Medal of Honor: Airborne

Written by Troy Matsumiya  on November 06, 2006

First Impressions: EA brings WWII death from above.

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Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is fondly regarded as one of the best shooters ever made. But the storied franchise fell on hard times thanks to stellar competitors like Battlefield 1942 and even Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. But the biggest blow came from the loss of the original development team, who went on to form Infinity Ward and create the outstanding Call of Duty series. Since then, Medal of Honor has struggled to regain the beloved luster it once had.

It's been a tough few years for fans, but things are really looking up. Based on what we've seen so far, the upcoming Medal of Honor: Airborne could very well give Call of Duty a serious run for its money thanks to its mix of next gen technology, newer open gameplay and that renowned non-stop action.

You will take to the skies for the first time in the franchise's history, playing as a member of the legendary 82nd Airborne division. While the story follows your two playable characters PFC Boyd Travers and Pathfinder Eddie LaPointe, it's really about the formative days of the Airborne as you take part in their major operations from the first ever Airborne drop in Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) to Avalanche, Neptune, Market Garden and Varsity, the final push into the heart of Germany.

You can forget the rigid linear level designs of the past because the maps will be open, free roaming and huge, measuring several square miles. And when EA means УopenФ, they really mean it, thanks to their unique Уstart anywhereФ philosophy that gives the player complete control over their gaming experience.

Each mission will start with an airdrop and it will be up to you to decide when to jump from the plane, where you want to land and which objectives you want to hit first. This means you can literally start anywhere on the map rather than from a fixed, pre-programmed entry point. Every area is playable, so there will be no walled-off sections or inaccessible buildings Ц basically if you can see it, you can go there. This created some daunting challenges for the developers since they had to make the maps big enough to give the player freedom of movement, yet not so big that there would be big empty spaces with long stretches of running to find something to do.

This also meant that enemy AI couldn't be scripted since where and when the player engages them will be unpredictable. This resulted in EA's new Affordance dynamic enemy AI that realistically reacts to the player's actions, follows real Nazi tactics and gives enemies realistic tactical values, meaning they will УvalueФ (or prefer) strategic positions like pillboxes, bunkers and high ground over something disadvantageous like a picket fence or low open ground. Fortunately, your NPC Allies have the same value system so they too will fight to grab the best cover, high ground and machinegun emplacements.

The Уstart anywhereФ concept adds a ton of realism since just like in the real war, things often did not go according to plan. In fact, anything can happen right from the start: your plane could be hit by enemy fighters; if you freeze at the door the jump master will literally boot your ass out of the plane; the sky will be filled with flak and turbulence; and another plane could slam into your fleshy dangling body. Ouch. Like Call of Duty, expect a hundred frantic things going on a once without end.

Your parachute will handle realistically, allowing you to pick your landing spot with pinpoint accuracy Ц assuming, of course, you can land properly. Your landings can be one of three types: the Greased landing is the preferred but most difficult method, as it will let you slide into a smooth landing while simultaneously cutting your chute and drawing your weapon. The Stuck landing is achieved by flaring (pulling your straps to slow your descent) at the last second for a soft landing, but you will have to cut your chute before you can draw your weapon. The Botched landing is pretty self-explanatory; you can fall backwards, sideways, smash into buildings, tumble off a roof and other painfully embarrassing things.

Where you land helps you determine how to tackle the various objectives. You can hop from rooftop to rooftop picking off enemies. You can clear out buildings. You can fight by yourself or side-by-side with Allied AI. It's entirely up to you and the enemy AI reacts according to your actions unshackled from the strict confines of scripted behavior. Cool!

Your primary objective can be achieved through a variety of means but attacking it right off the bat will be difficult since it will be swarming with enemies. But heck, if you want to go for it, you can land right in the middle of the primary objective if you like Ц just make sure your life insurance is paid up.

The smarter and more enjoyable choice would be to explore the map to find the many hidden Targets of Opportunity (TOO). TOOs are not marked on your map until you get close to one, at which time it will be activated and added to your logbook. Completing TOOs will unlock medals, Achievements and other goodies.

Your objectives vary depending on the pre-selected character you must play. As a Pathfinder, Eddie LaPointe will be dropped into the battlefield before anyone else and must designate drop zones for the main Airborne force and sabotage enemy defenses, so his missions will be stealthy. On the other hand, Boyd Travers will be responsible for taking out the evil Nazi horde and his missions will be the pure guns a'blazin' action we all know and love.

You will also be able to customize your weapons and pack just like the real troops did. In keeping with historical accuracy, the customization options will be realistic, allowing you to do things like modify your weapon grips, add compensators and slings, duct tape extra magazines together, and even file down your firing pins to increase your rate of fire. You can also modify your pack to increase your ammo load and add weapon slings and shoulder holsters to carry additional weapons.

Like Call of Duty, historical accuracy is extremely important to the MoH series. The weapons, uniforms, tactics and battles are kept as close to the real thing as possible. The developers even recorded a restored C-47 УGooney BirdФ, the modified DC-3 that was the Airborne's trusty workhorse, to capture the proper engine noise.

EA's licensing agreement with Jeep also highlights the importance the Willys-Overland company had in helping the Allies win the war. About 350,000 Jeeps were used in the war, and you will be able to drive this venerable vehicle in several missions with Allied AI at your side either driving or manning the mounted .30 caliber machinegun. The Jeeps will have area-specific damage, so enemies can blow out the tires, damage the engine, take out the suspension or blow off specific body panels like the hood. It will also be available in multiplayer so get ready for the original Warthog wars.

Speaking of which, not much has been said about multiplayer yet but expect the standard gamemodes and the incredibly fun action the series is known for.

Graphically, the game looks fantastic with true next gen quality; not surprising since it's rumored EA is using the Unreal 3 engine, so expect incredible detail, shadowing, explosions and particle effects. The game will also use EA's Уbest humanФ technology, which combines realistic animation and facial expressions to convey realistic emotions Ц and wow, it looks great.