Medal of Honor European Assault™ has landed on American shores, and it's up to you and your squad to blast through wave upon wave of Nazi soldiers in authentic locations throughout the European theater. The newest addition to the classic MoH franchise features all the signature action and gritty combat the series is known for, while introducing new tricks to keep trigger-happy infantrymen busy for hours on end. Wield a variety of World War II weapons as you command fellow troops to each objective. That's right—there's a crew of A.I. buddies to help you fight the good fight.
I spent some quality time getting down and dirty in the trenches. Not only is European Assault a blast to play, it's alsohard as hell. Here are a few tips to help you survive on the front lines.
Keep Your Head Down! Unlike your typical run-and-gun shooter, European Assault demands you bow down before its greatness. In fact, you need to drop behind cover periodically or get your brains splattered all over the sandbags. In a typical combat scenario, you enter a hot zone crawling with enemy troops. As you approach their entrenched position, you encounter a hornet's nest of hot lead. Gerrys mercilessly shower machine gun fire on you and your troops, so if you're sniffing daisies in the middle of the battlefield, you'll soon be pushing them up.
The X button serves as your "down" button, whereas the Y button is your "up." In other words, hit X to crouch, then again to lay prone. To get to your feet, press Y to cycle through each stance on the way up. While standing, the Y button makes you jump. It's easier to hit targets when you're low to the ground anyway, so suck it up and hit the dirt if you want to last more than 30 seconds!
Aim more accurately by using the "iron sights" feature. Tug the left trigger and your vision zooms in on your rifle's sights. In this mode, your feet are firmly planted to the ground, but you have the ability to peek around cover and pop up to squeeze off a quick shot. Get familiar with the iron sights, because it's your best tool for picking off Nazis at a distance.
Increase your accuracy by using the iron sights.
The Right Weapon for the Right Job It's fun to rat-a-tat off a full magazine with a Tommy gun, but if your target is halfway across a train yard, you might want to switch to a more accurate weapon. Consider how much ammunition you have on hand. There's no use being stingy with your bullets, so grab a gun from a fallen foe.
Nothing instills more dread in a G.I. than the plaintive "click" of an empty rifle. Use the B button to cycle through your available weaponry. The A button reloads your current sidearm. Remember that you cannot reload the M1 Garand until after you fire off the seventh shot in the clip. The signature "ting!" means the magazine is empty. Take cover and reload, and never run blindly into unknown territory with anything less than a full clip.
Grenades are highly useful for loosening up a crowd of Nazis. Press up on the directional pad to select your pineapples, and pull the right trigger to throw. The longer you hold or "prime" the grenade, the longer it cooks. Why shorten the fuse? The instant your foes hear the sound of a bouncing betty, they dive for cover—or worse, throw it back! Cook the grenade for a few seconds so your enemies have less time to react. Press and hold the A button to cook a grenade (but don't hold it too long). Try it the next time you crash a swastika party or bump into an evil Nemesis mini-boss.
Complete secondary objectives for bonuses.
Brothers in Arms Similar to another recent WWII shooter (*cough*), you command your squad on the battlefield. Aim your reticule where you want them to move, andthen click the left thumbstick. Your troops rush to their new position and take up arms. You're still responsible for being the hero, but a little backup in the form of extra firepower never hurts.
Your teammates, sadly, aren't invincible. Although they're hardy and can take immense amounts of punishment, if left unattended too long they'll be headed home in body bags. Amass a small stockpile of med kits, and then heal an injured man by walking up to him and pressing the A button at the prompt. Remember you're not a medic, so you only have a limited number of kits—kits that might be best used on yourself. However, complete the mission objectives with all your men intact and you receive combat bonuses in the form of extra health packs. Plus, each time you heal a fellow soldier, you add to your adrenaline meter. Which brings me to my next point …
Heroically put a bullet through an enemy's head, heal an ally, or string off multiple kills to add to your adrenaline meter. Once this meter is full, you have a superpower at your disposal that makes you invincible and unstoppable for a short time. How—and when—you use this gift is up to you, but if you die before harnessing the adrenaline, the meter depletes itself. Don't waste the power on a single enemy (unless it's a Nemesis mini-boss), but save it up to clear out a nest of bad guys.
The authenticity of European Assault—from weapons to locations to squad-level tactics—puts you right on the battlefield during one of the bloodiest periods of WWII. These tips will help, but don't be surprised to find yourself replaying missions over again after a bad decision costs you your entire squad. Realistic, challenging, and rewarding, Medal of Honor European Assault is certainly a wargamer's delight.
