You should para-"drop" some money for this game! (I'm so very sorry for that joke.)
As I stated in my Singularity review, sometimes a game doesn't need to revolutionize the genre for it to be really good. Airborne has no story, no characters, you've fired all the weapons before and you've killed these bad guys before. You do fight Italians in the first level however which is a nice change from the usual slaying of Germans. Still, I can't help but really enjoy this game whenever I play it no matter how derivative it may be.
As the title implies, you play as a paratrooper during the Second World War. The chief gimmick here is that at the start of every mission you'll be dropping into the combat zone, this means that you can land in the middle of enemy controlled territory and attempt your own blitzkrieg through enemy lines. Doing this is very risky however as you'll be cut off from your allies and resupply stations. Done successfully however, this is pure exhilaration. With Germans crying out for help , bullets whizzing all around and grenades blowing the whole area into a hell-hole, this game can get your blood flowing and mind focused on staying alive in the middle of a chaotic melee.
Each mission has a trio of objectives that needs to be completed and can be done so in any order you so choose with a larger objective opening up at the end of the level. They're the usual sort: destroy Flak 88's, collect intel, blow up fuel depots, assault down a bridge and the like. Tried and true to the core.
What's nice is that it's possible to upgrade one's weapons by slaying enemies and it's possible to link kills together for more xp gain. Slay enough Germans with the Springfield rifle and you'll unlock faster firing, wipe out a platoon of enemies with the MP40 and you'll get a 64 clip magazine and faster reloading effectively turning you into a minigun.
The AI is also really able to give a good fight with their squad level tactics. One will throw a grenade to pin the player down while the other AI opponents move up to shoot you as your run from the grenade. Tricky move but a smart one. Played on hard, the game is always a challenge and enjoyable because of the AI's crafty maneuvers.
While by no means a revolution in the shooter genre, Medal of Honor: Airborne is well worth one's time. If you're suffering from a drought of quality shooters than this game will sate that thirst.