Medal of Honor

We imagine the people who qualify to be Tier 10ps have lots of these medals. Enough to use them as shuriken, at least. They're so skilled and sneaky I'd never heard of them, which just makes Green Berets and Conlbiandos look rubish.

These guys are the best of the best, the elite storm troopers of freedom, born to be inserted into dangerous locales around the world, kill some goons and be back home for tea, crumpets and the odd spot of consultancy on EAs' game projects, such as the relaunched Medal of Honor. Which is what we've finally begun to discuss. It's been a long time since we were delighted by Allied Assault. Far too long. Since then, all sorts of pretenders have approached the Medal of Honor throne, to tip the ailing series onto the floor, plump the cushions a bit and so usurp its place at the helm of World War II shooters. We've even had people being mown down in an airport with barely even enough grenades to do adequate damage to the civilians. That's not at all honourable and it's about time someone did something about it. EA and their Tier 1 Ops buddies are doing that.

Respectful Gaming

The relaunched Medal of Honor is going to be all about authenticity and respect for the soldier, say EA. So it's unlikely we're going to see any bad Americans in this then, especially as it's set in Afghanistan. So EA are perhaps wise in steering clear of the controversy bandwagon. Making light of business types and holidaymakers being butchered in a fictional airport is one I thing, but it's an entirely different kettle of fish to twang the public's jangled ' nerves about the current conflict in the Middle-East.

The real Tier special ops guys, drafted in as consultants, won't stand for any disrespect of the armed forces, Scenes have apparently already been ixut or altered because of this, ifically one referring to the death of a soldier. Also they'ro fusing to reveal genuine military tactics (or, at least e of them) because the refuse to compromise the position of individuals still serving in dangerous areas. Crikey.

The game itself though is, and let's be frank about this, another Modern Warfare 2. Certainly EA have already spoken about how there are going to be lots of scripted moments, like when your allies stack up around a door and kick it in. That'll all be scripted, at least until the i wooden door splinters open and you get to shoot some terrorist's screwballs. We don't know if the shooty bit will be slow motion like in MW2, though.

Staying True

Moving on from there, it goes without saying that you shouldn't go expecting any OpFlash or Armed Assault-style simulation antics here. Medal of Honor is going to be true to its roots, the ones that pioneered the Hollywood FPS type fof game. Exciting set-pieces with rockets pitting jeeps, moving around the dusty Rtreets of embattled Afghan towns, Hono growing your characters' beards to phenomenal lengths in order to infiltrate the enemy cells: it'll all be in there.

One of the big selling points EA are keen to play up is how you'll be playing as more than one character. (Yes, but didn't you do that in Modern Warfare as well?) Anyway, this might lead to a tighter, less stretched storyline than WW2s, one of the main stumbling blocks found in Infinity Ward's magnum opus. It'll also have dedicated servers, which could be a line in the sand checkpoint between the two combatants. And, perhaps most excitingly, there will be drivable (and pilotable) vehicles, something the MOH team can definitely point to and look a bit smug about. There'll be obligatory static gun situations, but you'll at least be able to trundle about a bit. And the controllable attack helicopters look fun.

Despite our MW2-related concerns, we've got high hopes for this shooter. Remember we're talking about Medal of here. So Airborne wasn't much cop, but there's a history here, one that EA have made great noises about staying true to. Well, beyond changing the time, setting and, we presume, getting a recharging health system in there.

Even if MOH turns out similiar to what's come before it it should still be good. We know it's going to be cinematic, exciting, edge-of-the-seat action with even some stealth thrown in. There's going to be a load of vehicles and aircraft to control, and it's got some of the toughest people on the planet making sure it's all authentic (to a point).

If it can deliver a storyline that doesn't descend into silliness, there doesn't seem to be any real reason why EA won't cudgel its way back into the shooter arena with this one, especially when you consider that DICE are going to be handling the multiplayer side of things, which is exciting news. Look out Modern Warfare 2, the Tier 10ps guys are behind you, poised to snap your neck like a twig.

The highest military award is not only a symbol of bravery and willingness to sacrifice their lives for the good of the motherland. It's also a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the protagonist of the military shooter Medal of Honor. Go on special missions in Nazi-occupied France and contribute to the fight against Germany.

A Truly Heavy Student

James Patterson is a Flight and Transportation College student whose education was interrupted by the draft for the war. World War II is in full swing, and the shores of Normandy are beginning to be stormed by American military forces. The landing should be clear and trouble-free, but the Germans don't think so, shooting down the planes and creating poor visibility for the pilots. James' plane is shot down, but the pilot bravely fights off the advancing enemy, protecting his wounded comrades. The pilot received the Medal of Honor for his courage and bravery in combat.

Mission must be accomplished

The Medal of Honor recipient immediately receives an offer for a new mission in France, where he goes. In the land of baguettes and croissants, Patterson must brilliantly complete seven missions, which are divided into twenty-four game levels. The enemies will be, already synonymous with evil, the Nazis.

The man with the ammunition depot in his pocket

The hero is alone, but he has plenty of guns. To make your way to the end of the mission, you'll need:

• Browning Automatic Rifle and US Rifle, Caliber.30, M1
• United States Rifle, Caliber.30, Model 1903
• Thompson submachine gun and Maschinenpistole 40
• Walther P38 and M1911 pistols
• Hand grenades
• M1 Bazooka grenade launcher

Similar equipment will be in the enemies, so there is no need to worry about the location of ammunition. Speaking of enemy AI, it can behave quite unexpectedly and humanly. A soldier falling on a grenade defending his own or knocking grenades off at the protagonist is not uncommon. Scholars may voluntarily surrender and then strike with a hidden gun. Remember, this is war; you can't relax for a second.