Medal of Honor: Frontline

Medal of Honor: Frontline
North American cover art
Developer(s)	EA Los Angeles
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	Michael Giacchino
Series	Medal of Honor
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 NA May 28, 2002 EU June 7, 2002 Xbox & GameCube NA November 10, 2002 EU December 6, 2002 PlayStation 3 NA October 12, 2010 EU October 15, 2010
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, Split-screen Multi-player (GC, Xbox)
Rating(s)	CERO: C ELSPA: 15+ ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 12+
Media/distribution	DVD 2 x GameCube disc

Medal of Honor: Frontline is the fourth game in the Medal of Honor series, and was published by Electronic Arts. The player character in the game is that of Lt. Jimmy Patterson, from the American OSS. Frontline chronicles Patterson's journey as he fights his way across Europe into Nazi Germany during World War II. Frontline was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 on May 28, 2002 and for the Xbox and GameCube consoles on November 10, 2002.

Development

For Medal of Honor: Frontline, "EA LA decided to make Patterson the star of the D-Day level in order to streamline the plot and eliminate the confusion of switching main characters."

Gameplay

In Frontline, the player takes on a first person view and fights as an American OSS operative in D-Day. There are six missions in Frontline, each made up of several smaller levels. Briefings take place at the start of each mission, which advance the plot and introduce new characters. The smaller missions take place in a linear path, with the player fighting through towns and countryside, killing enemies and completing objectives. Objectives are explained to the character in a smaller briefing before each level, which prepares the player for that particular mission. The "War Room" serves as the game's main menu, and is reminiscent of Britain's secret underground intelligence bunkers during WWII.

Like other Medal of Honor games, Frontline allows the player to earn medals as they complete certain requirements:

• Army Commendation Medal
• Soldier's Medal
• Dutch WWII Commemorative Cross
• Legion of Merit
• Distinguished Service Flying Cross
• Army Distinguished Service Medal
• Distinguished Service Cross
• Bronze Star
• Silver Star

One of the more popular game play aspects was the use of historically accurate speeches and footage. One example is the appearance of the Soldiers poem right before the opening level on D-Day. This poem is well known by many who play the game.

Plot

Frontline starts with Lt. Jimmy Patterson storming Omaha Beach as a part of Operation Overlord, after which the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) sends him to disrupt German U-boat operations. The OSS discovers that the Germans are building a secret weapon, but their contact in the Dutch Resistance goes missing. As a result, Lt. Patterson joins up with the 82nd Airborne during Operation Market Garden to find him. After finding the contact and rescuing him from German custody, the OSS learns that the secret weapon is a highly advanced jet fighter called HO-IX. Lt. Patterson embarks to destroy the aircraft, however en route he has to cross the Nijmegen Bridge, disarm explosives, and send supplies to the British 1st Airborne in Arnhem. The OSS track down the man in charge of building the fighter (an SS officer called Sturmgeist). Lt. Patterson is sent to Emmerich to track Sturmgeist, but once aboard the SS Officer's personal train, Patterson is unable to catch him before he is able to escape. Even though the man-hunt for Sturmgeist was fruitless, Lt. Patterson manages to destroy a vital German supplies cache. Lt. Patterson infiltrates the secret airfield outside Gotha where the fighter is held, cripples German aircraft production, fights and kills Sturmgeist, and escapes the airfield using the HO-IX.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	86.61% (PS2) 78.59% (Xbox) 78.58% (GC)
Metacritic	88/100 (PS2) 81/100 (Xbox) 80/100 (GC)
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	B+
Eurogamer	10/10
IGN	PS2: 8/10 Xbox:7.9/10 Gamecube:7.9/10 PS3: 6/10

Medal of Honor: Frontline was met with mostly positive reviews. The game received a rating of 8.0 out of 10 (PS2 version) from IGN, stating, "[An] unbelievably good combination of good graphics, good gameplay and excellent music combine to create an unparalleled experience..." It received a rating of 9.0 out of 10 (PS2 version) from Gamespot, which praised the level design, graphics and gameplay. Gamespot also commented on the audio, saying, "Frontline has some of the best music and sound effects of any game, on any console, or on any gaming platform for that matter." The PS2 version was rated the highest. Play Magazine awarded the game 10 out of 10. Playstation Magazine also awarded Frontline 10 out of 10, with the reviewer calling it, "One of the most incredible experiences I have ever had with a game."

GamePro wrote that, "Frontline revolves around the heroics of Lt. Jimmy Patterson (Medal of Honor's original star)... While the overall goal is the HO-IX, Patterson frequently stops to help out as Operation Market Garden (the Allies' infamous paratrooper assault... Patterson is seen in both Nijmegen and Arnem) takes place all around him. He storms Arnhem alongside British airborne troops, infiltrates a German armored train, rescues a prisoner from a Nazi-held manor, demolishes a U-boat, and much more. You truly get the sense that you're a cog in a much bigger machine, and it's both refreshing and enjoyable that, for once, you're not the caricatured hero with the only chance of saving the day."

HD Edition

At E3 2010 Frontline was announced alongside Dead Space: Extraction to be released alongside their consecutive games. The remastered version of Frontline was included in the PlayStation 3 version of Medal of Honor with updated gameplay options and also trophies support and remastered with High Definition Graphics, The player when starting a new game has the option to play with the classic gameplay or modern gameplay similar to Sonic Generations.[1] In August 2011 Frontline was released as a digital download title for the Playstation network. [2] The product has since remained an exclusive for Playstation 3

External links

• Official site
• Medal of Honor: Frontline at the Internet Movie Database
• Medal of Honor: Frontline at MobyGames