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| | Title:
Medal of Honor: European Assault
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System:
Playstation 2
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Genre:
Shooter
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Publisher:
Electronic Arts
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Developer:
Electronic Arts
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Release:
06/06/2005
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Teen
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“History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid”.
–Dwight D. Eisenhower.
I’ve yet to find out if World War II games and movies are actually a tribute in a Veteran’s eyes. Perhaps I’ll ask one. My belief is that’s a big fat affirmative. I know, being a Veteran myself (Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom), that through all the hardship, a simple “thank you” is enough to put the sparkle back into any Veteran’s eye, where you can almost see the recollection of horror and intensity. But, just behind that, pushing forward is the honor of knowing they served and fought for what was right: “…there is nothing good about War. But there is good in why you fight wars”. Games, such as the Medal of Honor franchise, have been one of the many resources to attribute to that cause; which is more than just a simple thank you.
Opening like a movie and tossing you into battle is perhaps exactly how it felt to a WWII Veteran, except with obvious differences in extreme emotion, though the surrealism is there. Medal of Honor: European Assault is just that: European events of the Second World War, including cinematic accounts in history and realistic trials of heroes displayed in detailed polygons, quality voice-casting and some of the best sound-effects to come out of your speakers.
Entrusted unto your command, as SGT William Holt, are three other men. You’re the “Yank” American among British, Russian and other allied groups as sort of a freelance ally. The missions are objective-based, brutal, and ranging in length. You must not only move yourself carefully through each level, but your squad as well. If you’re of mind, you can coordinate the placement of your men on the fly. However, I’ve found the A.I. is actually fairly intelligent and your troops won’t often run head-long into danger, though they sometimes have a problem with finding cover. Whether in St. Nazaire with the British Allies, or assisting the Russian Red Army on the Eastern front, there is a lot of ground to cover with your troops and objectives in mind. Sending your troops out to scout may prove to be a good tactic.
The open level design brings a new element to the game, as you don’t follow such a linear (and usually instructed) path as the previous installments. Titles such as Allied Assault felt like a rail shooter as the path to each objective left no question of where to go next. In European Assault, wider levels reward you with more area to explore, larger terrain to maneuver when under fire and an overall feeling of vastness when compared to other titles in the series. If one area is blocked because you don’t have the correct tool or firepower to get through, you can probably locate another tactical point of entry. This also adds another new element to the gameplay in that you can make a wrong move. Get too deep in enemy territory and you may find yourself overcome by enemy forces, so evaluating your route is usually a good move. Additionally, as you explore, you may find secret objectives. Complete these objectives to earn even more points for power-ups and supplies between levels. You may even fight battles with mini-boss-like German officers.
The key note with these titles has always been in their mechanics and the smooth, accurate feel you get when playing with likewise accurately depicted weapons. The atmosphere, sound and characters present the environment and overtone, but the actual control is where the game really draws its strength. That being said, European Assault remains pretty much unchanged in that respect, even the weapons such as the M-1 Garand and Thompson machine guns return. The first-person perspective is obviously there, and so is the same engine used in previous titles, with perhaps more focus on cover-firing; if you stay out in the open, you’re a goner for sure. Use protective cover and peer around it and fire or pop and shoot for the best results! Dual analog control returns with the same intuitive design and there are multiple presets so you can have a virtually custom control setup. One thing that has changed is the obvious adaptation from Max Payne’s “Bullet Time” element. In European Assault, as you fire upon enemies, an “adrenaline” meter builds up. Once it is full, you have a chance to unleash fury without repercussions of death for a short amount of time. But for that brief amount, the world slows and targets become clearer as the background fades. You’re invincible and a bit more accurate.
Although I mentioned the polygons rendered in this game were ‘detailed’, that goes mostly for the environments. The character models look rather blocky and, well, uncharacteristic. As you’re receiving orders from a ranking officer, you may notice the voice-casting’s accuracy and the polygonal face being distorted. Xbox, as usual, has the better resolution, but all platforms lack in the detail even today’s console can easily render for such a vast game. Definitely a downer, but the game’s outstanding sound and music easily help you to forget LT Cromwell’s too-square jaw.
Ricochets from bullets, blasts from grenades, roaring engines overhead from bombers and even the smashing of crates all sound accurate and have the required bang-for-your-buck. The music easily keeps up with the atmosphere and transitions well between levels and menus with an overtone that is sad but proud and assists the player to re-live the honorable nightmare our real-life heroes once did.
The highlight of European Assault is the vastness of the levels and new squad-based element as well as some good replay ability for those who want to get every secondary objective. The downside is that there are only 11 missions in those traversable areas and no online multiplayer (only 4-player split screen). Easily better than Rising Sun, European assault excels in its control and depth and provides yet another experience in the long-running series for the common person to live the living hell that Those Who Served Before faced and appreciate the sacrifice of so many lives of good, noble men. Pick it up or rent it for a quality FPS experience in the realm of WWII.
| The Core Score |
Overall
8.5 |
| Fun |
|
8.7 |
| Gameplay |
|
9 |
| Graphics |
|
8.5 |
| Audio |
|
9 |
| Replay |
|
8 |
|
| | | |
