Medal of Honor: Platinum

Those looking for a Saving Private Ryan interactive will be pleased with this effort from the games division of Hollywood's DreamWorks studio. Polished with the grit of great WWII films, Medal of Honor shines brightly, despite the graphic limitations of the PlayStation.

As US secret service officer James Patterson, you must embark on highly dangerous missions, sometimes in the trenches, sometimes undercover, but always alone and always eliminating the German Nazi threat. The Nazis are equipped with the same weapons as you, and they know how to use them. Throw a grenade and watch soldiers scatter, or better yet kick a steel pineapple back in their direction before it blows.

Missions are divided into challenging--but never frustrating--levels that include infiltrating a U-boat pen, destroying a war train while disguised as a German officer, or powering through a group of nasty Gestapo in a quaint French town. A mixture of stealth fighting and action bravado, using each with prudence is essential for successfully completing levels.

This game is full of suspense, in the way that a good page-turner keeps you up at night. You'll be playing until the end of the level, but when that comes, the briefing for the next level is just too enticing to stop. --Jeff Young

Pros:
• The best first-person shooter for the PlayStation
• An engaging plot, even for non-history buffs
• Outstanding music and sound design

Cons:
• Graphics get blurry when close up
• Replayability is low except in multiplayer mode
• Occasional polygon dropout can enable player to see through some walls

Medal of Honor is the first game to bring gritty WWII action to the PlayStation convincingly. The date is June 5, 1944, just one day before D-Day, and the mission is to go behind enemy lines on a series of search-and-rescue operations, commando raids, and all-out battles. The 24 levels have been designed to authentically recreate real period environments, while the 12 weapon types continue the realistic feel. Using such classics as the Tommy gun and bazooka you must take on 20 different types of enemy, from the Wehrmacht light infantry to the Nazi shock troops, fighting in some inspired locations--from a U-Boat to a V2 rocket plant. A split-screen option facilitates the two-player mode, really bringing the shoot-'em-up element to the fore. And if all that isn't enough to convince you of Medal of Honor's pedigree, bear in mind that it comes from the Dreamworks stable, home to a certain Mr Spielberg.

June 5, 1944: Tomorrow is D-Day. Tonight you land behind hostile lines. You are an elite Special Forces agent sent to execute covert operations, search and rescue missions, and commando raids in the only game that lets you take on Nazis in WWII. Face 20 different opponent types and carry out 11 missions across 30 3-D levels. Fight the foe with your choice of 14 WWII-era weapons. A compelling story, cinematic score, and multiple two-player modes bring the combat alive as you fight to win the Medal of Honor.