|
By Andy Matheson on November 3rd, 2001
Introduction Out of nowhere, EA and Dreamworks answered a question PSX fans were wondering for a good while. ’Will we ever have a 007-quality FPS on our PSX console?’ The answer was yes. Hell yes, as a matter of fact. EA brought out Medal of Honor, a game that drops you in WW2 fighting for the allies. The game combined great graphics, perfect controls, incredibly realistic sounds and gameplay just as good as 007. Enter MoH2. EA has kept the game engine, so it looks and controls the same, which is a good thing. You are now a female character, and the story is just as good as part one. Basically, EA took everything that was good about the first MoH, and improved it across the board. Presentation The menus are the best I have ever seen. There arent any. Instead, you get a ’War Room’. It has everything a menu normally does. Options, game modes, settings, etc. But it looks like an actual War Room. Its one of the many ways DreamWorks puts you right into the feel of the WW2-era. The FMVs are all black and white old war clips, awesome. Control wise, the same setup has been kept from MoH. The controls are a breeze to get down. You have basic d-pad movements with analog stick for looking around. Graphics & Sound The graphics in MoH2 are topnotch. The stages are all huge and have 0 load times after the initial load. Character models are all extremely well detailed. There is one sore spot and that is the backgrounds. In outside levels, the trees around you and in the distance are horrid. Characters wince in pain in the right spots also, just like the first game. Shoot someone in the arm, and they will hold their arm in pain. It adds alot of depth, because you gotta aim for lethal body parts. Aside from the minor background issues, theres nothing wrong with MoH2s graphics. Sound wise, there isnt a better sounding FPS on PSX. The Germans all run around screaming at each other in German. The guns all sound incredibly realistic. You hear a deep THUD when you get hit by a bullet. Music is pretty dramatic also. It all just adds to the overall awesome presentation of this game. Gameplay The great thing about MoH2 is the gameplay. Killing Nazis never gets old, especially with the solid graphics and excellent sound. The mission structure is just as good as the first, if not better. The mission objectives vary but not to the point of ridicule like other FPSs. You’ll spend most of the game running around, shooting Nazis and collecting ammo or other items for mission objectives. Theres a good selection of guns, and each one actually fires differently, and damages differently. A handgun will take about 4-5 body shots to kill someone, while a shotgun only takes one. The sniper rifle is back in all its glory, and it rules. The gameplay would get a perfect rating if it wasnt for one thing: difficulty. MoH2 gets insanely hard at the end. It sucks having to start a stage again cause you died at the end. The enemies later in the game dodge and roll away from shots with ease. Its awesome to just sit and watch them until you catch a bullet in the face. Lasting Appeal The 2 player mode is back, and adds new stages and characters. I just think the game moves too slow in 2 player. Its fun for awhile, but you wont buy this game for 2 player action. In the single player game, the missions are varied enough to keep you interested. Plus theres the rating stat that gives you medals/secrets for doing well. You’ll wanna replay each mission to get the best rating for those. After beating the game you unlock bonus missions, so thats even more replay value. Conclusion If you want a quality FPS on the PSX, the Medal of Honor games are pretty much your onlny choice. Quake 2 is only decent and gets old quick. medal of Honor 2 should be a $20 game now, and Medal of Honor 1 should be even cheaper, I recoomend both. | 
