Medal of Honor: Frontline
Posted April 2, 2003
Luckily I've never been on the battlefield. I've never really fired a gun, and I've certainly never been in the crosshairs of someone elses weapon. However, after playing my latest PS2 game Medal of Honor: Frontline (MOHF), I feel like I've been to hell and back.
Electronic Arts has re-created the WWII experience with such realism in this MOHF edition that it left me shell-shocked.
MOHF takes you on a 19-mission journey which includes sniping Nazi's off towers, sneaking into enemy territories, and using a barrage of weapons to annihilate the enemy. You travel through a wide variety of landscapes and battlefields in your quest to reach the uber-keiser and blow him away. Your character, Lt. James Patterson, is led through each mission with correspondence from the home base. Don't be fooled though, you are more or less on your own in your task of defeating the enemy and saving your troops...not to mention your own ass.
Gameplay:
The opening sequence puts you on a Higgins boat and thrusts you into the middle of the famed Normandy beach invasion. After bailing ship and swimming amidst sinking bodies while bullets whizz through the water, you surface and are now in the middle of the action.
This opening level sets the stage for just how difficult this game can be. All total there are 19 missions to complete in Frontline. In what I see as a twist from most first-person shooters, the mission objectives aren't simply to blast your way through the enemies and move on. Instead you are given tasks ranging from sniping down Nazis to retrieving papers to rescuing a hostage to going undercover and infiltrating a German party. Granted each mission does involve the use of heavy firepower, but then again, that's why we play the games.
Each mission affords you the luxury of stocking up on a variety of authentic WWII artillery. Along with my personal favorite the Springfield sniper rifle, other weapons include the M1 Garand rifle, a bazooka, a Thompson machine gun, steil grenades, and a silenced pistol. Unfortunately for our hero, the Nazis are packing very similar heat. The computer is very skilled in it's marksmanship, and even though you can sometimes slip by the enemy without being noticed, once you're spotted you are indeed facing a formidable opponent. They have the capability to duck and shoot, take cover behind buildings and even snipe you from towers. I often found myself wondering where bullet fire was coming from only to discover it was from a far-off tower. Also noteworthy is the sheer number of forces aligned against you. While you will occasionally have Allied troops flanking you, the number of Nazis is far greater, and they have the capability to swarm attack once you are spotted...so watch your back.
The controls themselves were very favorable in most situations. I found the default configuration to suit my style, but they do offer several differnt options should you choose to go a different route. The basic set-up has the right analog stick used to change the view and the left analog stick to move the character. Firing and reloading is done with R1 and R2, a feature I find favorable to this kind of game play. I'd much rather be mashing a long button then having to find the circle or triangle on the joystick while moving my viewfinder all over the place. Sniping is done using L1 to look and the directional keypad to zoom. Luckily most sniper instances have you hidden behind cover and with all the time you need to focus in on your target, so changing your hand position on the controller is not a problem. However, there are still some occasions where you need to snipe while either on the run or under heavy fire, and this system then becomes a nuisance. I also found that the sensitivity on the zoom wasn't to my liking as I would often have my crosshairs on the forehead of a Nazi only to have my stomach growl and it throw the whole process off.
Weapon cycling is done one at a time which can also lead to some problems when you need to switch from a silenced pistol straight to a bazooka, but this is only a minor flaw.
The gameplay itself is clearly the main reason to buy this game. Their is a definite linearity to all the missions you are accomplishing, and you truly feel as though you are striving for an ultimate goal. The lack of checkpoints or save-points along the mission did become a problem for some of the longer stages. Health rations and ammunition refills were plentiful throughout, but to up the level of difficulty these would usually be scarce when you needed them the most. Spending 40 minutes blowing away the Nazis only to fall just short of the level's end can be quite demoralizing. Luckily the game was captivating enough to motivate me to start from the top and do it all over again. The game was the ideal length overall as seen by the fact that I wasn't yet sick of playing all the levels, and yet when I reached the end I wanted more. It was a pleasant relief to discover that MOHF had very few cinematics, and when they appear, they are necessary. Another nifty feature was the ability to be in constant contact with base. At any time you could pause the action and have Headquarters remind you of what your next task was. You could also see how many tasks per mission you had remaining, which helped push you forward.
While a deathmatch or even 2-player "soldier teammates" option would have been a nice treat, the gameplay was overall satisfying.
