Medal of Honor Product Details

Released on 15/10/2010

• Medal of Honor due this October

  EA has announced a European release date for its new Medal of Honor game. The shooter will be hitting store shelves much earlier than expected, and you'll be able to pick it up on 15th October.

  That means it's going to be a good few months for FPS fans: last Friday, Activision announced that Black Ops, the latest instalment in its Call of Duty franchise, will be coming out on 9th November.

  The latest Medal of Honor game reboots the classic series, while shifting the timeline from the traditional Second World War setting and into modern day Afghanistan. Splitting the storyline between US Ranger units and a handful of Tier 1 operators - the military's elite of the elite - it promises a fascinating glimpse of a little-known aspect of modern conflict. If that's not enough to get you excited, there's always the little fact that the multiplayer is being handled by DICE, the team behind the Battlefield series.

  Of course, if you find yourself looking for conflict a little less Earth-bound this Autumn, there will always be Halo: Reach to cheer up any Xbox 360 owners too.

  Medal of Honor will be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

• Medal of Honor dev explains Taliban controversy

  Medal of Honor dev explains Taliban controversy

  The ability to play as the Taliban in Medal of Honor's multiplayer mode has been a bone of contention in recent weeks, with MPs attempting to ban the game and US military stores refusing to stock it, ultimately leading to a climbdown from the developer, who changed the name to 'Opfor' - a term used by the armed forces - so as not to offend.

  "[It's] more out of respect," explains Danger Close marketing director Craig Owens. "The objection was kind of from an older generation that doesn't understand games, that the soundbite was 'Play as the Taliban and kill US soldiers.'"

  The game's executive producer Greg Goodrich had earlier said the change was made in response to feedback provided by the families of serving soldiers. Speaking to Joystiq, Owens pointed out that among the half-million players who experienced the multiplayer beta there were no complaints whatsoever. Owens further suggested that the controversy had arisen through a misunderstanding. "[The] soundbite kinda caught wind and got taken out of context, really."

  Throughout development, Danger Close has insisted its focus has been on respecting those troops still on active service, and having played the campaign we can only agree that it succeeds on that level. You can find out for yourself when Medal of Honor launches on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this Friday.
  

• Medal of Honor deemed successful, sequel likely

  Medal of Honor deemed successful, sequel likely

  Despite all the controversy surrounding its release, and a handful of less-than-impressive review scores, EA's Medal of Honor has been a resounding success for the publisher, the company's CEO John Riccitiello has said.

  Speaking to investors yesterday, Riccitiello claimed the game "has exceeded our plan and expectations", adding that "consumer feedback has been strong". Most excitingly, he all but confirmed that a sequel was in the offing, continuing by saying "we've got a franchise now that we can successfully sequel in the future. I think it's the first step for this franchise back into the marketplace."

  It seems Riccitiello's confidence is well placed. To date, Medal of Honor has sold over 2 million copies worldwide - not bad for a game that's only been on sale for three weeks. It seems this is one series that has been successfully rebooted, and we can expect any sequel to continue the focus on contemporary conflict.

  Earlier this week, EA's Patrick Soderlund refused to confirm speculation that another developer was working on the next game in the franchise, though he did admit that Danger Close - who worked on the single-player portion of the game - was "absolutely working on something". We're looking forward to finding out exactly what that could be.
  

• Christmas Round-Up - 24th December 2010

  Was there ever any doubt that Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Black Ops would be this year's Christmas number one? Especially considering it's the sequel to last years Xmas best seller, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2...

  Well actually, for a few weeks, there was - because this year has seen the release of some real gaming crackers! Want to know which ones are the stars this Christmas? Here's the full top 10 - and not a turkey in sight...

   

  1. Call of Duty: Black Ops is an awe-inspiring package, featuring a single-player campaign packed with stunning set-pieces at every new corner. The intriguing plot masterfully strings together the globe trotting missions, each of which will blow you away. As if that wasn't enough it also features a refined multiplayer with unbeatable value.

   

  2. FIFA 11 is the definitive football video game experience. Just when we thought EA couldn't improve on FIFA 10 they introduce new nuanced animations and intricate touches of realism to a game that is already a visual marvel. The mechanics in FIFA 11 have received small tweaks that go a long way in providing added depth to the game, there are countless ways to score a goal and thanks to the introduction of playable goalkeepers, just as many ways to save a few.

   

  3. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a blisteringlyfast, endlessly fun, finely polished arcade racing game with no equal. Hot Pursuit has a racing model that feels weighty but still loose enough to provide that unique arcade feel. However, where it truly shines is in its online component. The Need for Speed Autolog is a fresh and effective take on online community that keeps racers coming back; hoping beat a few friends and perhaps make a few enemies.

