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Medal of Honor: Airborne

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Critic Reviews 77% add missing review

HC.Gamer (91 out of 100)

Az Electronic Arts új második világháborús FPS-e tehát nem akar több lenni, mint ami valójában: egy pörgős akciójáték, mely a történelmi alapokon kívül gyakorlatilag minden realizmust nélkülöz, szigorúan a szórakoztatás kedvéért. A grafika tetszetős, a gépigény tűrhető, a játékmenet néhol kellemesen nehéz, de soha nem lehetetlen vagy túl könnyű - ideális őszi kikapcsolódás minden virtuális légidesszantos számára.

Oct 25th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Maximum PC (9 out of 10)

But now that my tour of duty is complete, I feel I could’ve done more. My six missions were challenging, but they flew by. Of course, I can always practice airdrops with other members of the Airborne in simulated war games, but the 12-person participant limit is a little disappointing. I know this is a terrible thing to say, but sometimes, I wish the war wasn’t over. Being a part of the Airborne has brought an exciting new dimension to combat, making me often wish I was back on the front lines.

Nov 30th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Gameplay (Benelux) (89 out of 100)

EA's nieuwe WOII Shooter landt aan een parachute in een wereld van open missies. Vernieuwend ĂŠn een aanrader voor FPS-fans!

Aug 28th, 2007 · Windows

Cheat Code Central (4.3 out of 5)

If you are a WWII game aficionado or if you're looking for an interesting new take on the FPS genre, Medal of Honor: Airborne is a great choice. The series has been truly moved into the next generation with a step up in visuals, sound quality, and wide-open level design. Thankfully, the gameplay will seem familiar and will be quickly mastered by anyone who's played the series before. Load up and move out to your nearest game store, pick yourself up a copy of MOH: Airborne, and get your thumbs ready while you wait for Halo 3.

Sep 2007 · Windows · read review

Giery.eu (34 out of 40)

Medal of Honor: Airborne jest bardzo dobrą grą trzymająca wysoki poziom, niestety, zbyt krótką. Siedem godzin zabawy w trybie dla jednego gracza za 140 złotych? Mnie to średnio pasuje. Fakt faktem, jest to bardzo dobra zabawa (jeśli tylko przymkniemy oko na historyczne nieścisłości i drobne błędy), która zapewne spodoba się większości wyjadaczy gatunku FPP.

Sep 24th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Worth Playing (8.5 out of 10)

Medal of Honor: Airborne is what one would expect of a cutting-edge World War II shooter. The title has great gameplay and presentation, but the issues that plague it — the sudden inclusion of out-of-place enemies and the woefully unbalanced multiplayer portion —tend to drag down the overall enjoyment level of an otherwise spectacular game. The enjoyable parts of the title ultimately do outweigh the questionable ones, and in spite of its flaws, Medal of Honor: Airborne is one of the more compelling shooters released in recent memory.

Oct 3rd, 2007 · Windows · read review

Play.tm (85 out of 100)

Still, the fact remains that this is the most enjoyable FPS narrative based WWII shooter I've played in years, and I loved Call of Duty. The multiplayer doesn't match up, but then Airborne isn't about that. It's about taking you through the experience of the parachute regiment, demonstrating the unbelievable odds stacked against them and allowing you to enjoy it all at the same time.

Sep 20th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Vgames (85 out of 100)

איירבורן הוא משחק חובה למי שאוהב את הז'אנר ורוצה עוד. אלמלא היו כל כך הרבה משחקים אחרים דומים לו, ואם משחקי מלחמת העולם השניה היו עדיין בשיא האופנה כמו לפני שנתיים, כנראה שהוא גם היה מקבל הרבה יותר כבוד. אם אתם חובבי פעולה, אתם לא תתאכזבו מהמשחק הזה - ואני באופן אישי חוזר לשחק בו עד שכל המדליות יהיו שלי.

Nov 11th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Game Chronicles (8.3 out of 10)

Medal of Honor: Airborne is not a ground breaking game but it does take a new look at World War II first person shooters. Dropping in and deciding where and what you want to do first adds to the overall carefree style of the game and begins that arduous trek toward freestyle gaming that is just a step around the corner.

