PS1 REVIEWS: Medal of Honor

The first Medal of Honor game is important in many ways. It not only elevated the FPS genre on the consoles of the day, but also pioneered the World War II setting that became almost ubiquitous in later FPS games. Regardless of how it performs today, there is no doubting the legacy and contributions of the game.

Thankfully, the gameplay is still good today, especially if you are using a Dual Shock controller or something similar. While it doesn't play like a modern FPS, it isn't a Doom clone either. Still, while it may easily have been the best game of its kind at the time, it isn't anything special absent its legacy today.

#20(s): Medal of Honor:-

Year: 1999.
Genre: First-Person Shooter.
Publisher: EA.
Developer: DreamWorks Interactive.

 

"Our mission is anything and everything. Espionage, sabotage, subversion, search and rescue. You name it, we do it"

One of the biggest missed opportunities in this game's development is its rather basic story and structure, which is doubly disappointing when you realize that it's produced by legendary director Steven Spielberg. As a newly recruited member of the secretive Office of Strategic Services, you will be tasked to conduct several missions against the Nazi threat, ranging from securing important documents to sabotaging a potential Nuclear development site.

While each mission is interesting in itself, and the historical context is appreciated, the absence of drama is as surprising as it is disappointing. There is little to no characterization in the game, and the lack of any narrative punch is apparent for most of the game. It may be the case that you don't need any reason to kill Nazi's, but war should be fertile ground for great storytelling.

 

I guess you don't need a plot to kill Nazi's

As such, the game's entire narrative heft is carried by the World War II setting, which is reinforced by the occasional use of grainy war footage and the old design of the weapons you use.


"Don't expect a friendly reception from the Germans"

While DreamWorks Interactive may have neglected to develop the game's story, they did not do the same with the impeccable gameplay. This was one of the best FPS games of its time for a reason. Not only could you fun around like in Doom and shoot from the hip, but you can also stop and free aim at specific targets. The introduction of free aim and the ability to control the camera with the second stick revealed the direction for all other FPSs to follow.

Yet, the developers didn't stop there and went beyond that by creating a specific impact system to differentiate between the bullets hitting different parts of the body. Enemies stagger realistically when shot, dropping down when hit in the leg, and being unable to aim when shot in the arm. Also, in a realistic nod to World War II, not every headshot is fatal since the helmets can be useful in deflecting bullets sometimes.

 

It's not safe at night for Germans

Unfortunately, shooting enemies from afar is a limited option thanks to the short draw distance, which reduces the size of levels and the proximity to enemies at all times. Thankfully, the game's sound design is developed enough that you can guess enemy location and movement based on their footsteps. Ironically, your enemies don't have as strong a hearing as you, since they completely ignore the sound of nearby gunfights and remain in their zone, oblivious to their impending death.


"Head towards the ominous flashes on the horizon. That's not lightning, that's Greta"

One innovation to the gameplay that Spielberg himself was credited for was his assistance in including other forms of gameplay, other than shooting. This was the reason that a few missions have you impersonating a German officer and sneaking around a location. While those missions are not actually very fun to play, the variety improves the rest of the game.

In general, the mission design is on point for most of the game, with a good variety of objectives and locations to go through. While all the levels are somewhat linear, there remains the illusion that you are doing something other than clearing the area of bad guys.

 

I hope our hero knows how to count to three

That being said, the fact that most missions are at night or in closed locations is a bit irksome. Also, it should be noted that the game had a highly rated multiplayer mode that I am not considering at all in this review.


"I knew from personal experience that he was an evil, sick man... I just never realized how far he would go"

A modern gamer would notice two things when playing Medal of Honor for the first time. The first is the very short draw distance and muddy textures of the PS1 games, and the second is that it isn't as bad as it looks when in motion. At least, it's not that bad depending on the light conditions of the room. In general, PS1-era first-person games didn't age well, and this game isn't an exception.

Something more specific to this game is the choice for all levels to either be at night or inside dark buildings. That doesn't help the game graphics much, which is further highlighted in the snow levels, which are gorgeous in comparison to the rest of the game.

 

Should I feel bad about killing these guys?

On the sound front, the game opts for a semi-immersive orchestral score that gives the game a classic military feel. The soundtrack doesn't feel far off from something like "Saving Private Ryan". Ironically, the soundtrack is the only thing that is unmistakably cinematic in the game.


In Conclusion:

Even if Medal of Honor is not as impressive today as it was at its release, it still manages to be mostly fun. That's due to its solid mechanics and great level/mission design. Too bad that while the game had its pulse on modern FPS game design, it didn't do anything worthwhile with its story and World War II setting.


Final: 7/10 (Neutral)

Yes it does

Pros:

• Highly important game for the use of World War II setting.
• Good variety of objectives.
  
• Innovative FPS gameplay that didn't age badly.

Cons:

• Lacks story and characterization.
  
• Very short draw distance.
• Too many dark levels. 

Tips:

1. Crouching helps you avoid being shot at the expense of mobility.
2. The free aim function is useful, so use it.
3. Listen to enemy footsteps to estimate their closeness to you.
4. Sound is your friend, especially when you can hear a nearby grenade clanging next to you.
5. There are plenty of health packs, so don't worry too much about getting shot.
6. Shooting enemy limbs causes them to stagger, so make sure to shoot first, and no need to ask any questions.

 

Introducing the new US immigration officers

Series:

For those reading one of my PS1 review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:

I already reviewed both major Generation 4 consoles and am now reviewing Generation 5 consoles. I already finished reviewing the Sega Saturn, so I am now reviewing the PS1. In these reviews, I take a top 100 games list and review the games that interest me in that list. This time, my review series is based on this list from Retro Sanctuary and other sources, since the PS1 can handle a list bigger than a top 100. 

Does the sun ever rise here?

Next Game:

There is no doubt that Medal of Honor was a hugely important game, and it is frankly nice enough to play today despite how much better FPS games have gotten. Unfortunately, I felt that it didn't have a good story or structure around it.

That is apparently resolved in the sequel, Medal of Honor: Underground, which sits at number 20 in the Retro Sanctuary list. Here is hoping for it to be a markedly better game.

Stay tuned to find out.

For Previous PS1 Game Reviews:

The List