Medal of Shit

[MinionZombie]

Yeah ive dodged this one too, back in the good ole playstation PSX days, medal of honour was the shit, i loved that game.. but its just aged badly, declined over the years and been far surpassed by call of duty. I was interested to play the new MoH ... but then I saw the reviews. The scores aren't a big turn off - what really turned me off was them going on about all the levels being the same and too realistic. I might play it some time when it's in the bargain bin, but I'll play the new CoD long before that - although I won't be paying £45 for the new CoD. That insanely cynical cash-grab of an extra five quid that kicked off part-way through the pre-order stage of COD:MW2 last year was a piss take (although I'd pre-ordered before the price hike). I dislike how CoD has become this yearly franchise - it's become a monolith - it's too big for its own good, and there does really need to be a real contender to come along and freshen things up a bit, just like the first CoD did all those years ago. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault was the tits, that's for sure, and I really enjoyed Pacific Assault too - but those are the only two MoH games I've ever played. I was interested to play Airborne, but again the reviews put me off (as did footage on YouTube). It just looked worn out, really worn out, and the whole videogamey super Nazis thing was lame too. There was a nifty idea in there, but it was lost amidst mediocrity so it seems. I'll be interested to see how the new CoD fares. Treyarch did CoD3, which was shit with a couple of good bits, and World At War - which was a vast improvement over #3 (even if it still felt very much a videogame compared to MW1's interactive action war movie feel - so I'm hoping to see a similar jump between CoD5 and 7 from Treyarch this time around. It's interesting how the whole "Modern Warfare" (the time setting, I mean) has already become worn out ... just as MoH get off their arses and not do another WW2 game. Although just thinking about it, it's been ages since I last played a FPS game (for the first time I mean) ... I think the last new FPS I played was MW2. Ever since then it's been third person games (sandboxers and things like Alan Wake). So I don't play many FPS games in general and haven't done for quite a while, but I still enjoy the ones I do play, even if there are flaws to them individually and to the wider franchises and genre ... but I don't get all uber-snooty about it either. Practically every game is connected to its own monolithic franchise or developer or genre, or becomes attached to them, so it's not like CoD is the first game to get swamped in such a thing and it won't be the last. There's only so many things you can do, just like in filmmaking and music, it's just up to the devs to provide an enjoyable game that works properly and keeps you interested. You're not going to play every single game, just like you're not going to watch every single movie, and there are some types of movies you really enjoy so you watch them over and over again, or watch a lot of one genre or sub-genre - gaming is no different - so I don't understand some of the vitriol flying about here. The focus on multiplayer and DLC can fuck right off though. The single player should be the goddamned focus.

[ProfessorChaos]

that last sentence in your post makes absolute sense, MZ, and i think you nailed down a big part of why i'm so fucking worn out on the genre these days. seems the story and gameplay elements have taken a backseat to the "LETZ GET ONLINE AND PWN SUM NOOBZ" aspect. seriously, MW2 was total shit, the most outlandish inane single-player experience i've played in years. the whole focus these days is on the MP experience, and how to rake in the most $$ selling old maps from the last games as something new (like the map packs in MW2, the pre-order bonus of nazi zombies in black ops). i wouldn't mind playing an engaging, original FPS with a well-crafted story and decent gameplay, but when they just put new skins on a 6-hour campaign and add two or three things to the online play, it's just redundant and boring as hell to me. EDIT: and goddamn, i chuckle every time i see the title of this thread.

[MinionZombie]

I still rather enjoyed Modern Warfare 2, and have played it through several times, but yes indeed the Single Player campaign suffered as a result of the sheer focus on Multiplayer and DLC. All that 'old maps re-skinned and sold again' thing is a fucking joke too, and all this 'pre-order bonus this or that for MP' is also fucking annoying. MW2 did provide a very thrilling action experience with a tip-top look and a perfect sense of the "dramatic event!" ... but the plot was what suffered. There were huge plot holes throughout and it didn't make an awful lot of sense, and considering the end and that we'll apparently not get a MW3, it feels a bit 'left swinging in the wind' ... a second act without a closing third, you know? I never play MP, I don't have XBL anyway, and I cannot fathom people who buy a game like MW2 and never play the single player (there are some such folk out there) ... and it's this section of gamers that these titles are pandering too. The same people who mark a game down for not having multiplayer - you know what, not every fucking game needs multiplayer ... and the ironic thing is, these would be the same people who would bitch and moan about a game's MP being 'boring' or 'same as everything else' if it wasn't different enough. Well that's gonna happen if you flood the market with every goddamn game trying to do the multiplayer thing - and the sheer focus on amping up the MP content is retarded. All I ever see on IGN and Machinima on YouTube is videos for the fucking multiplayer of every goddamn game under the sun. The single player experience is decidedly in the back seat, and this is just nonsense. It's like someone not giving a bollocks about a film, and focussing on the 'advertising strategy' to sell all the other shit connected to it ... so kinda like Terminator Salvation then. All this MP and DLC obsession is going to come to a head some day, and I hope that will be soon, because it's piss annoying right now and has been for a very long time. And you know what - whatever the fuck happened to split screen gameplay? Multiplayer used to mean you and a buddy sat side-by-side on the same console playing the same game on the same screen and having a properly good time with the game. All this 'if I pwn enough noobz' shit has to fucking stop.