Sep 28th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Gamigo (8.2 out of 10)

Mach’ es gut Medal of Honor! Es war eine schöne, wenn auch nicht immer sonderlich aufregende Zeit mit dir. Mit Airborne findest du nun hoffentlich endlich in den wohlverdienten Ruhestand und lässt uns in ein paar Jahren einigermaßen freudig in Erinnerung schweifen. Wer aber nun soll eigentlich Airborne kaufen? Im Grunde genommen nur absolute Hardcorefreaks, die wirklich jeden WWII-Shooter ihr eigen nennen müssen. Alle anderen haben viel zu viele Alternativen, teilweise sogar im Budgetbereich. Ein guter Titel reicht in diesem Genre nun mal leider nicht mehr aus. Um aufzufallen muss man wirklich herausragend sein. Und genau dies ist leider das Problem von Airborne. Es ist einfach nur „gut“. Nicht mehr, aber auch nicht weniger.

Sep 22nd, 2007 · Windows · read review

GamingHeaven / DriverHeaven (82 out of 100)

It's like this instalment of the franchise was designed by a focus group. Somewhere, a man in a suit flipped a wall-chart and said “OK, what do we want in a WWII game?” and other people in the meeting reeled off everything they like about games that had gone before. They came up with a mixed bag of RPG elements, free-roaming gameplay, balls-to-the-wall battles and objective-based MP modes. Somewhere else, people in t-shirts turned that list into a game, but ran out of time. Next time, give us the same polish, but a whole lot more game please!

Sep 12th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GameStar (Germany) (81 out of 100)

Trotz der tollen Musikuntermalung und der gelegentlichen Zwischensequenzen wirkt Airborne fßr mich wie ein Multiplayer-Shooter, der schick inszenierte Einzelspieler-Missionen als Bonus hat. Das liegt am offenen Leveldesign, dem wettkampfähnlichen Charakter ("Erledige fßnf Soldaten hintereinander fßr einen Erfahrungspunkte-Bonus!") und dem Gefßhl, ständig in einen anderen Fallschirmjäger zu springen. Das ist ja nicht schlecht (im Gegenteil!), aber da hätte sich EA die "Story" gleich sparen kÜnnen, denn die weckt bei Genreveteranen falsche Erwartungen.

Aug 29th, 2007 · Windows

PC Action (Germany) (81 out of 100)

Mann, so was verflucht Schönes hab ich noch nie gesehen. Ich schwöre: Beim ersten Blick wäre ich beinahe in Ohnmacht gefallen. Ja, meine neue Freundin ist der Hammer! Medal of Honor: Airborne gefällt mir allerdings auch. Ich bin eben etwas simpler gestrickt; mir macht Ballern auch mal ohne größeren Tiefgang Spaß. Das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis jedoch ... Call of Duty 2 war ja schon so kurz wie der Schniepel eines Italieners – aber sechs Stunden? Dreist!

Sep 2007 · Windows

Bit-Tech (8 out of 10)

Regardless, Airborne is still one of the best WWII FPS games we’ve played recently – and we play a lot of games. It may not be the best WWII game ever, but it’s very possibly toward the top of the list and the game definitely deserves to be in the library of every wargame addict, if not every FPS fan.

Sep 7th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GameZone (8 out of 10)

Though we have seen many games like this, the choice of dropping in at any location on the battleground is a nice change from the linear maps most are used to. The missions are short, but there is some replayability found by playing multiplayer games.

Sep 21st, 2007 · Windows · read review

ActionTrip (80 out of 100)

Nonetheless, despite some of its shortcomings, I still recommend MoH: Airborne to shooter fans. With a couple of patches that tweak the AI and collision detection, one should overlook the lack of more single-player content as the gameplay experience you'll get is rewarding enough to warrant a purchase.

Sep 10th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Level (8 out of 10)

Să nu vă închipuiți că veți avea nevoie de 15 ore pentru a trece prin aceste misiuni. Aș zice mai repede între cinci și opt ore de joc, în funcție de cât sunteți de eficienți. Doare că jocul este atât de scurt. Când să-ți intri în fine în mână, se termină.

