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> Results: Medal of Honor Heroes 2
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by Michael Anderson
January 17, 2008
Return to World War II ... again.
Reviewed for PSP, Wii.
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The original < href=http://www.gamerdad.com/detail.cfm?itemID=3443>Medal of Honor Heroes for the PSP was a solid albeit short game with fairly good controls for a PSP shooter. If we were to dream of a sequel, we would hope for some improvements in the graphics, sound, and load times. We would certainly hope that the game would be considerably longer with many more optional 'side-trips' to make the game feel less linear. But we honestly couldn't hope for much in terms of the controls. In general this sequel delivers a better looking, better playing and somewhat artificially longer experience than the original - but it also grinds out loads of frustrating genre cliches that make it feel tired and dated. I am not saying that World War II shooters need to go away - they just need to stop doing things this way.
Perhaps the best thing about the original is the best thing about the sequel - multiplayer. Featuring the standard Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Infiltration (fancy Capture the Flag) modes, PSP gamers can engage in battles of up to thirty-two players! And it works quite well, with very little lag even with a full load of players. In terms of the controls - the original game had decent controls for a PSP shooter, and the sequel is somewhat better. You will still struggle against them throughout, but the optional aim-assist helps things out without becoming too much of a crutch. It is about as good as can be expected on the PSP's limited control scheme. Recently I posted a blog rant on GamingWithChildren.com regarding 'die and retry', and Medal of Honor Heroes 2 was the feature game of the article. That is why I call the game 'artificially longer' - it is a very short game made longer due to a game design that depends on you persisting to retry areas that are only beatable with certain foreknowledge that must be gained through repeated deaths. It is ugly, lazy and frustrating game design, and it nearly ruins the experience. Medal of Honor Heroes 2 remains a solid and fun shooter with decent single-player and multiplayer modes, but it feels like the end of the line - any new game in the genre needs to do something different to avoid the seeming death-spiral that has a grip on WWII shooters.
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is fast-paced, immersive and full of frantic action. In the Medal of Honor tradition, while you often have allies around you, it is ultimately up to you to take out an entire regiment of Nazi troops Rambo-style. There is no reward for strategy or tactics other than staying alive longer. This is a game that is all about shooting the other guy quicker than he shoots you. It is a perfect T-rated shooter that also fits perfectly with a 14+ GamerDad Age Seal. What the game lacks in blood and gore is made up by visceral action and a frenetic pace.
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> Results: Medal of Honor Heroes 2
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