Medal of Honor: European Assault

"If it Ain't Broke Don't Fix it!!!!!!!!"

I will preface this review by explaining that when I first bought the original Medal of Honor, I thought it was the best game I had ever played. Since then I have played Underground, Allied Assault, Frontline, Rising Sun, and now this mediocre attempt to be something that fans of the game never wanted or asked for. Where should one begin with this disappointment?!

GAMEPLAY/CONTROL: 3/10
This is the most awful part of the newest Medal of Honor! Due to the new gameplay which requires you to take cover...one must constantly hold down on the crouch button. This alone makes for irritating play (why didn't they just design the game so that you are constantly crouched and you would have to push a button to stand up?).

The second most irritating thing about European Assault is that there are only two control options and both require both thumbs to move. Now I know that there are people out there that prefer a FPS with this kind of set-up and many other FPS have gone strictly to this option (such as Goldeneye and Turok: Evolution), but the previous Medal of Honor games have always allowed one to set up the controller so that all movement is done by just one c-stick. This is what I prefer and it makes sense. For those doubters, I ask you how you would play a 3rd person shooter? Would it irritate you to be playing a 3rd person game in which only one stick moved your head and another stick constantly moved your body? My guess is a 3rd person shooter wouldn't be successful with that kind of set up...so why do so many new fps feel the need to only offer this type of crappy control pattern?

GRAPHICS: 7/10
This may be the best part of MOH: EA. The graphics keep getting better with each MOH game. It is also important to note that the environments are more free roaming than previously and not as linear. This too is an improvement

SOUND: 5/10
Nothing new hear. Sounds like bullets and tanks, etc...

STORY: 7/10
This story is not as good as the story in all other MOH games except Underground. Because Underground got really stupid when german shepard dogs started carrying guns. However, the story does follow a new character and that is refreshing for those who have been following the same character all these years.

REPLAY: 4/10
Again, the worst replay of any MOH game. The maps are limited and the stupid play control makes you just want to put in another game and play with your friend anyway.

Overall this is a game that EA could have and should have made better. If more thought and effort had been put into the design of this game, many MOH fans would be eagerly awaiting the next installment; However, what we got was a mediocre installment to a once great line of games. Hopefully, EA games will develop another MOH and put more effort into it.

IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 04/26/06