Oct 2007 · Windows

PC Powerplay (80 out of 100)

Positiv: Electronic Arts hat aus den Fehlern des unterirdischen Vorgängers gelernt. Die Levels sind nicht mehr so extrem schlauchförmig wie bei Pacific Assault. Die großer spielerische Freiheit vermag ich allerdings nicht auszumachen. Gutes Beispiel: Ich stehe vor einer großen Brücke, die von bogenförmigen Metallstreben überzogen ist. Prima, denke ich, nehme ich einfach den Weg in schwindelerregende Höhen, um die Gegner auszudricksen. Doch Pustekuchen: An der Stelle, wo der Metallbogen den Asphalt trifft, verhindert (spielerisch sinnlos platzierter) Stacheldraht ein Weiterkommen. Trotz Entwicklerbevormundung ist Airborne solide Kriegsshooter-Kost ohne großartige Schwächen. Allein das Fallschirmspringen reicht aber nicht aus, dem müden Genre neue Impulse zu verleihen.

Aug 29th, 2007 · Windows

Thunderbolt Games (8 out of 10)

Despite my few complaints, Airborne is still an excellent game. From start to finish, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t stop playing. The Medal of Honor series was reborn with this entry. The series was definitely getting stale and though the developers tried to mix up the franchise with entries like Pacific Assault, the results simply weren’t as good as they are here. Airborne isn’t without fault, but ultimately it’s a blast to play and it feels really fresh, regardless of the familiar setting.

Jan 11th, 2008 · Windows · read review

IGN (7.9 out of 10)

Medal of Honor: Airborne, while not perfect, is definitely the best game in the franchise to come along in quite a while. It may be fairly short, but those hours are pretty much one non-stop battle with Nazi Germany throughout the various paratrooper campaigns from World War II. The levels are designed well and provide a few different environmental challenges that shooter fans should appreciate. The weapons feel and sound good as well and dropping into each level from the sky adds some interest and replayability through occasionally the feature seems more like a gimmick than something to change shooters for all time. The shiny coat of EA presentation covering all aspects of Airborne certainly help with the enjoyment, but there's not quite as much variety and interaction that we're becoming used to in top-tier shooters these days.

Sep 4th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Deaf Gamers (7.9 out of 10)

The wait for a new Medal of Honor game has been quite a long one and in the mean time we've had plenty of other World War II FPS games to keep us going. The game does offers some important differences from previous Medal of Honor games but there is also a strong sense of familiarity here too. World War II FPS games are ten a penny these days and any World War II FPS needs to offer something different to stand out. Medal of Honor: Airborne just about does this but I daresay that for some it sticks a little too close to the series’ previous conventions. That said, if you're a fan of the series then what's on offer in Medal of Honor: Airborne will satisfy.

2007 · Windows · read review

Gamesmania.de (79 out of 100)

Mögen die Weltkriegsshooter wie Call of Duty 3 auch noch so klasse sein, das WKII-Setting mag ich inzwischen einfach nicht mehr sehen. Besonders dann nicht, wenn die Entwickler nicht mal ansatzweise versuchen, sich eine spannende Story rund um die Schlachten auszudenken. So bleibt auch Medal of Honor: Airborne ein spielerisch sehr ordentlicher Shooter, der Genrefans gefallen wird, aber letztlich nichts großartig anders macht als die Vorgänger. Die Fallschirmsprünge sind zwar eine nette Idee, wirken aber zusammen mit dem Speichersystem (neuer Absprung nach dem Ableben des Helden, erreichte Ziele bleiben aber erhalten) noch etwas unausgegoren. In den Bereichen Präsentation und Spannung reicht Airborne jedenfalls nicht an Call of Duty 3 heran. Die ultrakurze Spielzeit dürfte außerdem viele interessierte Zocker, die des Settings noch nicht überdrüssig sind, zu Recht abschrecken.

Sep 18th, 2007 · Windows · read review

PC Games (Germany) (77 out of 100)

Eine gewöhnliche Mission folgt der nächsten. Von Überraschung bleibt bis auf den dramatisch aufgezogenen Absprung aus dem Flieger nichts spürbar. Obwohl sich Airborne feige ans Vertraute klammert, bedeutet das keinen wertungstechnischen Tiefflug. Tatsächlich wird man ungefähr sechs Stunden ordentlich unterhalten, wobei Sie das wörtlich verstehen dürfen. Statt die Grausamkeit des Krieges herauszustellen, trägt der Shooter parodistische Züge: Die Marotten der „Nazi-Wehrmacht“ erscheinen so lächerlich überzeichnet, dass jeglicher Ernst als rosa Wölkchen verpufft.