[MikePizzoff]

This has to be the best thread title of all the forums. I haven't played a Medal Of Honor game since Allied Assault for the PC. That game was the shit and my first big plunge into online gaming.

[darth los]

I was very diapointed in this game as well. To tell you how short it was I started it on friday night and finished it on saturday night on hard difficulty. It was also very glitchy at times and suffered from framerate issues. I know where you guys are coming from about every game in this genre being more of the same and cosmetically that might be this case but that's it. I know call of duty. Call of duty is a friend of mine. And you sir are no call of duty. (MOH)

[Mr. Clean]

I've already reserved Black Ops...I'm going to sqeeze a few more achievements out of MOH and then go to Gamestop and turn it in as credit towards Black Ops. The Online Pass code should discourge people from buying it used. You have to pay for the game then turn around and buy the passcode. Kinda smart for EA but a nightmare for Used Game Stores. I'll also add that normally I do not trade games into Gamestop but MOH just disappointed me so much that I'll take whatever money I can get back. Same with Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions or whatever it was called....I've loved every spiderman game until that one...made me sick...I played it for a total of 2 hours and took it to gamestop to get whatever money I could get out of it.

[SymphonicX]

I dont even get excited over the CoD games anymore, the plots got ridiculous in SP mode & the whole thing became about it just being a multiplayer frag fest, which was always quietly beaten by the "battlefield" games. Its a shame this Medal of Honor has turned out a bit crap, because I was hoping it would knock CoD down a peg or two. Anyway I'll stick to Arma 2 & its many add ons, its far more realistic than CoD & MoH could ever hope to be & isnt on rails either I agree totally, except the bit about ARMA cos I'm still trying to figure out what that acronym means - i'm not looking it up though Especially true is your point about them being beaten by the battlefield games, they were fantastic and actually a massive throw from the boring banality of MW2 ---------- Post added at 10:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 AM ---------- ....I've loved every spiderman game until that one...made me sick...I played it for a total of 2 hours and took it to gamestop to get whatever money I could get out of it. That's a massive shame - what was wrong with it exactly? I've LOVED every spider man game since Spiderman 2 game out for ps2 - fantastic free roaming and physics based combat, very enjoyable - best superhero games I've played I think. Spiderman 3 was OK but the real genius has came from games like Ultimate Spiderman and Web of Shadows (ultimate was the free roaming sequel and not the side scrolling one?) anyway, whatever, I've totally enjoyed them and its nice to read someone else felt the same - I was definitely looking into the new one for the futuristic new York map but you may have put me off a bit!

[Tricky]

I agree totally, except the bit about ARMA cos I'm still trying to figure out what that acronym means - i'm not looking it up though I think ARMA stands for Armed Assault, but yeah that game is ultra realistic with regards to the combat, one bullet from an enemy you didnt even see miles away can take you down or cripple you, the game world is an entire country which is completely open world, you can go where you want, and if you try to take on a patrol yourself you will definitely get taken out, plus its mostly squad based, sometimes you lead the squad & other times your under the command of an AI unit. If you remember the first "operation flashpoint:cold war crisis" game from 2001, its the proper second sequel to that, Bohemia interactive fell out with codemasters years back, so codemasters kept the "flashpoint" name, but bohemia kept the technology & game design. hence why codemaster released that crock of shit "operation flashpoint dragon rising" last year, which is nothing like how a flashpoint game should be, Arma 2 is where you'll find that

[ProfessorChaos]

...but the real genius has came from games like Ultimate Spiderman and Web of Shadows (ultimate was the free roaming sequel and not the side scrolling one?) anyway, whatever, I've totally enjoyed them and its nice to read someone else felt the same - I was definitely looking into the new one for the futuristic new York map but you may have put me off a bit! funny you should mention ultimate spider-man. just picked up a used copy yesterday for 6 bucks for the original xbox, thing looks brand new. although it's a bit weak in the graphics and i'm not a huge fan of some of the ultimate interpretations (such as the green goblin, who looks more like the hulk), it's still a fun game....probably due to the fact it's not a movie tie-in rushed to meet production dates. the swinging mechanics are a big step down compared to the spider-man 2 movie game, but i love mark bagley's art style for spidey (he was doing most of the artwork for ASM when i was a huge web-head as a teen)...now if only they'd make a free-roaming spider-man game with the updated graphics similar to bagley's found in USM, the swing mechanics of SM2, the fighting mechanics of SM:WoS, and stick to the classic spidey-mythology, it'd be the best spider-man game in history. seems like every spider-man game really shines in one or two particular areas, but sucks (or is a let-down at least) in every other aspect. as a lifelong spidey-fan, it really sucks to see just how badly activision has fucked up the video-game possibilities for this great character. back on topic, though....uh, yeah, fuck "medal of shit" never gonna bother with that one. the more i hear about it, the less interested i am in ever playing it.