   

  4. Just Dance 2 builds on the winning formula from the first game. The simple controls and fantastic selection of music make is easy for everyone to get involved, making it the social game of choice in households around the world this Christmas. Just Dance 2 comes packed with new gameplay modes such as duet mode, co-op and competitive play, making it the ideal Wii dance game.

   

  5. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is the definitive open-world action game, Ubisoft's third console Assassin's Creed game has enough new content to take out the competition this Christmas. Picking up moments after the events of AC2, Brotherhood sees you take control of Ezio once again, and features a huge variety of side-quests, an intuitive new combat mechanic, sublime platforming and a fantastic new multiplayer mode that is unlike any other game on the market.

   

  6. Gran Turismo 5 sees the return of Sony's legendary simulation racing series to the most powerful video game console on the market, and it doesn't disappoint. GT5 builds on the success of the series by sticking close to the tried and true formula. However, the amount of content in the latest game is through the roof. With over one thousand cars available to drive, dozens of racetracks, special events and online multiplayer Gran Turismo 5 is one of the most feature-packed racing games of the year.

   

  7. Donkey Kong Country Returns is not only a worthy successor to the classic Donkey Kong platforming franchise, but also one worthy of the Nintendo seal of quality. Donkey Kong Country Returns is overflowing with impressively creative and imaginative worlds that constantly provide new and inventive gameplay experiences that demand the kind of quick reflexes and platforming precision that are a trademark of Nintendo platformers. If you thought New Super Mario Bros. was fun, wait until you play this.

   

  8. Medal of Honor faced danger head on by attempting to break into a market dominated by Call of Duty, and manages to do a good job of carving out its own fanbase. The game has tight shooting mechanics, takes place in an unusual but interesting setting and features characters that have unique personalities. Medal of Honor delivers in the multiplayer department too, since it's developed by DICE, the guys behind Battlefield: Bad Company 2, it's not one you can afford to miss.

   

  9. Wii Fit Plus encourages players to maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. The game makes getting fit fun by providing a variety of exercises with set goals for the player to achieve using its innovative balance board. With over 15 new balance games, six new strength training and a number of yoga activities you'll not only get fit but you'll also have fun doing it.

   

  10. Professor Layton and the Lost Future is easily one of the best games in the popular puzzle series. It wastes no time in getting to the good bits and immediately throws a series of creative puzzles at the player. Make no mistake, this game will require you to get your brain into gear but that won't take much convincing since the puzzles are masterfully woven into an intriguing time-travelling adventure that you'll want to see to the end.

  Published: 24/12/2010

• Medal of Honor: Warfighter incoming in October

  Ready for another battle of the shooters? Following last years scuffle between Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3, EA has confirmed online rumours that a new entry in the Medal of Honor series will arrive this October, ready to go toe-to-toe with whatever Call of Duty game Treyarch is cooking up for Activision.

  Warfighter will be developed entirely by developer Danger Close, which put together the single player portion of 2010's series reboot, simply called Medal of Honor. Battlefield developers DICE supplied the multiplayer for that title, but will not be involved with Warfighter. The game will still use the same Frostbite 2 engine, however.

  In confirming the news, EA released an official piece of art, showing a special ops soldier in desert camouflage. The series began life as a Steven Spielberg produced World War 2 shooter, before being brought into modern day Afghanistan for the reboot. EA has yet to confirm any details about setting or story for this latest entry.

  Medal of Honor: Warfighter will be unleashed in October for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

• Co-op play and "hardcore" mode for Medal of Honor: Warfighter

  A few more fact-bullets have been fired from the Medal of Honor gun, hitting the news target bang in the chest.

  In an interview with the US Official Xbox Magazine, developer Danger Close has revealed that the game will feature co-op gameplay, though not whether that will mean a co-operative campaign or separate standalone missions in the style of Call of Duty's Spec Ops mode. It also described a one-hit-kill hardcore mode, for those who want maximum reality.

  Warfighter, presumably titled so as not to be confused with the pacifist game Warhugger, will continue to follow the exploits of Tier 1 operatives in a series of foreign engagements. Isabela City in the Philippines is the only location confirmed so far. Characters such as Preacher, Voodoo and Mother will all return.

  The game will be developed entirely on the DICE's Frostbite 2 engine, previously only used for the multiplayer portion of the 2010 game. This will apparently allow the single player story to include such environmental features as swaying chandeliers, splinters of wood and papers that scatter when you open fire on a desk, just in case there's a terrorist in the drawers.

  Medal of Honor: Warfighter is due this October for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

• Medal of Honor: Warfighter promises truly international multiplayer

  After attracting criticism for using Taliban forces as a multiplayer faction in the 2010 reboot of Medal of Honor, developer Danger Close has revealed that it plans to take a very different approach to online battling for Warfighter, the upcoming sequel.

