Xbox

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

I'm surprised more people aren't playing this online. No, the game doesn't look as good as a SOCOM II, but the gameplay I think is pretty solid, and it's got some really good online play to it. The storyline is authentic, and draws you in. It's an all around solid effort by EA Games, and another game I will be playing online for a while.

While not making quite the same impact as Frontline, Rising Sun has its small share of thrilling moments that makes this a somewhat average installment of the Medal of Honor series. The game does, though, magnificently capture the essence of the era but it also accurately recreates war’s most brutal moments. However, even the game’s wonderfully intense story can’t hide the fact that this game seems to lead you by the hand and doesn’t offer options to keep the action fresh. Still, if it’s historical accuracy and plenty of action you crave, Rising Sun will not disappoint.

I always look forward to the new Medal of Honor, and not just because the series is one of the true blue-chippers on the FPS market. The thing that separates MOH from the pack for me is the fact that I always feel like I’m getting a little taste of what it must have been like to live through the events of World War II. In many ways, the franchise’s story and heavily researched historical elements have been more of a draw for me than gameplay.

Was nützt einem die imposanteste Soundkulisse und der größte Aufwand bei der Vorbereitung des Titels, wenn es an grundlegenden Dingen wie der Gegner-KI oder der Grafik hapert? So wird das Spiel den hohen Erwartungen schlichtweg nicht gerecht und lässt viele Fragen offen. Warum sind meine Mitstreiter doof wie Brot und rennen ohne Not in meine Schusslinie? Warum fallen manche Gegner nach einem Treffer aus der Pistole um, während andere vier Kugeln aus einem Scharfschützengewehr schlucken? Warum erreicht die streckenweise derb ruckelnde Grafik nie Xbox-Niveau? Warum bietet das Leveldesign nach dem grandiosen Startlevel nur noch Standardkost? Warum ist die Gegner-KI so erschreckend niedrig? Bleibt zu hoffen, dass sich die Entwickler beim nächsten Medal of Honor mehr Mühe geben. Dann klappt´s auch mit der Hit-Medaille.

Like a good Saturday afternoon movie, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun provides a good amount of kicks and thrills for a quick gaming session. It has some interesting story elements ripped straight from the history books and makes history live on in a first-person shooter. While a lot of work has been done to make this an accurate experience that feels and sounds right, the gameplay itself lacks the upgrade that it needs.

What's really a shame about Medal of Honor Rising Sun is that a few more months of development could have polished it into a game truly worthy of previous entries in the series. The basic framework of a Medal of Honor game is evident here, but Rising Sun's fundamental components just aren't as well-oiled as those of its predecessors. Most of the less-essential parts of the game, such as the rousing score and informative supplemental materials, are consistent with the high quality we've come to expect from the Medal of Honor name. Sadly, that contrast makes the failures of the core gameplay that much more disappointing. Diehard fans may be able to overlook the mechanical flaws in order to appreciate the game's refreshing change of venue and rich historical context, but taken purely as a shooter, Medal of Honor Rising Sun is simply not where it should be.

On attendait une surprise de Soleil Levant, c'est le cas, même si ce n'est pas la bonne. Si le titre a des qualités indéniables en termes d'ambiance comme cela est toujours le cas, et qu'il faut avouer que le niveau d'intro est une pure merveille, il est difficile de lui pardonner ses lacunes de maniabilité. Il cumule les pires tares qu'un FPS puisse avoir à ce niveau : imprécision, lourdeur, mauvaise gestion des impacts. Il y a visiblement quelqu'un qui croit possible de vendre plein de jeux juste en écrivant Medal Of Honor dessus. Donnez-lui tort s'il vous plaît. Peut-être que ça les réveillera pour la suite. En attendant, on gardera cet opus nippon pour les grands fans de la série, ou pour ceux prêts à payer pour l'incroyable attaque de Pearl Harbor.

True-blue Medal of Honor fans will still enjoy Rising Sun's cinematic style, respectful and historically accurate atmosphere, and heavily arcade feel. But for many, the game will feel too familiar in a fast-food way, lacking that old Medal of Honor magic. Here's hoping that next year's operation, a sequel to Rising Sun, will muster a return to glory.

This game seems more tuned to be a demo. Give players the Pearl Harbor experience to lure them into buying the full game. It would work as a business strategy, but consumers won't be happy after blowing $50 when the demo gave them what they needed. With the competition it faces now, this series needs a complete overhaul before it ever stands another chance.

But in the end, war is still hell. There's too much confusion on this battlefield to keep me from returning. Something about this war is driving guys on both sides insane. Oh well, time for me to get back to my reports. Besides, the Rising Sun is getting in my eye.

Although another four or five months of development time would have yielded a single-player experience that takes more than a day to complete, and could have tweaked the shockingly retarded enemy AI, the fact still remains that this graphics engine just isn't cutting-edge, nor cutting it any more. Extra grainy footage or not, and lame returns to the campaign to dig up cheat codes aside, this Medal of Honor experience is just good enough to romp through on a rental, should please fans of the series, but this is certainly not enough to justify a purchase.

I don't mind linear gameplay too much – sometimes I just like to be led by the hand and blast away without having to think too much. But Rising Sun just grates – it feels like a cash in. In fact, it feels like a poor third party mod or a mission disk – not a game you are expected to part with 40 quid to play. At £20, it would be tempting, as a full price game, it just doesn't cut the mustard.