Year : 2002
System Requirements: 450Mhz, 128MB RAM, 3D Graphics Accelerator
Rating : ****
Between 2001 and 2002,, over a period of just a few months, PC gamers were given not one but two excellent first person shooters set during World War II. One was a sequel to a PC gaming classic released way back in the early 90's (Wolfenstein, Spear of Destiny) while the other (this game being reviewed here) was a hit on the PS one. Both games uses the same Quake III Arena engine, so the graphics are obviously awesome.
However, the similarity stops there. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault not only has first person shooter action, but also vehicular combat using tanks and jeeps.Although you cannot control the vehicles and feels like a rail shooter, it gives some variety to the gameplay. In addition, most of the time you do not fight alone. The computer AI does a fairly good job of helping you shoot some Nazi's. And unlike many first person shooter's I have played so far, I have never got lost in this game as it includes a compass on the top left of the screen which points to the main objective. Excellent !
Like most reviews about this game, I cannot avoid mentioning one of the greatest moments in PC gaming found in this game. I am talking about the Omaha beach landing in Normandy. If you have seen the movie 'Saving Private Ryan', You'll know what I'm talking about
In this game, it is almost similar to the film !
In conclusion, every mission in this game are unique and equally absorbing. The only complaint I could find is that no real World War II footage was used which is always found in the playstation version. If you like first person shooters, do not miss this game !
Pros : Excellent Gameplay, Motion picture quality soundtrack
Cons : No archive footage.
While Medal of Honor: Allied Assault has a similar sequence found in the movie ' Saving Private Ryan' , in this expansion, there are a few sequences that is similar to the HBO original mini-series 'Band of Brothers'. In this game, you play as Seargeant Jack Barnes (who is voiced by US actor Gary Oldman)
The most impressive mission is found right in the beginning where you play a paratrooper landing on France. After that, it's pure action all the way. Another improvement to the original is that the introduction, cutscenes and ending all have original WWII footage.
The only downside to this impressive expansion is its length. An experienced player can finish it in a few hours. However, every minute is worth it.
If you enjoyed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, play this expansion too.
Throughout the game, fans of the series will have their skills put to the challenge as this expansion contains quite a few tough missions. As usual, you will get to use some vehicles and artilery. In fact, some of the levels are almost similar to the previous expansion pack.
Ending cutscenes are now included using its game engine, which is new for the series. Actual WWII footage is included as usual, which is now accompanied by actual speeches from well-known figures during that era such as Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt. Although I find the audio a bit hard to hear.
Anyway, the action is still equally absorbing and missions are still interesting. If you can't wait for the next big thing in WWII First Person Shooter ( that is Call of Duty) then play this while you wait.