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Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Preview |
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Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
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The sequel to EA's Medal of Honor: Frontline, the multi-platform first person shooter set in World War 2, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun takes place, as the title might suggest, in Japan. You take the role of Marine Corporal Joseph Griffin as he fights from the beginning - Pearl Harbour, up to the Phillipine islands to rescue his brother from a Japanese POW camp.
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is set across 5 campaigns, of 10 missions each, which will require a variety of approaches, from run and gun to stealth, and sniping to complete. The development team wants to make these missions far less linear and more expansive than in Frontline, including multiple paths and secondary objectives. These missions include sabotage, assasinations and raids. Realism will factor into the game heavily, as they are consulting military advisior Captain Dale Dye. The game's engine had to be modified heavily to cope with the new levels, especially to create mountainous terrain. 10 weeks into the games production, however, and it is too early to judge the technological aspect, but the development team is far bigger than Frontline's.
On the subject of technology, the game features an all new animation system based on inverse kinematics, which makes their animations more varied and fluid. Enemies will also display new AI, preferring to rush and attack rather than hang back as the Germans did in Frontline. They will also engage you in hand to hand combat, which will hurt you extremely badly.
While no Xbox Live support has been confirmed yet, multiplayer has got far more attention than in previous Medal of Honor games. New to the series, 2 player co-operative play, as seen in games such as Perfect Dark and Halo, will make it into the game. Up to 4 players can play split screen in a multitude of co-operative and counter-operative modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag. These multiplayer options were something that was severely missed for Medal of Honor: Frontline.
An example of one of the missions would be a midnight raid on Guadalcanal. The player and his squad are taken to the shore by boat. From here, he must take the beach, destroy bunkers with explosives, and eventually steal a tank to get out of the area. An example of the less linear gameplay is given when you see a native arguing with Japanese soldiers. By saving him, he is able to cut away vines with a machete, giving you an alternate route. Missions will take a cinematic style. One of the first missions in the game has the player on board a ship at Pearl Harbour, when it is attacked. The resulting scene is chaotic - Navy personel run round putting out fires, manning anti-aircraft guns and shooting with whatever weapons they have. This level is more a tutorial than anything else. Save points have been added to the levels, allowing you to quit and come back any time you want.
Many authentic weapons will be available for use, including the usual variety of rifles, grenades, sub-machine guns, sniper rifles, and a silenced pistol for stealth missions. During the game, you can also find a machete, an entrenching tool, and a lock-pick, which will open up more paths in future missions. The player will also be able to ride vehicles into battle, although it is not certain if these can be driven.
With all new features and problems from the previous game fixed, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is shaping up well. The game is due for release some time in late 2003, with a PC version to follow shortly. A sequel is also planned on consoles for late 2004.
Review By: Flid_Merchant
Game Info: Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
Buy Game: Buy Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Now!
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