Published by: EA Games Developed by: EA Games ESRB Rating: T for Learning curve: hour or two For: Gamecube, PS2, Xbox Version reviewed: GameCube

EA Games has a reputation for the quality of it\'s games. From the excellent sound quality, to the well-cared for graphics, most EA titles bristle with authenticity. Medal of Honor was first developed for the original Playstation just after the release of Saving Private Ryan, and was developed in collaboration with the team that made the movie. In it you played Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson, an ace fighter along the lines of Castle Wolfenstein\'s B.J. Blascowicz. Then came the next title, Medal of Honor Underground. In it, you played a French Resistance fighter who had to sneak among the enemy and destroy them on a quest to liberate France. Next came Allied Assault, a PC exclusive title that made you storm Omaha Beach in D-Day\'s Nomandy Invasion. Then, first PS2 exclusive, and then for all three systems, Frontline came out. In it, you had to again storm the beach at Normandy, but then move into the midst of Operation Market-Garden, the famed charge into Germany that eventually won the Allies the war and is chronicled in such films as A Bridge Too Far, and?well, that\'s all I can think of.

Game play

The first aspect of this game that I really think matters is the game play factor. Medal of Honor games have always been known for their historically accurate missions, weapons, uniforms, and events. Now, for the first time in a MOH game, the squad matters. Many FPS games have relied on you, and you alone to save the world. Again, this was true for the first MOH games. But, from the minute that you step from fly into the water on D-Day, and you hear the rush of war grow slowly nearer as bullets streak into the water, you will realize that this game is not about Patterson. It is about Europe, America, your squad and the world. This is what makes MOH so engrossing. It\'s not like in The World Is Not Enough, where a very fake Renard is going to blow up the Caspian Sea. I actually felt like I was making a difference in the turnout of the war. Missions, themselves, are truly ingenious. From the Nijmegen Bridge to a pub called the Golden Lion in Holland, your missions range from stealth (stealth never lasts too long) to all-out gun fights with soldiers. Some mission objectives are kind of strange, but all make sense over time, making your trips through a very war-torn Europe worth it all. For any war-enthusiast, this game has the realism and depth to make it all worth it.

Graphics

No, the graphics aren\'t as good as Nightfire, but, hey, they ARE two different games. I mean, c\'mon, Nightfire had Pierce Brosnan\'s face digitally scanned into the game? that was cool. However, there still is that look of horror in your captain\' face at Normandy, still that look of surprise in that \'s face. The game\'s animations are really, really good. Lipsynching is up to par with the various voices of the soldiers, and enemies move realistically. is gruesome, mainly because of the animations that are so smooth, and so horrible. With the first killed, you will realize, as I did, that this is much more than a game. It is a study on World War 2, and a way of giving a really good history lesson to people otherwise not inclined to learn history. When you give a a head shot, their helmet flies off. Sometimes, they will fall to their knees and touch the back of their head, then look at the hand as if it is covered in . Little graphical touches like this make the game a lot more fun and realistic, and, as I said, makes you feel like you\'re really doing something worthwhile.

Sound

Wh-h-h-oa?.this is truly amazing. From when he EA Games logo comes spinning onto the screen amid gunfire, and finally stops after a explosion, to the last pulse of the Thomson machine gun, this game has some of the most believable, likeable sound that I have ever heard. Voice acting is superb as well, so every German voice barking commands is authentic, and every Englishman\'s voice is really believable. Even Eisenhower\'s voice is remarkably done, so that you feel as if the former Commander-In-Chief is really speaking to you, and giving you the missions. The excellent musical score is another reason this game\'s sound is so excellent. There is rarely a quiet moment, and when you need stealth, the game\'s music remarkably transfers into a suspenseful piece that sets the mood for the game accurately.

Controls

If you are familiar with the FPS PC controls, this game is right for you. On the Gamecube, the controls transferred perfectly, with every button doing what it is supposed to and the designers haven\'t missed a beat. The C Stick is basically used for turning and looking up and down. The Control Stick is used for strafing and moving forwards and backwards. The A button is used for Action commands, while the B button is used for melee attacks. Z is reload, and R is fire. That about sums it up. As you can see, the controls seem to be very uncomplex and intuitive. The only reason the game has such a steep learning curve is that players who grew up on the N64-style shooters will have great difficulty adjusting to the Rare-less system of control.

Appropriateness

This game is about war. That should be a bit of a clue as to what is to come in this section. For starters, Medal of Honor tells the tale of man who goes behind enemy lines (no pun intended) to track down and destroy a prototype weapon that could turn the tide of the war. To do this, you must disarm weapons on a bridge, go deep into a manor, and destroy half a production facility. This in itself is violent. There are also horrifyingly well animated s that all those that you kill go through, flying on Omaha Beach during D-Day with bodies flying as the hit the ground, and really tense combat situations in tight, metal hallways(ahem?submarine..ahem). So, basically, the depiction of war in this game is realistic and brutal. Not for younger players. There is also scattered cussing in the game, but nothing worse than d---.