Medal of Honor: Frontline (PS2)

MOH Frontline opens with a direct imitation of Saving Private Ryan in the guise of Normandy beach landings on board a Higgins boat under direct attack from German positions on the beach head. Fortunately, this is the game's only weak point, and it would have been a strength if not for the film version's already famously disturbing opening scenes. Once through the initial trench action the player's character Jimmy Patterson is welcomed back into the OSS under Colonel Hargrove for action in Holland and Germany.

The historical aspect of the game, played in line with actual developments from the Second World War, has always been a strength of the series, and events such as the Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, Operation Overlord and the battle of Nijmegen Bridge are all followed true to life in MOH Frontline. However, in a welcome departure from the previous titles, the player is not left isolated as Allied soldiers and resistance members now fight alongside Patterson. Conversations are held with them and they even impart advice and direction, adding to the overall feel of multi-character involvement and reality. Inevitably, some are lost in the course of the fighting which once again bolsters the realistic feel of the game.

Another immediate impact the game has upon the player is the obvious graphic improvements. Smoke, fire, ricochets and explosions are all brilliantly portrayed; character detail, movement and AI are all excellent and, in keeping with the series so far, there is no blood evident when enemies are shot or wounded. This excellent choice adds to the gritty factor of the game and detracts from the gore which other games have fallen foul of. The town and open countryside scenes are beautifully rendered, and so are the levels played inside factories, weapons facilities, ports, aboard a U-Boat and even in a rolling mine cart.

The best aspect of the game is the incredible atmosphere generated by Patterson's situation. The ability to snipe from distance, approach enemies undetected or even attack with full force generates an incredible involvement in the events which unfold from level to level. The first person aspect of the game is the main reason for this and has been the case throughout the series, but MOH Frontline takes scenarios which are unexpected and have been previously unexplored in order to emphasise the atmosphere. One of the game's most significantly brilliant levels, called Yard by Yard , involves stalking the streets and alleyways of a Dutch Town in broad sunny daylight, pursuing Germans from house to house and shooting at them from windows, doorways, across corridors and rooms and from positions on top of roofs and upper floors. The subsequent level, Arnhem Knights, is very disturbing in it's grim portrayal of the Allied advance through the war torn streets of occupied Europe as the Nazi regime starts to crumble during the latter stages of the conflict. The Enemy Mine level is also a departure from previous MOH style gameplay, and is a good alternative to the broken motion style levels as the player is perpetually moving along the German underground mine tracks under a constant barrage of attacks from foot soldiers.

As if the history, graphics and game play were not enough to make this a great title, the music of MOH Frontline is truly the icing on the cake. One of the benefits of the new Playstation 2's DVD format is that hidden extras can be unlocked from discs by progressing through games. Such is the case with MOH Frontline, and the player can view choirs performing the game's music tracks in recording studios in a series of "making of" videos. As part of the game's background track, these sessions create a movie-like atmosphere, often adding a ghostly and melancholy feel as the fighting is going on. And the French Horn-based menu music supersedes that of any of the previous soundtracks used in the series in terms of being the best theme for the games; it is truly excellent. The orchestration shifts it's paradigm as levels become either aggressive or subtle, for example, it is themed as heavily military aboard the speeding armoured train levels, yet it is ponderous and almost philosophical during the stalking of the Dutch hayfields.

Finally, variety and the player's interaction with the surroundings are also second-to-none. Weapons are many and varied and up to 18 are used including the BAR and the devastating Panzerschrek. The player can also take control of mounted gun emplacements and cannon, operate switches, open doors and perform single function operations such as destroying an experimental wind tunnel. A minor limitation of the game surfaces here in that the switching between weapons and hand objects can often be slow and confusing, but in a motion towards reality, pauses between weapon reloading times are faithfully portrayed - not only on the player's part but also for enemy soldiers. This can lead to exciting moments where enemies can be attacked or sniped whilst attending to their weapons.

Overall, MOH Frontline is perhaps the greatest game for atmosphere and the feeling of personal involvement that has ever been written for the Playstation. So much attention to detail has been employed in it's creation, and many facets of the work done at Dreamworks and EA have come together into a seamless whole to generate great atmosphere, fantastic gameplay, stunning environments and beautifully crafted music. Feeling a part of historical developments through the enactment of actual events (although a little ego-centric) is so important to the success of the game, and the adventures of Jimmy Patterson are clearly (and so thankfully) to be pursued further as the series approaches its inevitable conclusion. Colonel Hargrove leaves the player in no doubt that this will be very soon indeed!