't do it often enough to make it worth playing the whole 5 hour campaign. Yeah. It's short.
REPLAYABILITY
MoH: Warfighter doesn't have a lot to keep people coming back for more. Yes, it's gameplay is solid enough to make me want to play it once or twice more, but at the end of the day, it only has multiplayer. And while it's a decent multiplayer suite (if you liked the last installment's, you'll enjoy this), it doesn't scratch the surface of what some other games are doing.
OVERVIEW
With a fairly weak and hard to follow story, unrelatable characters and a mostly by the books approach to gameplay, Medal of Honor doesn't do a lot to make me want to suggest it as a full price retail purchase. I mean, it does have its pros. The sound design is brilliant, the flexibility with most weapons is a welcome addition, and at certain points, the campaign becomes really amazing.
So if you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for Shooter Season 2012 to hit, then by all means, pick this up. It's not a bad game, but it misses some opportunities to claim the FPS throne. Mad shooter fans will get a kick out of this, but keep in mind my little niggling complaints.
Next week, HOLIDAY TIME! Hopefully, sometime over my break, I can get an AC3 review away. I hope to see you all reading again soon!
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