Medal of Honor: European Assault

User Rating: 9 | Medal of Honor: European Assault PS2
For years, the Medal of Honor series was the only game in town when it came to WWII first-person shooters. When the first game landed on the PlayStation in November of 1999, it was lauded as a gritty, immersive experience that brought the brutal realism of war into people's homes for the very first time. Over the years, we saw several sequels, some of which were good (Frontline) and some that weren't (Rising Sun). We also saw the rise of a number of titles that wanted to wrest control of the burgeoning genre from the franchise, with Activision's excellent Call of Duty leading the pack. Some people were convinced that the series was running out of ammo, but after playing Medal of Honor European Assault, it's clear that the franchise still has plenty of bullets left in its clip.

You play the game as William Holt, an American serviceman that is on loan to Britain's Office of Strategic Services, an intelligence agency that was a precursor to our own Central Intelligence Agency. The OSS conducted dozens of daring, clandestine raids on the German war machine in both the European and North African theaters, helping to turn the tides in the Allies' favor. The men did everything they could to slow down the German advance, from sabotaging their supply lines to staging direct attacks on their forward positions.

The biggest change to the series is evident from the beginning, as you're shown a list of objectives that can be unlocked as you make your way through the levels. Every stage has a primary objective that must be completed to move on, but everything else on the list is optional. Some of the goals aren't even defined, which forces you to explore the level to find out what's expected of you. These secondary objectives run the gamut from finding secret documents to taking out a high ranking German officer. Once you've gotten close to the objective, you'll receive a radio transmission giving you your orders, and the location of interest will appear on your radar.

This objective-based system rewards the player for exploring the levels, and you'll quickly notice that the areas aren't nearly as linear as they were in past games. Now, you'll have several different paths to choose from, allowing you more choices as to how you make your way through the level. This is like a breath of fresh air for the series, as the whole "walk down path, shoot enemies, repeat" style of gameplay was as stale as week-old bread. Now, you'll have to pay more attention to your surroundings, as the enemy can take different routes to get the jump on you from behind or from the sides, rather than simply coming at you head-on.

Since you (and the enemy) now have more options, it's no surprise that the development team has instituted a new AI system this time around. The enemy AI is more aggressive than ever, and they'll fire on your position every time you poke your head out, as well as perform basic flanking maneuvers whenever they can. Of course, they aren't perfect, and there are plenty of instances where they'll pop their heads out of the same spot over and over again, just waiting for you to put a bullet in it. Your squadmate AI is better, too, and the developers decided to include a very basic command system for placing them in the position you want. Unfortunately, it feels like it was just thrown in at the last minute, and you'll usually be better off just letting them do what they please.

The one major area where European Assault fails to deliver is on the multiplayer side of things. While there are plenty of cool gametypes, from old standards like Deathmatch to some interesting objective-based games, the only way you can play with friends is on a single TV. There's no online action or system link play for any of the console, something that's practically unheard of in this day and age. It's a shame, really, as there are enough gametypes and customizable options to keep players entertained for a while. Who knows why EA decided to focus more on the single-player mode, but hopefully we'll see a greater emphasis on multiplayer in the future.

European Assault represents the high point for the series in terms of graphics (not counting the PC titles, that is), as it features some nice environmental textures and impressive looking character models. I was particularly surprised at the quality of the speaking animations. The speaker's face moves realistically, and the synching appears to be spot on. The character animations aren't always perfect, as you'll see soldiers sliding along the ground rather than running, and there are some framerate issues that pop up from time to time. In an attempt to make the proceedings more realistic, the developers took the time to make sure there are plenty of little details strewn throughout the game.

The Medal of Honor series has always been known for its top-notch sound design, and European Assault continues that tradition in a big way. All of the game's sound effects feel like they were recorded right on the battlefield, and each of the weapons sound completely unique. The voiceovers are excellent as well, particularly those introducing the levels. Once again, the orchestral score is sweeping and epic, and it sets the tone perfectly.

It's tough to say what the future will hold for the Medal of Honor franchise. The WWII first-person shooter genre is becoming more crowded with each passing month, and there's a good chance that we'll be seeing more similarly themed games in the future. With this title, however, EA has shown that they aren't going to give up without a fight, and they've succeeded in breathing new life into the series by opening up the levels and adding some interesting gameplay mechanics. If what we've seen in European Assault is any indication, the reports of the franchise's death are greatly exaggerated.