Sep 14th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GamesFire (76 out of 100)

Medal of Honor: Airborne macht Spaß, auch wenn dieser nur von kurzer Dauer ist. Der Umfang stimmt leider nicht ganz und auch die Technik hinkt ein klein wenig der Zeit hinterher. Die Steuerung und der Sound schenken sich hingegen nichts und sorgen für eine gute Atmosphäre. Wer auf Ego-Shooter und das Weltkriegs-Szenario steht, der wird mit Medal of Honor: Airborne bestimmt einige Stunden Spaß haben - vor allem im Mehrspieler-Modus. Alle anderen sollten lieber einen Blick in die Demo wagen und dann für sich selbst entscheiden, ob der Preis für diesen Umfang gerechtfertigt ist.

Sep 28th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Gameguru Mania (74 out of 100)

Overall, Medal of Honor: Airborne is a game that rewards those who are patient enough to stick with it. Due to the length of the game though, I'd have to say I recommend waiting for the price to drop. Right now, I would rather spend my $50 on The Orange Box and get Half-Life 2 episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. That is going to be a great deal.

Oct 15th, 2007 · Windows · read review

4Players.de (73 out of 100)

Die Sprungidee ist frisch und toll, aber der Rest folgt dem Handbuch für WW2-Shooter wortgenau. Das ist natürlich per se nicht schlecht, aber: Schon wieder die Thompson, die genau so rattert wie in den letzten 20 Spielen. Schon wieder eine Farbpalette, die sich hauptsächlich auf Grau und Braun beschränkt. Schon wieder die hohlen Gegner, die hauptsächlich in der Masse gefährlich werden. Schon wieder die teils wundervoll gestalteten Levels, in denen ich nicht mal einen Backstein bewegen kann. Schon wieder die kurze Spielzeit, die mir zwischen Startbildschirm und Abspann gerade Mal Zeit für eine krosse Pizza lässt. Okay, die zweite Spielhälfte zieht in Sachen Inszenierung und Dramatik erheblich an - das Problem ist nur, dass davor die reichlich durchschnittliche erste Hälfte liegt. Airborne macht grundsätzlich nichts falsch, es liefert solide Shooter-Unterhaltung, die gerade im Vergleich zu Ausschuss wie Hour of Victory zeigt, wie viel Spaß das Genre immer noch liefern kann.

Sep 13th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Gamer 2.0 (7.1 out of 10)

So although it may not be worth a purchase, it’s worth playing around with, if only for a while. The campaign won’t last you too long, and online play gives it no staying power. Airborne isn’t bad to the point where EA just needs to give up on the series, but something needs to be done. Maybe a leap to modern days may serve the series well, or it could blow up in its face as it tries to emulate Call of Duty 4. Either way, check it out if you have the time, but don’t expect too much from Medal of Honor: Airborne.

Sep 15th, 2007 · Windows · read review

UOL Jogos ( )

"Medal of Honor: Airborne" adiciona algumas novidades à sÊrie, como os saltos livres de påra-quedas e armas aperfeiçoåveis. Contudo, não representa uma grande evolução pois a ação continua essencialmente a mesma. O modo multiplayer, que prometia ser um dos grandes atrativos, Ê um tanto ralo. O capricho no visual, mecânica e som, no entanto, Ê o que faz de "Airborne" um dos mais prazerosos e divertidos jogos do momento.

Sep 17th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Avid Gamer (7 out of 10)

While the game has multiplayer, its pretty lacking in depth when you consider some other titles on the market now, or ones that are approaching release. So don’t expect it to keep you entertained hours into the night. Airborne may not be the redesigned FPS experience that the airborne element first promised, but it’s still a solid gaming experience (if a tad short) which looks great and most of the time plays great.

Sep 8th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GameSpot (7 out of 10)

Medal of Honor: Airborne is a game that rewards those who are patient enough to stick with it. The first half of the game is dull and just rehashes the same sort of gameplay you've seen countless times before. But about halfway through, things pick up and gradually get better and better until the last two levels, which are quite intense and a lot of fun to play. The multiplayer isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's quite good and adds some value to an otherwise short game. If you're tired of the genre, Airborne won't do anything to change your mind, but if you're looking to fight for the Allied cause yet again, it's a worthy tour of duty.

Sep 4th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Hooked Gamers (7 out of 10)

Overall Medal of Honor: Airborne is a decent game, and worth paying full amount if you're a big fan of the MoH series, or just WW2 shooters in general, or really love the online play. But if you're just looking for something new to play, I'd suggest waiting a while for it to come down in price, which it surely will with such a short life as it has.

