Medal of Honor Vanguard Q&A

Medal of Honor Vanguard is the newest entry in EA's Medal of Honor series. The recently announced game is in development for the PlayStation 2 and Wii platforms at EA's Los Angeles studios. We checked in with senior producer Matt Sentell on the upcoming game to get a sense of what to expect from the new first-person shooter.

GameSpot: Give us the basic premise for the game. Who are you and what are you doing?

Matt Sentell: You play as Frank Keegan, Corporal of the 82nd Airborne Division, who drops behind enemy lines in some of the biggest battles of WWII. Keegan begins the game as a corporal, but rises in rank as he distinguishes himself in the field and gains new responsibilities.

GS: There are an awful lot of World War II games out there. How will Vanguard distinguish itself from the pack?

MS: Some of the new features we're bringing to Medal of Honor Vanguard include upgradeable weapons and extensive combat dialogue that dynamically responds to what's happening on the battlefield. And in addition to the big, cinematic moments that the series is known for, we've made improvements to our artificial intelligence and graphics systems that allow us to deliver the most believable WWII experience yet in the series.

GS: How are you taking advantage of the Wii controls? How will you balance out the PS2 version with that design in mind?

MS: The Wii Remote's pointer control gives the player an unprecedented amount of control over aiming and firing, while the Nunchuk's analog stick and two buttons make it ideal for controlling player movement. Most game controls have a gesture associated with them, and we have worked very hard to make sure the gestures are intuitive, easy to learn, and most of all, fun to do. Jumping, crouching, aiming, reloading, and even turning around 180 degrees are all things you can do with the simplest of gestures. These functions are also bound to buttons, so players can choose between gestures and button presses in exploring their own play style.

GS: Will there be any technical differences between the two versions? Different graphical effects or anything?

MS: Outside of the controls, the two versions follow the same storyline and are mostly identical, but since they are available on different systems you can expect to see some distinction in resolution.

GS: What kinds of online features will be included on either platform?

MS: Medal of Honor Vanguard will feature split-screen multiplayer for both platforms, for two to four players in games of deathmatch, capture the flag, and king of the hill, as well as a new multiplayer mode called scavenger hunt, where opponents race to capture supply drops that land throughout the battlefield. We will be revealing more details about the multiplayer component to this game as we get closer to the March 2007 ship date.

GS: Can we expect to see our Mii running around in the Wii version? Seriously, though, will you be doing anything with the Wii's unique features aside from the controls?

MS: There will be no Miis running around WWII Europe this time. We've focused all of our efforts on maximizing the impact of the Wii's greatest innovation, which is its unique controllers, and giving Medal of Honor fans a truly new way to interact with the game.

GS: Thanks for your time.