Graphics:
Bob Ross was definitely not around to paint "happy little trees" in the background of the scenes of MOHF, but then again nothing was happy at this time in history. The backdrops are amazing though, with their obvious attention to detail and the realistic way in which most scenes are clouded by darkness, smoke, and destruction. In several stages the lush green of European countryside was blazenly presented, including the spinning windmills of the Dutch country and even the insertion of terrified townspeople left in the wake in the war-torn land. The insides of houses and buildings always had great attention to detail from the doorways all the way down to the silverware in the kitchen. Explosions were quite vivid and the accompanying controller vibration made it that much more realistic. Character depiction was very well done indeed with realistic movements and the noted absence of square-pegged hands (all digits were present and accounted for).
A notable problem that occurred more than once was the "phantom enemy" dillemma. On occasion you could shoot an enemy who is behind a door or wall, only to have that character recover from the first hit and now be trapped in a 4th dimenion inside the door or wall. Thankfully this usually meant that the enemy was no longer a threat to you, but it was a problem nonetheless. Another issue that arose was the occassional slowed frame rate. It took me back to my 8-bit NES days when the gameplay would slow down due to too much action on the screen.
The movies that ran in between stages were actual archived black and white WWII footage, and these came out very well.
Graphics were overall very solid and did justice to the time frame that this game depicts.
Audio:
Voices used for this game, both German and American, are dead ringers. The general that lays all the missions before you makes you think of the History channel every time you hear his voice. When the Germans are talking to one another, it puts you right there in the action.
The artillery sounds are incredible. Not only the release of bullets, but the impact have never sounded more authentic. Whether hitting an oil barrell or the kneecap of a Nazi, the sound effects let you know the effectiveness of your shots right away.
The menu music made me want to run out and get the latest Pure Moods CD, but regardless it was rather intoxicating. The soundtrack for the gameplay itself was always very appropriate. If on a mission of a covert nature the music played low and sly. If you were out to blast 'em all to hell, the music was right along with you, marching you through the motions. Dead-on voices, great background music, impeccable sound effects...what does 'Audio' start with? You guessed it, an "A".
Conclusion:
My favorite PS2 game.
If it can tempt me to go buy the PS1 installment, you know it must be good! Some of the levels are just truly incredible, none more so than the final stage which is a true melee of gunfire.
If you like sniping, there is plenty of that for you. If you like running haphazardly through a barrage of bullets, MOHF can give that to you. If you enjoy a good soundtrack, fascinating art backdrops, and challenge-laden missions, hop on board.
MOHF is by far the #1 first-person shooter on the market right now. Be a patriot. Be an American. Fight the good fight. Buy this game.
Electronic Arts has re-created the WWII experience with such realism in this MOHF edition that it left me shell-shocked.
MOHF takes you on a 19-mission journey which includes sniping Nazi's off towers, sneaking into enemy territories, and using a barrage of weapons to annihilate the enemy. You travel through a wide variety of landscapes and battlefields in your quest to reach the uber-keiser and blow him away. Your character, Lt. James Patterson, is led through each mission with correspondence from the home base. Don't be fooled though, you are more or less on your own in your task of defeating the enemy and saving your troops...not to mention your own ass.
Gameplay:
The opening sequence puts you on a Higgins boat and thrusts you into the middle of the famed Normandy beach invasion. After bailing ship and swimming amidst sinking bodies while bullets whizz through the water, you surface and are now in the middle of the action.
This opening level sets the stage for just how difficult this game can be. All total there are 19 missions to complete in Frontline. In what I see as a twist from most first-person shooters, the mission objectives aren't simply to blast your way through the enemies and move on. Instead you are given tasks ranging from sniping down Nazis to retrieving papers to rescuing a hostage to going undercover and infiltrating a German party. Granted each mission does involve the use of heavy firepower, but then again, that's why we play the games.
Each mission affords you the luxury of stocking up on a variety of authentic WWII artillery. Along with my personal favorite the Springfield sniper rifle, other weapons include the M1 Garand rifle, a bazooka, a Thompson machine gun, steil grenades, and a silenced pistol. Unfortunately for our hero, the Nazis are packing very similar heat. The computer is very skilled in it's marksmanship, and even though you can sometimes slip by the enemy without being noticed, once you're spotted you are indeed facing a formidable opponent. They have the capability to duck and shoot, take cover behind buildings and even snipe you from towers. I often found myself wondering where bullet fire was coming from only to discover it was from a far-off tower. Also noteworthy is the sheer number of forces aligned against you. While you will occasionally have Allied troops flanking you, the number of Nazis is far greater, and they have the capability to swarm attack once you are spotted...so watch your back.
