This game is getting shit on across the board, but does it
actually deserve all the criticism?
Medal of Honor: Warfighter is the fourteenth game in the
first person shooter series that has been around since 1999. The last game, published in 2010 was a decent
entry in the franchise, but it was overshadowed by two of the year’s other big
shooters; Halo Reach and Call of Duty Black Ops. This year, developer Danger Close is looking
to show the world that the Medal of Honor series is still an FPS series to be
reckoned with.
The campaign of Warfighter puts you in the shoes of two Tier
1 Operators, named Stump and Preacher.
While we don’t get much insight into Stump’s character, the main
protagonist is Preacher, and we get to witness him trying to balance his
crumbling family life and his need to be a soldier. Not many shooters try to put emotion into
their storylines, and even fewer succeed, but Warfighter definitely tugs at
your heartstrings a few times throughout its six hour campaign. While the narrative is a bit jarring at
times, and the flashbacks within flashbacks can get convoluted, the overall
presentation of the story is satisfying, and is wrapped up very neatly, if not
a bit abrupt.
Aside from having a good story, the campaign features some
wonderful missions and exhilarating action set-pieces. Right from the beginning, you are thrust into
a situation that goes wrong, and you must fight your way out amidst explosions,
helicopters, and enemy gunfire. This is
easily one of the best openings to an action game I have played in the past
year, and even though the campaign unfortunately never reaches the same level
of excitement after this point, it serves as a good indication of what is to
come. Besides the other action-heavy
moments in the game, there are also a handful of very well done driving
sequences. These sections, although
relatively brief, serve as a nice change of pace from the familiar run-and-gun
gameplay, and include a noteworthy stealth mission.
The game also looks beautiful. The Frostbite 2 engine is put on full display
here, and this is probably the best looking console game since last year’s
Battlefield 3 (also on the Frostbite 2 engine).
The CGI cut scenes of Preacher and his family are scary-good, and the
lighting and particle effects create a wonderful atmosphere. The sound design is top notch as well, from
the pounding rain to the gunfire and explosions. The voice acting is filled with the usual
military jargon, but the delivery is fine and believable, so it won’t take you
out of the experience, even if you may not be 100% sure what is going on.
The gameplay is solid as well. The default control scheme is in the same
vein as most modern console shooters, but why fix what isn’t broken? Movement is fluid for the most part, and
although there are bugs, they will not distract you enough to take you out of
the game. Warfighter also has some more
unique features, such as the ability to slide and lean in and out of cover. While these aren’t completely original or
redefining, they are nice little additions that can come in pretty handy if you
use them well.
Along with the campaign, Warfighter also features incredibly
detailed multiplayer. There are five
modes including standard team death match and objective-based modes. The handful of close-quarter maps are diverse
and (for the most part) well designed. While
the multiplayer splits you into two teams (there is no free-for-all mode), you
are also split into “fireteams” within your team, each containing up to two
people. This game mechanic separates Warfighter’s
multiplayer from other modern military shooters, and influences the gameplay in
a huge way. Your fireteam partner is
referred to as your “buddy”, and players that work together will have a huge
advantage. Your buddy serves as a mobile
spawn point, so if you don’t feel like spawning all the way back at your base,
you can drop right into the action if you choose. Your buddy can also replenish your ammo and
health if you are close enough to him.
There are no “killstreaks” in this game, but there are “pointstreaks”,
offering three levels of rewards, each with a defensive and offensive option
(such as a smokescreen for defense or mortar strike for offense). While this is a great feature in and of
itself, the buddy system actually plays a big role in it as well. Every time your buddy spawns on you or gets a
kill, YOU get points towards your streak.
Healing each other and replenishing ammo gives you points, as well. Of course, you can still play lone-wolf style
and completely ignore your fireteam partner, but you will be at an extreme
disadvantage.
Where the multiplayer really shines, though, is in its
customization options. There are six
classes to choose from, each with their own unique weapons, pointstreaks, and
special abilities (the Heavy Gunner, for example, can equip armor, giving him a
little extra health that could come in handy in a firefight). The first in customizing your soldier is choosing
your nationality, and as you progress, you can designate a more specific title
(i.e. United States Special Forces).
And then there’s the guns.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter features a plethora of weaponry,
all of which feature multiple customization options. Unlike most shooters, where weapon
attachments have minimal or no impact on gunplay, choosing the right
attachments here is crucial to success.
If you want to be stealthy at the cost of doing less damage, you need to
customize your weapon accordingly.
Unlock progression is a little slower than other shooters, but every
unlock feels well deserved, and even if you don’t end up using it, testing it
out is always a good idea.
While all these facets make for an engaging multiplayer
experience, when you get right down to it, the multiplayer is just pure
FUN; challenging, but fun. Make no mistake; most people will not have a
5.55 kill death ratio or anything crazy like that which they can achieve in
games like Call of Duty, but every kill feels earned, and most deaths are
because you or your team made a mistake.
The challenge is part of what makes the multiplayer so engaging, and the
tactical aspects help separate it from the crowd.
Despite all this praise, I do have a bit of criticism.
I’ll start with the campaign. While I did enjoy the story, it offers
nothing new to the genre and featured one-too-many clichés. The A.I. is also a bit shoddy, and while
their accuracy is good enough to pose a decent challenge, enemies will
sometimes run straight into your gunfire.
As for the multiplayer, there is one main issue:
spawning. The spawn system in Warfighter
needs a little bit of work, and soon.
The base spawn points are fairly easy to camp, and if one team works
their way across the map fast enough and sets up, it is nearly impossible for
the other team to get out of their spawn.
As mentioned above, you do have
the option to buddy spawn, BUT you cannot do so if they have been spotted by
the enemy. Another issue with the
spawning is that every once in a while, you will spawn with your gun “down”,
meaning you have no weapon on the screen, but are vulnerable to gunfire. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does,
it can result in a cheap death. These
issues could easily be fixed with a spawn protection system, but one has yet to
be implemented.
The other gripes about multiplayer are very minor. Some of the starting weapons are terrible, causing you to lose every
gunfight unless you start shooting the other guy first. Once you start to unlock other weapons and
attachments, this becomes a non-issue, but is a minor annoyance that may turn
newcomers off immediately. Camping is
also a bit of an issue, due to the fact that some of the favorite spots feature
only one way in or out, and are therefore very easy to defend.
All in all, Medal of Honor: Warfighter is a very enjoyable
shooter that is getting a lot of undeserved grief. Is it the best modern military shooter out
there? No, but it is certainly better
than most reviews make it out to be. If
you are a fan of fast-paced, tactical action, you should definitely give
Warfighter a try.
7.8/10
