While the current shooter market might be saturated with titles, Danger Close are keen to prove they have something the competition don’t – heart.
Our preview event began with Preacher and the rest of Tier 1 leading an assult on Abu Sayaff fighters in a flooded hotel in a desperate bid to rescue a group of hostages. Now powered by the Frostbite 2.0 engine, Medal of Honor looks stunning. In fact, not only does the game look sharp, but combat is now as visceral as it ever has been. Once in, the mayhem begins. Wood chippings, reflections in the water, fire – everything runs smoothly and thanks to the engine, the whole ordeal comes off without a shimmer of slow-down or frame rate issues. Combat is the same as it ever was – let’s face it – it’s a shooter. That said, Danger Close were keen to show off a new, and authentic, military technique used which incorporates a dual reticle on the weapon shown. Using the traditional scope, players can fire at a distance and remain, if they chose to do so, further away from combat, whereas flipping the gun over onto its left means players can utlilise a shorter lens. This reduces the reticle to the point where it would resemble an MG rather than an M4 – tearing through the opposition.
Approaching doors now introduces a new breaching mechanic that again Danger Close were eager to point out. Working in a smiliar vein to Rainbow Six, players can choose which method of entry suits the circumstances best. Options included flashbangs, kicking down the door and explosive entry. Of course, instead of offering up frenetic gameplay once breached, the game automatically cuts to slow motion as you pick off scalps with a warm gun – an all-too familiar feature that had us yawning from ear to ear.
While the presentation ran, TGL couldn’t help but notice a rather mysterious figure playing the game. Later quizzed by TGL, it turns out EA have brought ex-military man Taylor Grey in an effort to elevate the title above the norm. Grey gave us a quick recap of his career in the military and confided in us that he’s working with Danger Close to make this as authentic as possible. Asked about the emphasis on authenticity, Grey assured us that the dev team want the game to remain as “authentic as possible”, and that they “don’t want to gloss over the cost of human life”. Whether this will ultimately impact on the actions or emotions of players is yet to be seen, because let’s face it – an FPS with any sort of tangable emotion is about as rare as footage of Richard Simmons working a 15 hour shift in a coal mine.
The demo concluded as Tier 1 leads an escape with the liberated hostages. An on the rails moment, players take control of a grenade launcher mounted on a boat. Bouncing and bobbing through a now flooded region in an effort to escape the overwhelming enemies, Tier 1 race to safety. Danger Close were keen to pointed out that, amidst the mayhem, the water physics and technology is directly from their own studio. Built specifically for the game, but still looking rather rough, you can probably expect this in future titles that bear the Frostbite 2.0 engine.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter hits stores this October, and with sales of goliath rival Modern Warfare 3 down on previous installments, it looks like the public’s need for dramatic FPS title is appeased slightly. Medal of Honor: Warfighter promises not only a change, but something real and personal. If indeed it sticks to this ethos, it could prove to be something you shouldn’t miss.