Oct 17th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Video Game Talk ( )

Medal of Honor: Airborne is a solid release, but it’s far from an exceptional title. The tired exposition, short single player campaign, and limited multiplayer options keep Medal of Honor from excelling past other titles in the genre. Having grown up with Medal of Honor games on the original Playsation, I’m saddened to see how lackluster the series has become. Still, it’s worth picking up once the MSRP falls to the $30 range.

Oct 27th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GameSpy ( )

What this all adds up to for Airborne is a game that had a lot more potential than I thought it would: there are a number of cues current FPS developers could -- and should -- take from the game's free-range level design. But lousy AI balancing and assorted cheap tricks constantly remind you that it's never quite a fair fight; the designers are always lurking behind the scenes, ready to pull the rug out from under you at any time. In a holiday season about to be packed with high-profile shooters, Airborne does okay, but never quite gets off the ground as far as it should.

Sep 14th, 2007 · Windows · read review

GameSpot (Belgium/Netherlands) (70 out of 100)

Medal of Honor Airborne is een spel dat de speler die doorbijt, beloont. De eerste helft van het spel is een beetje saai en lijkt een remix van de verschillende MOH-games te zijn die je ongetwijfeld al eens geprobeerd hebt. Halverwege pikt het speltempo op en wordt het langzaam beter tot de laatste levels, die redelijk intens zijn en prettig om te spelen. Het meerspelerspel is niet echt schokkend, maar het is goed ontworpen en voegt waarde toe aan een vrij kort spel. Als je het thema van Wereldoorlog II beu bent, zal dit spel je er niet opnieuw warm voor maken, maar als je zinnens bent de nazi's nog eens een bolwassing te geven, aarzel dan vooral niet.

Sep 5th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Computer Bild Spiele (2.51 out of 6)

Die Idee, den Kampfschauplatz per Fallschirm zu erreichen, ist zu Beginn recht spannend. Aber am Boden läuft das Spiel ab wie jeder x-beliebige Weltkriegs-Shooter. Gegner und eigene Kameraden verhalten sich - wie schon erwöhnt - oft recht dämlich und stehen einfach nur so in der Gegend herum, während rechts und links die Kugeln einschlagen. Die Grafik ist zwar ordentlich und detailreich, eine optische Offenbarung dürfen Sie aber nicht erwarten. Und: Die Thematik ist einfach ausgelutscht, Ihnen stehen kaum Überraschungen bevor. Landen und ballern was das Zeug hält - das wird schnell langweilig und ist auf Dauer gerade noch "befriedigend".

Oct 3rd, 2007 · Windows

YouGamers (69 out of 100)

Medal of Honor: Airborne shows how important it is to follow the same ideology throughout the design of a game. Mixing genres like the game does isn't going to win a lot of fans. The nightmare/horror sequence in the last mission fits the rest of the game's tone like a sock on a rooster.

Sep 17th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Jeuxvideo.com (13 out of 20)

Enfin, difficile Êgalement de faire l'impasse sur la durÊe de vie du titre. Même si certains passages peuvent se montrer plus ardus, le jeu reste globalement assez facile, avec des niveaux blindÊs de mÊdikits et des chutes qui n'affectent en rien votre santÊ, on traverse donc les missions assez vite. Or, des missions, on n'en compte que 6 et il faut entre 1 heure et et 1h30 pour les terminer. Ce qui nous donne une durÊe de vie d'à peine plus de 6 heures. C'est particulièrement court et c'est d'autant plus agaçant que le jeu est loin d'être donnÊ, puisque sur PC, il atteint les 60 euros chez certains revendeurs, ce qui reste, heureusement, très rare. Bien sÝr, le mode multi pourra prolonger l'expÊrience mais quand on s'offre un titre historique, on est en droit d'attendre une campagne solo plus consistante.

Sep 12th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Factornews (6 out of 10)

Sans être le shoot de l'annÊe, Medal of Honor : Airborne reste une bonne surprise. Même si le jeu n'est pas très original une fois la phase de parachutage passÊe, on passe un bon moment en flinguant du nazi par centaines, l'enrobage graphique aidant bien à l'immersion. Mais l'expÊrience se termine beaucoup trop vite pour qu'on puisse vous conseiller de vous jeter dessus au prix fort, surtout avec les mastodontes qui vont sortir dans peu de temps. En attendant de voir ce que le jeu donne en multi, on regrettera enfin l'absence de mode coop.