The controls themselves were very favorable in most situations. I found the default configuration to suit my style, but they do offer several differnt options should you choose to go a different route. The basic set-up has the right analog stick used to change the view and the left analog stick to move the character. Firing and reloading is done with R1 and R2, a feature I find favorable to this kind of game play. I'd much rather be mashing a long button then having to find the circle or triangle on the joystick while moving my viewfinder all over the place. Sniping is done using L1 to look and the directional keypad to zoom. Luckily most sniper instances have you hidden behind cover and with all the time you need to focus in on your target, so changing your hand position on the controller is not a problem. However, there are still some occasions where you need to snipe while either on the run or under heavy fire, and this system then becomes a nuisance. I also found that the sensitivity on the zoom wasn't to my liking as I would often have my crosshairs on the forehead of a Nazi only to have my stomach growl and it throw the whole process off.
Weapon cycling is done one at a time which can also lead to some problems when you need to switch from a silenced pistol straight to a bazooka, but this is only a minor flaw.
The gameplay itself is clearly the main reason to buy this game. Their is a definite linearity to all the missions you are accomplishing, and you truly feel as though you are striving for an ultimate goal. The lack of checkpoints or save-points along the mission did become a problem for some of the longer stages. Health rations and ammunition refills were plentiful throughout, but to up the level of difficulty these would usually be scarce when you needed them the most. Spending 40 minutes blowing away the Nazis only to fall just short of the level's end can be quite demoralizing. Luckily the game was captivating enough to motivate me to start from the top and do it all over again. The game was the ideal length overall as seen by the fact that I wasn't yet sick of playing all the levels, and yet when I reached the end I wanted more. It was a pleasant relief to discover that MOHF had very few cinematics, and when they appear, they are necessary. Another nifty feature was the ability to be in constant contact with base. At any time you could pause the action and have Headquarters remind you of what your next task was. You could also see how many tasks per mission you had remaining, which helped push you forward.
While a deathmatch or even 2-player "soldier teammates" option would have been a nice treat, the gameplay was overall satisfying.
Graphics:
Bob Ross was definitely not around to paint "happy little trees" in the background of the scenes of MOHF, but then again nothing was happy at this time in history. The backdrops are amazing though, with their obvious attention to detail and the realistic way in which most scenes are clouded by darkness, smoke, and destruction. In several stages the lush green of European countryside was blazenly presented, including the spinning windmills of the Dutch country and even the insertion of terrified townspeople left in the wake in the war-torn land. The insides of houses and buildings always had great attention to detail from the doorways all the way down to the silverware in the kitchen. Explosions were quite vivid and the accompanying controller vibration made it that much more realistic. Character depiction was very well done indeed with realistic movements and the noted absence of square-pegged hands (all digits were present and accounted for).
A notable problem that occurred more than once was the "phantom enemy" dillemma. On occasion you could shoot an enemy who is behind a door or wall, only to have that character recover from the first hit and now be trapped in a 4th dimenion inside the door or wall. Thankfully this usually meant that the enemy was no longer a threat to you, but it was a problem nonetheless. Another issue that arose was the occassional slowed frame rate. It took me back to my 8-bit NES days when the gameplay would slow down due to too much action on the screen.
The movies that ran in between stages were actual archived black and white WWII footage, and these came out very well.
Graphics were overall very solid and did justice to the time frame that this game depicts.
Audio:
Voices used for this game, both German and American, are dead ringers. The general that lays all the missions before you makes you think of the History channel every time you hear his voice. When the Germans are talking to one another, it puts you right there in the action.
The artillery sounds are incredible. Not only the release of bullets, but the impact have never sounded more authentic. Whether hitting an oil barrell or the kneecap of a Nazi, the sound effects let you know the effectiveness of your shots right away.
The menu music made me want to run out and get the latest Pure Moods CD, but regardless it was rather intoxicating. The soundtrack for the gameplay itself was always very appropriate. If on a mission of a covert nature the music played low and sly. If you were out to blast 'em all to hell, the music was right along with you, marching you through the motions. Dead-on voices, great background music, impeccable sound effects...what does 'Audio' start with? You guessed it, an "A".
Conclusion:
My favorite PS2 game.
If it can tempt me to go buy the PS1 installment, you know it must be good! Some of the levels are just truly incredible, none more so than the final stage which is a true melee of gunfire.
If you like sniping, there is plenty of that for you. If you like running haphazardly through a barrage of bullets, MOHF can give that to you. If you enjoy a good soundtrack, fascinating art backdrops, and challenge-laden missions, hop on board.
MOHF is by far the #1 first-person shooter on the market right now. Be a patriot. Be an American. Fight the good fight. Buy this game.