Medal of Honor: Airborne Preview

EA is not wasting time and is looking to expand on one of its most popular shooter franchises with Medal of Honor: Airborne, currently being developed for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC platforms.

Got you in my sight, ya goose-stepping scumbag!

I can't see a thing! Where am I supposed to land this thing?

Wait a second, how come they want to make an additional MoH game? Well, it's basically another decent opportunity to milk every last drop of potential out such an admired franchise. Ah heck, they want more money, why do you think they're doing it? Okay, financial gain aside, EA does mean to take the shooter a bit further in terms of gameplay, as well as its visual appeal. We took the time to delve deeper into this one and we came across several interesting features that should please newcomers and fans of the MoH license.

The first thing brought to our attention was the game's storyline, which, this time around, follows US Airborne forces through World War II. In Medal of Honor: Airborne players get to experience five historic operations, which include Husky (July 10, 1943), Avalanche (September 13 1943), Neptune (June 6 1944), Market Garden (September 17, 1944) and Varsity (March 24, 1945). You'll be getting into the shoes of Private Boyd Travers and Pathfinder Eddie La Pointe. Jumping from character to character, players fight their way across the territories of Italy, France and, last but not least, Germany - subsequent to the march to Berlin (which ended the European campaign).

The impressive footage we've witnessed from the game (a sample is also posted on the game's official web site), displays an entire fleet of American warplanes as they fly across the skies of Europe. You suddenly find your character in a plane that gets shattered to bits from heavy enemy AA fire. Although the plane is torn to pieces, a few soldiers make it out alive as they face an even worse faith - parachuting their way across a chaotic war-torn sky, filled with fumes and flames from other unfortunate Allied planes that got hit.

From here on, it becomes obvious that only the lucky ones survive and that making it to the ground won't be easy. What really sounds cool, is that EA's goal is to ease down on the usual scripted sequences we've all experienced plenty of times in previous MoH games (and in the Call of Duty series). Before you hit the ground, you'll have the freedom to carefully take control of your parachute and try to locate the safest place to land. Even then, you should be prepared for potential misdrops and once that happens, you better pray to God there are no German troops about. Another important thing is that you cut the chute at the right moment, or else you may hit the ground too hard. Consequently, it may take you longer to break free from your gear. Whatever the case, it all boils down to making a successful drop and selecting a good spot on land to gain tactical advantage over the enemy.

These are exactly the kind of improvements that's going to take the series in a whole new direction. As opposed to linear war-shooters like Call of Duty, where players are forced to make their way down a strict and predetermined path, Medal of Honor: Airborne allows you to choose where the Airborne trooper lands. As a result, the player is able to decide where the mission starts off - be it on a distant rooftop of a decrepit old house or on the top of a building in the center of the action. While we're on the subject, landing on rooftops may come as a most welcomed benefit against enemy bunches. Jumping from roof to roof players can easily survey the area, while taking out opponents from above and hurling grenades accurately straight into their ranks.

Anyhow, each of the five episodes in the game consists of two crucial missions. Playing as La Pointe, you are charged with the dangerous task of designating drop zones by sending out radio beacons. These types of duties denote stealth and sabotage. They involve more than shooting your way through dense streets with hundreds of German soldiers rushing at you. Once La Pointe fulfils his task, Travers, accompanied by more Airborne combatants, will be called in for "more decisive action." Playing in the role of Travers will, understandably, take you through more action-packed missions, so you best be on your guard at all times.

The idea with this new approach to mission design is to allow for a more flexible game environment, where players can select a preferable line of attack. So, it's up to you to decide whether the enemy should be attacked head on, or, say, from a more suitable flanking position. Relying on different and unique tactics each time you play, in turn, makes the enemy react accordingly. Artificial intelligence has been tweaked to make opponents act naturally and realistically to counter your attacks. If foes are cornered, they are liable to behave as any soldier would when he finds himself in a no-way-out situation. Pinning enemy soldiers down, often results in surprising counter attacks. Be prepared for anything - I guess that's the tagline EA is going for with this one.

As for the missions, it all appears to throw the standard Medal of Honor-style stuff our way - taking out antiaircraft guns (positioned on different parts of the map) and similar tasks. Still, new elements have found their way into the gameplay mechanics as well. For example, Electronic Arts saw it appropriate to incorporate a new-fangled routine for firing snipers. This innovative feature was named "True Trigger," to correspond with the true-to-life principal of firing rifles. You, basically, ease on the trigger to execute a perfect shot. If you ever had a chance to fire a gun or rifle (hopefully you never will), you'd know that the key to an accurate shot is pulling the trigger gently, as opposed to doing it hastily.