[SymphonicX]

[QUOTE=Tricky;249115]I think ARMA stands for Armed Assault, but yeah that game is ultra realistic with regards to the combat, one bullet from an enemy you didnt even see miles away can take you down or cripple you, the game world is an entire country which is completely open world, you can go where you want, and if you try to take on a patrol yourself you will definitely get taken out, plus its mostly squad based, sometimes you lead the squad & other times your under the command of an AI unit. If you remember the first "operation flashpoint:cold war crisis" game from 2001, its the proper second sequel to that, Bohemia interactive fell out with codemasters years back, so codemasters kept the "flashpoint" name, but bohemia kept the technology & game design. hence why codemaster released that crock of shit "operation flashpoint dragon rising" last year, which is nothing like how a flashpoint game should be, Arma 2 is where you'll find that [/QUOTE Apologies for thread hijacking, I'll deal with MOH in a sec! So if I remember correctly there was a flashpoint game out a few years back for the 360 (or was it original xbox? could have been) - it was a squad based strategy combat FPS - the first level had me in the middle east driving a jeep - think that was the dodgy one you were talking about? Never enjoyed it, took it back after one level...ugh! Will have to check out armed assault as for MOH, the more I read, the worse it sounds and there's so many other games out there that are doing it better that I won't even entertain this new one...

[Tricky]

[Apologies for thread hijacking, I'll deal with MOH in a sec! So if I remember correctly there was a flashpoint game out a few years back for the 360 (or was it original xbox? could have been) - it was a squad based strategy combat FPS - the first level had me in the middle east driving a jeep - think that was the dodgy one you were talking about? Never enjoyed it, took it back after one level...ugh! Will have to check out armed assault It was released on Xbox I think, I never played the console version though & expect it was very much cut down from the PC version, does this screenie ring any bells? Despite looking a little rough in places, it was wildly advanced for its time & still has a strong community 9 years later! Arma 2 is a similar game, and a lot of the game engine & mechanics are the same, but with the benefits of 9 years graphics advancement etc. You need patience to play it, every button on the keyboard does something, and its not set piece after set piece as far as the action goes, its much slower paced, but when it kicks off, it definitely kicks off! Sorry for thread hijack!

[ProfessorChaos]

that's okay, i tried unsucessfully to do the same thing earlier talking about the spider-man games. and it seems nobody gives a shit about this medal of honor game.

[darth los]

Very underwhleming game. I can't think of a single thing it did well to make it stand out from the plethora of other shooters like it. Not a one.

[Mr. Clean]

That's a massive shame - what was wrong with it exactly? I've LOVED every spider man game since Spiderman 2 game out for ps2 - fantastic free roaming and physics based combat, very enjoyable - best superhero games I've played I think. Spiderman 3 was OK but the real genius has came from games like Ultimate Spiderman and Web of Shadows (ultimate was the free roaming sequel and not the side scrolling one?) anyway, whatever, I've totally enjoyed them and its nice to read someone else felt the same - I was definitely looking into the new one for the futuristic new York map but you may have put me off a bit! Well, For one...It wasn't a Sandbox Style(Free Roam) game and 2 it was super cartoonish. Sorta like it was designed for age groups 8-14.

[Wyldwraith]

Hmm, As far as major franchises went, I always go for the more sci-fi-ish FPS. Specifically, the older high-quality Unreals and Unreal Tournament were probably the apex of shooter for me. I liked many of the weapons, which had more to them because of their alternate firing modes, and it wasn't difficult to work in levels of all types. Something I wish they'd done more with was the Fantasy Sports Team-style running/management of competitive Bot-teams that you played the Captain of. Was a lot of potential there, but they just didn't follow through on it as the technology came along. Want to go way retro, there was always Heretic 1 & 2/Hexen. Of more interest to me lately have been the action-combat-open sandbox games with shooter elements, of which Prototype was a pretty solid and reasonably inventive example of. I agree that they need to stop flogging what rotten meat off the yellowed bones of the dead horse that is "realistic military shooters." Specifically WWII and contemporary settings. Even if they tighten up the design and bring to bear top end tech, you're just going to end up with something akin to Gears of War without monsters. (The having to constantly take over/function from cover/moving from cover-point to cover-point-type mechanism I mean). They need to either go back to what made shooters great and simply give us clean environments in which to frag each other in satisfying ways with cool weapons/weapon-centric modes of play. I dunno, maybe I was just easy to please, but I didn't see why anyone would need to stray from the Unreal-type models in making "classic" shooters. Well-made Devil May Cry-type games, especially with co-op and multiplayer options built in that are enjoyable and smooth in their operation are another under-exploited facet of the shooter subset of gaming. The major companies just need to realize we need and demand more than the next Call of Duty or Gears of War clone. If video games continue to creatively fossilize in the same manner that's all but ruined television and the movie industry I don't know what I'll do to maintain my sanity.