The Bottom Line
Pros
- Decent cinematics
- It’s hard to argue against shooting Nazis
- Decent soundtrack and sound effects.
Cons
- Didn't I play a WWI first person shooter last year?
- And the year before that.
- And the year before that.
- Dated graphics (like last year and the year before).
- No online multiplayer (like last year and the year before).
Description
- Graphics: 3 You can’t expect a whole lot from a seven year old system, but GOWII sure looks good...
- Sound: 3 Good soundtrack and sound effects have their own battle against cheesy voice acting.
- Concept: 1 World War II: The Video Game. Really busted your brain over that one, huh EA?
- Control: 4 Controls, as generic as they are, work for what the game is. Run, duck, and shoot.
- Difficulty: 2 Easy from the get go, the game’s difficulty seems to work with the player’s ability as progress is made.
- Multiplayer: 3 Your standard deathmatch, capture the flag, and king of the hill. Where the hades is online multiplayer?
- All scores are out of 5. The overall rating is not an average of the above scores.
- Rated: Teen for blood, language, and violence.
Guide Review - Medal of Honor Vanguard Review (PS2)
In MOH Vanguard, you assume the role of Keegan, a soldier enlisted in the 82nd Airborne Division, one of America’s first paratrooper brigades. Each mission begins with you in a plane, which you soon jump and/or are blown out of. One of the few positive points about this game is the impressive cinematics that take place from the point of your exit out of the plane to the ground. The scope of the battle ensuing around you as you float downwards is at times breathtaking.
As far the gameplay is best described as "generic." You start the level with an objective; you follow a very linear path to it, and then go to the next objective on your list. Repeat until the level is over. Then do it all over again in a different setting. The controls and fighting are also normal enough. Crouch, find cover, and shoot the guys in the gray uniforms as they pop up from behind their cover like clockwork.
Because there isn’t so much emphasis put on in-depth gameplay, you’d imagine that the appeal of this game comes from the emotional thematic nature of World War II. Duty, honor, freedom, stabbing Hitler with an American flag. Well, maybe not that last one (Oh how I miss you Wolfenstein 3D). To be honest, any emotional weight felt while playing this game is lost to the fact that you’ve played this game so many times before. Sorry Vanguard, but 15 sequels is hard to swallow in any genre.