Sep 12th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Super Play (Sweden) (6 out of 10)

Medal of Honor: Airborne är en kokande actionhistoria om än knappast den regelboksrevolt som den igentorkade genren skriker efter.

Sep 2007 · Windows

Gamekult (6 out of 10)

Ouvrant son gameplay et ses niveaux à plus de libertÊ, Medal of Honor : Airborne fait place à une action souvent trÊpidante et accrocheuse. Forte de graphismes sÊrieusement amÊliorÊs (et pour cause...), la sÊrie de EA avait de quoi redorer franchement son blason. Malheureusement, avec ses soldats ennemis benêts à l'origine de situations tantôt cocasses tantôt sÊrieusement crispantes, Airborne montre aussi ses limites et son manque de flexibilitÊ par rapport aux rÊactions du joueur. On s'Êtonnera aussi de la durÊe de vie du jeu qui se rÊvèle faiblarde pour le genre, et pourra laisser certains joueurs sur leur faim. Six heures après avoir commencÊ, on assiste dÊjà au gÊnÊrique final, avec dans la tête des souvenirs inÊgaux et dans la bouche un amer goÝt de trop peu. Dommage, car EA Êtait vraiment sur une bonne piste.

Sep 17th, 2007 · Windows · read review

Player Reviews

It’s not fun to shoot Nazis anymore.
by St. Martyne (3648)

The Good
However, I should confess that for me the last time it was fun, was in Wolf 3D, back in 1993. Since those times the number of quasi-realistic WWII shooters grew in exponential proportion. Each one bringing new meaning to the words: clichĂŠ, copy/paste and ultimate boredom.

So, where does the new Electronic Arts offering in the long-run Medal Of Honor series fit in? Prior to its release in September, 2007, it was marketed as the title which will reboot the series by pumping into its heart fresh ideas and unusual approach. The core feature of the upcoming title was stated to be the non-linear level design.

That was a good move. Since the biggest criticism MoH series received in press, it’s that the whole experience was completely linear with player not being allowed to move a step to the left or right. Only forward, killing hordes Nazis conjuring out of thin air by smart triggers.

This time it’s different. Being an airborne trooper, player is free to overview the whole level and choose an appropriate landing site. That should have left every part of the map open for the initial starting point. The possibilities that became open for the player are mind-boggling. How about dropping in the heart of the enemy, quickly ducking behind the nearby crate and methodically assaulting a dozen of enemies in 10 meters before you? Or landing on the building roof with a sniper rifle? Or setting foot on the water tower? Or flying in the window? Or, maybe…

Well, the fact is that the system works. Not in the way you’re expected, though. There are stills areas that are off limits for you when you’re guiding your parachute down. And given a short drop (40 seconds) and a horrible control scheme it really doesn’t matter that much when you’ve landed.

The gameplay of the game, however, remained unchanged. That will of course please some people, who are looking for an evening of relaxation, shooting Germans and Italians wearing Nazi uniform and feel good about it. I admit that I also had a bit of that guilty pleasure while playing MoH series and its twin brothers, members of Call Of Duty series. The soothing quality of Nazi soldaten jerking in pain after your astounding shot always was the key reason for the high demand on WWII themed games. People fear, people buy. I too fear Nazis, I am happy that I wasn’t alive in 1942 during the Nazi’s occupation of my hometown. And I am glad that now, each year, I have the opportunity to shoot the bastards to hell in the complete safety of my computer room.

Unfortunately, Electronic Arts Los Angeles (the developer of MoH:A) hardly has anything to do with helping me with my psychological problems.

To be done with the Good section, just imagine what a generic AAA class title is, which was developed with enough money to buy a small town in Africa. High-quality motion-capture, realistic booming sounds, pompous orchestrated music with nearly a thousand musicians playing at the same time and grand explosions witnessed from the cinematic angles. If you fancy all that, you’ll get a pretty clear idea of what the positive side of MoH:A essentially is.

And now brace yourself, ‘cause we entering…

The Bad
First and foremost, the game is boring. Yep. No amount of the false innovations (the novelty wears off after a half an hour into the game) will be able to change the fact that rushing through the generic levels (some village, some bunker, some town, you name it) kicking the Nazis butt for 8 hours will become deviously tiresome after the first one. WWII themed games are not suited for a fast-paced action. Period. Check the Hidden & Dangerous series or Operation Flashpoint to see what I mean.

