If you think about World War II and the D-Day invasion of Normandy Beach, it’s hard not to feel somber. It was one of the most crucial battles ever fought, with literally the future of the world at stake. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died on both sides as the Allies forced their way onto mainland Europe, which was firmly in the grip of the Axis aggressors. It was a defining moment for the United States, the world, and the 20th century.
It also makes for a great video game. Medal of Honor Frontline is a first-person shooter that uses the power of the Xbox to drop you right in the middle of an extremely realistic WWII battle situation. Medal of Honor Frontline puts you in the government-issue shoes of one Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson, who has been assigned to storm the beaches at Normandy. If the stakes of the D-Day invasion aren’t high enough, his unit has also been ordered to locate and steal the HO-IX, a prototype flying-wing style jet aircraft that could change the course of the war if the Germans are allowed to perfect it. And in case you’re wondering, yes, the search for the Nazi’s flying wing is historically accurate.
Commence Operation: Overlord
Medal of Honor Frontline begins with the actual landing at Normandy. As Patterson, you are ferried up to the shore and dumped into the middle of one of the most intense firefights in history. The action is fast and furious as enemy snipers and machine gunners rain bullets down on you and your buddies while all around officers bark orders, grunts call for covering fire, and wounded men cry out for medics. Your objectives evolve and change as each stage of the battle plays out; you must clear a path for pinned down soldiers, then retrieve the demolitions expert so he can blow a hole in the barbed wire, then help your captain clear out the machine gunners who are shredding your boys on the beach. Each new task is presented to you by your superiors, sometimes in mid-battle, but you can always review incomplete goals or take hints from HQ by pressing the Back button.
The game spans six separate missions and 20 distinct levels. The action is always aggressively gritty, bleak, and entirely appropriate for a game that attempts to recreate the horrors of a WWII battlefield. All weapons are authentic for the era. You have access to over 20 WWII beauties like the M1 rifle, the Browning Automatic Rifle, and the reliable Colt .45 sidearm. You can also pick up and use enemy weapons such as the Nazi Gewehr 43 sniper rifle and the Panzershreck Rocket Launcher.
The sign says No Parking, goose-stepper.
Medal of Honor Frontline is primarily a high-octane action shooter, but it also features stealth missions that require you to slip past the enemy without engaging them in battle. Sometimes you have to protect a fellow soldier so that he can do his job, or create a distraction inside the enemy stronghold so that your unit can move on. The important thing for Patterson (and you) to remember is that you’re part of an army, and each soldier has a specific job to do. Sometimes you’re the hero, drawing enemy fire or shooting it out with them face-to-face; other times, your role is less central, but just as important to the overall success of your mission and the survival of your unit.
As Patterson, you also get to drive vehicles you encounter on the field, including trains, rail cars, and mine carts. Medal of Honor Frontline on the Xbox also adds a customizable Multiplayer death-match option, enabling four players to participate in the carnage without the distracting clash of massive armies that characterizes the single-player game.
Halt! Who goes there?
Medal of Honor Frontline is an extremely immersive experience that picks you up and carries you along with it. Even though we all know who won Battle of Normandy, there’s still nothing quite as exciting as fighting it yourself. The free world may no longer hang in the balance, but Medal of Honor Frontline has made every effort to keep the conflict as gripping and important as it was back in the day.
