Buy it for the Online Gaming - it will become an addiction!
Written: Aug 13 '03 (Updated Nov 11 '09)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: great online play, amazing graphics, sound and music, very realistic
Cons: the first person game is too linear and the AI lacks in many aspects
The Bottom Line: The most addicting online game EVER - well, in my opinion anyway.
|
|
|
| criteeker's Full Review: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault For Windows |
This game can be played two ways: Like any other first person shooter, where you are the guy running around killing bad guys OR you can join a myriad of online servers and play against people from all over - via the internet.
The first person shooter game (you against the computer enemies) is really good for training you how to play and how the controls work. Once you get the hang of it, the first person shooter is rarely ever played again. This is because once you've played the online version, you'll never go back to the first person shooter. The game has amazing graphics and even better music and sound effects. The low point (of the shooter version) is repetitive enemy AI (artificial intelligence) and fairly linear game play. I bought the game directly from EA and it came with the CD soundtrack of the music for the game...surprisingly GREAT stuff.
I'm a huge WW2 buff, and this game has done everything right. Unlike the PS2 version (where SS officers would serve as sentries... LOL) the PC version is amazing in every aspect. German soldiers run and take cover, but the AI of the enemy is limited in the first person shooter.
I started playing Medal of Honor on the PS1 and then on the PS2. The PC version is far more amazing just for it's endless supply of gamer-made custom maps and online gaming. It goes without saying that the online version is never the same because your human opponents change from session to session.
Other than the default game options, new games are either added by expansion packs or created by gamers. The creation of custom maps and custom mods (i.e. anti-gravity, various versions of game play and map elements) always add to the freshness of the games. My favorite online gameplay is "Freeze Tag." When you get shot, you're frozen and in order for you to resume playing, one of your teammates must melt you by standing next to you or using a laser beam from a distance. Another variation on this is "Liberation" - when shot, you're whisked away to a holding cell and it takes one of your teammates to infiltrate the enemy side and hit a button in order to release any of his or her imprisoned comrades. "Capture the Flag" is about getting to the enemy side, grabbing their flag and making it back to your command post to score a point. "Anti-Gravity" mod can be a bit nutty in that you're capable of jumping really high up in the air and hiding on planes to shoot from or having in-air battles. There are even more options but those are the most popular.
When you play online, you're playing against other people from all over the globe. Well, usually people all over North America as Europe is a bit too far for your connection's "ping rate." Meaning, if you're too far away, often your session will "time out" and that means you're just slowing down the game itself. Oftentimes, you'll get booted from that particular server. I have, on occasion, played on British servers and the chat is always quite fun. Most of the time it being Yank versus Brit taunting. Canadian servers wind up chatting about hockey which is always fun for me. When I say say taunting, you have the ability to type words for only your team to see or for all players to see. I have made some friends just from playing this game! The AI (online) is dependent on the skill of the other human on the other end. With hundreds of servers running, and thousands of players - it's always something new.
As of this date, there is one expansion pack available called "Spearhead" and a new one called "Breakthrough" due out on Sept. 22, 2003. EA has since, packaged the game and Spearhead together in one box.
For parents concerned about the "blood factor" EA chose not to include any blood splats or puddles in the game, BUT you can find a variety of web sites (dedicated to MOH) that offer downloads like modifications (i.e. blood mods, maps, weapon skins, uniforms, etc)
One thing about the online game that differs from the first person game is that you can't drive any vehicles. In the first person shooter, you can.
The maps are very inter-active..meaning when you shoot a barrel, it leaks or explodes. When you shoot a box or fence, it splinters or vanishes.
Teamspeak is also supported, meaning you can talk to your team mates and plan strategy while playing online. This accomplished via a mic or headset. Or you can do what we do... simply call your friends on the phone and get a 3-way network thing going..LOL
If you like online gaming, get the best graphics card you can afford - it really makes a difference. Get a good optical mouse and the largest monitor you can afford or fit in your space. I bet you get addicted like I have.
My best online advice? Use a cable or DSL connection - never connect with a dial-up modem, never use the shotgun or rocket (reserved for the newbies) and NEVER camp in one spot for too long.
A word about clans: No not the white sheet-wearing kind, I mean online MOH clubs. When and if you get really good at this game, you might be asked to join a clan. I'm pretty good at the game but refuse to join a clan for a few reasons. It's really like an online bowling league in that you'll be required to take orders from other members and attend online practice sessions. Yep, they take the game a bit too seriously. I just don't have that kind of time. Besides, I like being a lone gunman.
Weapons:
With respect to the weaponry, the Allied side (Americans) have a BAR machine gun, Thompson sub-machine gun, Garand M-1 rifle, Colt 45 pistol, shotgun, Springfield sniper rifle, Bazooka and grenades and on some servers they incorporate throwing knives and allow for placing landmines.
The Axis side (Germans) have the infamous STG-44 machine gun, the MP-40 sub-machine gun, the Mauser bolt-action rifle and a grenade launching version of the rifle, the panzerfaust (rocket), a shotgun (I don't think the Germans even had a shotgun in their arsenal back then), a sniper rifle, a pistol and stick grenades. Again, some servers allow for placing landmines and throwing knives.
Since there are also British, Italian and Russian soldiers to pick from, on certain servers or expansion packs, they substitute the corect weaponry for those armies. The sound effects for these weapons are right on the mark.
Keep in mind that each server can either keep the firing rate and damage points at the default numbers, but oftentimes, Admins will alter these numbers to even up the playing field. One thing I like to do is play on rifle-only servers. Everyone gets a rifle and you have to be REALLY good at the game to compete. At some point, using a rifle will really hone your aiming skills even more that you can compete against others using other weapons. The key is that someone using a rifle has the advantage if you can hit someone because in most cases one hit from a rifle and you're dead or frozen. Whereas machine guns usually require more rounds to put someone down - unless there's a "head shot."
Check Your Ego at the Door: Some gamers are so good at this game, that no matter what weapon you use, they are crafty enough to either kill you with a mere throwing knife, a silenced pistol or the hardest way to kill an opponent... get close enough to bash them with your weapon. If you sneak up on someone and bash them with your weapon, it usually incurs some sort of joyous taunt and beating of one's chest. Remember: It's only funny when someone else gets killed. Because if and when it happens to you, it's a real dose of humility.
I am so addicted to this game, that I bought a PC just to play it. Seriously, I've been a Mac person all my life, and they didn't release the expansion pack for the Mac fast enough. I have played online versions of "Call of Duty" and other WW2 shooter games, but I always come back to MOH for its simplicity. Think about it, a bunch of us (including myself) have been playing this game for years. How many other online games can you say that about?
Uniforms: They're quite detailed and there are many outfits to choose from - from any of the main armies.
Gameplay:
Computer version gets 2 stars. Points off for being too linear and the AI is repetitive and not so intelligent.
Online version gets 5 stars.
Replay Value:
Computer version gets 2.5 stars while the online game gets another 5 stars.
Graphics: both versions get a 4.5 stars
Music: both versions get 4.75 stars
Sound Effects: both versions get 4.5 stars
By the way, if you play this game or will be soon (because this review has convinced you) I go by the name "Sneaky_Ba$tage". If you see me online, say hello and prepare to die!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.