  Rather than pitching two armies against each other, online play will take the form of a "who's hardest" contest between elite fighting forces from around the world. Britain's SAS, Australia's SASR, Germany's KSK and Poland's GROM units will all be available alongside the expected US troops.

  "We're doing this because, quite frankly, kids in Poland do not grow up dreaming of being Navy SEALs. They don't," explained executive producer Greg Goodrich at the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. "They imagine themselves as GROM commandos, so we're taking a page out of the FIFA playbook and giving gamers the chance to feel some national pride in an FPS. Play for the home team, wave that flag, battle with the best of the best online."

  "This is good guys versus good guys," he continued. "This is who would win in a fight - Batman or Superman. It's really, really cool and I can't wait for you guys to see it."

  Warfighter now also has a firm release date of October 23rd, when it arrives for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

• Rebooting The Classics: The '90s Games That Are Rocking 2012

  
  

  In our eco-friendly times, recycling is everything. But it's not just empty soup cans and milk cartons, as great ideas are increasingly being mulched down, rebuilt and turned into something cool. Hollywood, somewhat inevitably, is ahead on this curve, increasingly plucking its summer blockbusters from the TV shows, movies and even toys that we enjoyed in the past. Now the games industry is catching on, and publishers are rummaging in their cupboards for beloved franchises that are ready for a second chance.

  

  Everything Changes

  Syndicate, currently nestled in the top ten, is a prime example. First released in 1993 for the PC and Commodore Amiga, the original game was a cyberpunk strategy game in which you played as the head of a sinister international mega-corporation. Able to despatch (and then control) four-man squads of bionic agents to disrupt and destroy the competition - with little regard for public safety - the game was a subversive cult hit.

  Revived last week by The Darkness developer Starbreeze, the new Syndicate flips the perspective from top-down view to first-person shooter, and casts you instead as one of the elite agents, able to augment your attacks with an array of cybernetic abilities.

  

  Back For Good

  Not all reboots opt to switch the gameplay style so dramatically though. PC cult classic Jagged Alliance also began life with a birds-eye viewpoint in 1994, but when it was revived earlier this February it had retained the distinctive turn-based strategy top-down style. Once again released for PC, the new version - Jagged Alliance: Back in Action - stays close to the original template, but injects lots of modern ideas as you train mercenaries and wage war on evil dictators across a campaign that can last 70 hours.

  Have A Little Patience

  Then there are the retro classics that try to have it both ways. X-COM was yet another PC strategy game from 1994, when its B-movie tale of government agents battling alien invaders was a natural fit for a world besotted with TV hit The X-Files. The series eventually fizzled out, but will return not as one reboot, but two. 2013 will bring the now hyphen-less XCOM, which re-imagines the game as a 1950s-set first-person shooter, developed by some of the team behind BioShock 2.

  

  Before that radical re-do arrives, however, we'll get XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which stays true to the isometric 3D tactical gameplay of old but updates it with such 2012 flourishes as destructible scenery and advanced AI. Developed by Firaxis, the company behind the mighty Civilization series, it should be a real treat. Is this the future of video game reboots? One game for the purist fans, another for the modern blockbuster audience? That remains to be seen, but it's an interesting and commendable experiment.

  

  Relight My Fire

  Reboot fever isn't just restricted to cult strategy titles from the early 1990s, however. Take the Medal of Honor series, for example. The original was a sombre World War 2 shooter developed in 1999 in conjunction with Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Interactive. A new version, still developed by veterans of the same studio, now called Danger Close, hit the shelves in 2010, updating the action to modern Afghanistan but kept the same sense of duty to its real-life military subjects. It's also the first of the modern reboots to spawn its own sequel. Medal of Honor: Warfighter arrives this October.

  

  Rule The World

  The trend has even spread beyond the obvious avenues of the FPS genre. This year the decision was made to defrost the 2000 snowboarding game SSX, and the result is on the shelves now. There's not much scope to turn extreme winter sports into a first-person shooter, so instead we get a game that sticks to the style and tone of the beloved original, but beefs up the gameplay with cutting edge physics, oodles of online social features and over a decade of accumulated wisdom regarding how best to allow players to flip, grind and spin on virtual boards. It effortlessly straddles the joys of both old and new,

  Is this urge to revive and remix the past a healthy one? It would seem so. The games industry has a better track record than Hollywood of improving franchises as time goes on, and few would deny that there are some amazing games and ideas in the history books, waiting to be dusted off and given new relevance. Combining the comfort of the familiar with the thrill of today's technology, what's not to love? And which would you like to see come back?

  Published: 01/03/2012

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