They don’t send legions of evil demons… er… Nazis your way, but make your carefully think about what is that you’re doing if you’re going to survive that war hell. The war is about survival, not about being a Rambo.

The simple human war drama could’ve improved things a lot. If EALA has taken a bit more from Saving Private Ryan movie, which style it’s desperately trying to mimc for a fifth time straight, I would’ve loved it. But as it is, even Company Of Heroes, which is a strategy game, has more tear-inducing moments than this. I don’t even remember what the main protagonist name is, and I’m writing this an hour since completing the game.

The war is pain and suffering. It’s not fun.

Next. Visuals. Bleak and uninspiring. As I mentioned before, Steven Spielberg movie’s color scheme of dark shades of grey and brown remains the working palette for MoH:A as well. In the movie it underlined the despair and lifeless image of war. In MoH:A it underlines the grayness and lack of creative thinking in the minds of art directors behind the title. Even Unreal Engine 3 added to the game as an afterthought is not enough to bring this game to its graphical senses.

So, while technically on the frontline, the art direction the game takes is right from the 1999 when the original Medal Of Honor was released. If you do want some style in a realistic war-themed shooter, play Vietcong.

I could’ve talk more and more about how gameplay system is limited, how stupid the AI remained, how unresponsive the controls are, how videogamish all those kits with red crosses on them look, how American developer once again prefers to forget who has actually contributed the most to the victory of 1945. I could, but I won’t, since all that could’ve been forgiven this game, have it been not so shallow and inexpressibly stupid.

The Bottom Line
If you think of video games as of nothing more than a way to relieve your stress and pet your ego, than go ahead and buy Airborne. It’s more of the same stuff you came to appreciate in the series with a cool parachute thingy twist. There will be enough Nazis to keep you busy for a week, granted you play it only at evenings. The next generation graphics, and full surround audio support never hurt any game either.

But, if you’re looking for intelligent gameplay, unexpected stylistic and artistic decisions and appealing war drama, you won’t find any of that in MoH:A. Why? ‘Cause it’s not the way the WWII games are meant to be played in 2007. That’s what the guys at EA think.

What do you think?

Sep 22nd, 2007 · Windows

Throw me out without a Parachute
by Thekwane Black (34)

The Good
It is difficult to find anything likable about this game especially if you are so utterly disappointed.

Maybe we can talk about the good surround sounds and the fact you control your descent when parachuting into the game. Yes you can run around in a"non linear" manner, however the difference is that you just get the choice to choose which sub-mission you want to do.

The only interesting and "unrealistic" part is the ability automatically upgrade your weapons with the more Nazis you blow away. I think this is supposed to keep you interested in replaying the game over and over again....

The Bad
Everything is just bad. So much emphasis is put on parachuting in, which takes like a few seconds in the game. So what if you land on your enemies, near your enemies or far from them.

The Unreal engine 3 is inappropriate for this genre of game, the game reminds me of unreal tournament but with Germans, Italians and Americans running around shooting each other up. With first aid boxes and ammo lying around

I got bored playing the game just 10 minutes into it. The targeting methods and controls are irritating and the little red cross when firing on opponents is like being in an arcade game.

If you die during the round you parachute back in again and all your enemies are back where they were before.

I founds Pacific Assault way more enjoyable where at least the AI of the Japanese was intelligent and they would advance and retreat in localized movements in an otherwise linear game. In this game the fighting is so boring that you literally want to run forward to get to your goal with minimal combat effort.

In short EA Bring Back the Linear type game or invent a game like Stalker or Far Cry 2 with its true "Non Linear" Characteristics

The Bottom Line
If you have all the previous medal of honors games then buy this one as a collectors item, don't play it, just put it on the shelf. If not then don't waste your money on this game, rather buy Brother in Arms or the Call of Duty Series

Jan 27th, 2009 · Windows

Plus 34 player ratings without reviews

Contributors to this Entry

Critic reviews added by COBRA-COBRETTI, Wizo, Tim Janssen, Jeanne, Sciere, Cantillon, Solid Flamingo, jaXen, Patrick Bregger, RhYnoECfnW, Giu's Brain, Xoleras, chirinea, Evil Ryu, vicrabb, CalaisianMindthief, Alsy, Parf.