QJ’s Medal of Honor: Airborne first impressions

Without any exaggeration, Electronic Arts‘ Medal of Honor: Airborne (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) may very well be the best World War II based first-person shooter this year. After getting our hands on the Xbox 360 demo that recently went live, saying so is a safe assumption. One playthrough wouldn’t do the game justice even if only a single mission is available. Thanks to the ability to drop anywhere on the battlefield, it’s not likely that you’ll turn your back on Airborne after the first try.

Players take the shoes of Boyd Travers, a rookie fresh from boot camp. Like any skirmish, you’ll find yourself sitting through a briefing beforehand. This portion isn’t as long-winded as an actual military speech, and is sufficient enough to give you a fair idea of what “Mission Husky” is about, as well as what you’ll need to do once you’re out there. Trust us: you’ll need it.

The next screen is where you can customize your loadout. Nothing new here – the selection’s got your typical WWII fare – with tommy guns, M1 rifles, and Colt .45 handguns. Travers can carry one main weapon, a sub weapon, and a side firearm. Everything else that you can salvage is up for grabs, which is god sent since there is no such thing as enough firepower here.

After a quick cutscene, you are then thrust into the wild fray through parachute. Travers is left hanging in the air, with the option of choosing his own path. A couple of green smoke trails on the ground mark where you and your friends should drop, but the entire map is fair game. This is what separates Airborne from the rest, and the reason why you won’t look back to other WWII games again.

The rest of our demo impressions after the jump!

*Originally posted at 11:48 PM, August 25, 2007

Without any exaggeration, Electronic Arts‘ Medal of Honor: Airborne (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) may very well be the best World War II based first-person shooter this year. After getting our hands on the Xbox 360 demo that recently went live, saying so is a safe assumption. One playthrough wouldn’t do the game justice even if only a single mission is available. Thanks to the ability to drop anywhere on the battlefield, it’s not likely that you’ll turn your back on Airborne after the first try.

Players take the shoes of Boyd Travers, a rookie fresh from boot camp. Like any skirmish, you’ll find yourself sitting through a briefing beforehand. This portion isn’t as long-winded as an actual military speech, and is sufficient enough to give you a fair idea of what “Mission Husky” is about, as well as what you’ll need to do once you’re out there. Trust us: you’ll need it.

The next screen is where you can customize your loadout. Nothing new here – the selection’s got your typical WWII fare – with tommy guns, M1 rifles, and Colt .45 handguns. Travers can carry one main weapon, a sub weapon, and a side firearm. Everything else that you can salvage is up for grabs, which is god sent since there is no such thing as enough firepower here.

After a quick cutscene, you are then thrust into the wild fray through parachute. Travers is left hanging in the air, with the option of choosing his own path. A couple of green smoke trails on the ground mark where you and your friends should drop, but the entire map is fair game. This is what separates Airborne from the rest, and the reason why you won’t look back to other WWII games again.

Starting off in less populated areas is most advisable if Travers is to survive first contact. Steering to where you want to be may get tricky at first, but it becomes second nature soon enough. Failing to drop gracefully results in a botched fall that leaves you vulnerable for a few seconds, which makes the Flare button more attractive.

The choice is yours whether you want to rush straight to the objective by dropping smack dab in the middle of enemies guarding AA installments, or choose to stroll down along what seems to be a deserted alley. Keep in mind that the decision you make is crucial, and decides what your next steps will be to do the tasks at hand. Objectives are “discovered” when you get close enough to the target – in the case of the demo, some AA guns also need to be taken down.

Switching to gun-frenzy mode won’t get you anywhere in most cases, since the angry Italians are not very hospitable. If for some crazy reason, you decided to squeeze yourself into a gathering of enemy troops, don’t think that getting out alive is an option.

Sticking close to allies is almost the only viable option at first. Enemy AI in Normal to Expert difficulties is unforgiving, and taking them on all by yourself is more than a steep challenge. Foes will be popping out from sandbags and couches to unload lead on you before you can say “pasta.”

Not only are the enemies accurate, they also employ tactics that are sure to catch you off guard once in a while. Adversaries will take cover behind anything that can endure some serious flak, press their backs against walls and wait ’til they get the chance to jump at anyone, snipe from windows, and cooperate with their fellow soldiers. Stationed machine guns will never be unmanned, unless you and your allies have secured them.

Fortunately, reinforcement is in healthy numbers. Friendlies from above will keep on coming, providing you with ample support (and meat shields). Unlike other shooters, these allied grunts can actually fight and push for the objectives. Some of them bark orders and exchange pep talks, giving a more realistic feel.

It’s easy to get acquainted with the controls off the bat. Aside from crouch, switch weapon, jump, and reload being conveniently mapped to the face buttons, gunfights have never been easier. Holding the iron sights view button (aim mode, Left Trigger by default) takes away movement, but allows you to lean forward or sideways using the move stick to shoot targets while in the comforts of a good cover. Travers moves fast enough to get in and out of gunfights. Aiming is flawless, or pretty darn close to it at least.

The graphics department doesn’t lag behind as well, as no corners were cut in making the game look impressive. Buildings look very satisfying and tight interiors are packed with amazing details. It seems like hundreds of hours were spent to carefully create each object and make them look real. Lighting is topnotch, and shadows blend so perfectly that they might come off as too natural to notice.

With all that said, Airborne‘s audio is also worth praising. Gunshots come from all directions. There’s always enough chatter to prevent the game from being stale, and ally advice tends to actually be useful. The game’s musical score also keeps players on edge without distracting them from the action.

To sum it all up, should the full game deliver more of the same intense action from the demo, Medal of Honor: Airborne is going to be the most convincing WWII experience yet. The freedom to land anywhere and reach most places will leave you wanting to explore every nook and cranny. Enemy soldiers aren’t restricted to following preset actions, but they don’t just randomly spawn from awkward places. As the devs promised, no experience will ever be the same.

Will you fight head on, flank, or hide behind your comrades? Will there be a group of enemies in that certain house? Will someone come out of that window? What’s the best way to approach the next objective? There are no certain answers, making Electronic Arts’ Airborne demo unpredictable and worth playing more than a few times.

*Originally posted at 11:48 PM, August 25, 2007