Medal of Honor: Vanguard on PS2 (2007)

Simpler, more streamlined and better then before

nated23 from Birmingham [Highly rated reviewer] , 21/04/2007

Medal of Honour: European Assault was way too complicated. All that rhubarb about 'open battlefields and adrenaline ( which made you invulnerable for a few seconds) just got on my nerves. But Vanguard, and I don't say this often, is a welcome step backwards for the series. It's classic MOH, linear, simple and tactical- a cheese sandwich to Call of Duty's walnut and Stilton focaccia roll.

The combat is measured and slow-paced; you dart from cover to cover and take control of the battlefield inch by inch, just as you would in a real war. I, er, would imagine.

The game follows the adventures of the 82nd airborne, a brave lot who helped capture Sicily from the Italians and parachuted directly into Germany towards the end of the war. There's some semblance of a plot but it's pretty inconsequential, serving only to set the scene than craft any kind of driving

narrative.

As ever, the levels are all based on real battles- namely, operations Husky,Market Garden and Varsity in Italy,Holland, Germany respectively. It's refreshing to shoot someone other than Nazis for a change. The first mission sees you slotting Italians, for instance. Radically different I know.

The objectives are comprised of assault's on Nazis strongholds, blowing up

tanks and planting charges on AA guns. It's all a bit predictable and it's been done a hundred times before but it's strangely endearing, a good old-fashioned FPS without any sodding vehicle sections or ruddy rhythm action mini-games.

Shame it's so drab, though. The levels are bland and featureless and the textures are so flat they might as well not even be there. There are some nice bits- the parachute drops for example, which boast gorgeous sunlight effects and draw distances- but really does look awful and it'll put a lot of people off. But don't be graphics-obsessed fool because Vanguard is rather good. Some of the set-pieces are raucous, thrilling affairs, with bullets clattering all over the place and shells exploding. It's also got some of the best battlefield screaming Ive ever heard- the desperate, echoing cries of the Germans is enough to give you nightmares.

Vanguard isn't a very exciting game. It's just a good one. But it's too short. there are only ten levels and you can easily finish it in a day, leaving it feeling a bit like an expansion pack to a bigger, better game. In some respects it is, because the forthcoming MOH: Airborne om Ps3 features the same locations and mission, only with a different main character and obviously, next gen innovations. Vanguard is like a warm-up for the MOH- Series return to form. Well, I hope it will be.

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okay

A customer from cornwall england , 04/10/2007

not to bad a game although did not take me long to complete

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little short on missions

A customer from forest of dean, england , 29/01/2008

this game was good while it lasted. i took only 4 hours to complete it and send it back. it could have done with a couple of extra missions or at least made the existing ones slightly harder.

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Simpler, more streamlined and better then before

nated23 from Birmingham [Highly rated reviewer] , 21/04/2007

Medal of Honour: European Assault was way too complicated. All that rhubarb about 'open battlefields and adrenaline ( which made you invulnerable for a few seconds) just got on my nerves. But Vanguard, and I don't say this often, is a welcome step backwards for the series. It's classic MOH, linear, simple and tactical- a cheese sandwich to Call of Duty's walnut and Stilton focaccia roll.

The combat is measured and slow-paced; you dart from cover to cover and take control of the battlefield inch by inch, just as you would in a real war. I, er, would imagine.

The game follows the adventures of the 82nd airborne, a brave lot who helped capture Sicily from the Italians and parachuted directly into Germany towards the end of the war. There's some semblance of a plot but it's pretty inconsequential, serving only to set the scene than craft any kind of driving

narrative.

As ever, the levels are all based on real battles- namely, operations Husky,Market Garden and Varsity in Italy,Holland, Germany respectively. It's refreshing to shoot someone other than Nazis for a change. The first mission sees you slotting Italians, for instance. Radically different I know.

The objectives are comprised of assault's on Nazis strongholds, blowing up

tanks and planting charges on AA guns. It's all a bit predictable and it's been done a hundred times before but it's strangely endearing, a good old-fashioned FPS without any sodding vehicle sections or ruddy rhythm action mini-games.

Shame it's so drab, though. The levels are bland and featureless and the textures are so flat they might as well not even be there. There are some nice bits- the parachute drops for example, which boast gorgeous sunlight effects and draw distances- but really does look awful and it'll put a lot of people off. But don't be graphics-obsessed fool because Vanguard is rather good. Some of the set-pieces are raucous, thrilling affairs, with bullets clattering all over the place and shells exploding. It's also got some of the best battlefield screaming Ive ever heard- the desperate, echoing cries of the Germans is enough to give you nightmares.

Vanguard isn't a very exciting game. It's just a good one. But it's too short. there are only ten levels and you can easily finish it in a day, leaving it feeling a bit like an expansion pack to a bigger, better game. In some respects it is, because the forthcoming MOH: Airborne om Ps3 features the same locations and mission, only with a different main character and obviously, next gen innovations. Vanguard is like a warm-up for the MOH- Series return to form. Well, I hope it will be.

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