Medal of Honor games frenzy

Today Electronic Arts announced a new expansion for Allied Assault like Spearhead and a full-blown sequel to Allied Assault known as Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. The announcement follows last weeks unveiling of two new console-based MoH-games. Are you just as confused as we are? No need to fear, we take a look at the games based on the known facts.

Although Electronic Arts seem to milk the Medal of Honor concept, lots of cool new features are indeed on the way, and WW2 addicts will surely be happy about the prospects.

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

One of the most memorable moments in Allied Assault: D-Day. In Pacific Assault that will be the Pearl Harbor attack

Next January EA will release a sequel to the extremely successful PC game Allied Assault, which will be named Pacific Assault. The game will start during the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor and will then follow the battles during the first two years of the war in the Pacific. This looks like a tactical choice as it leaves enough historical room for at least one Pacific Assault expansion later on.

The game will share a lot of the artwork and locations with the console based Medal of Honor games, but will follow the successful approach to gameplay that Allied Assault had. There will be grand scripted events and lots of historical accuracy. For example you have to save lives while chaos reigns during the Pearl Harbor attack. You must also shoot down planes and torpedoes. Then you move on to other famous battles like Guadalcanal and as a new feature the soldiers in your squad will follow you. This might just add a little extra spice to the atmosphere, and personally I'm looking forward to less anonymous teammates.

But the coolest feature of them all might be the way your character will evolve during the war. Although it doesn't seem to affect your skills, your character will change appearance in the cut-scenes from being a green recruit to looking like a real battle-hardened veteran. The game will also feature multiple paths to choose from. EA have changed a lot of the graphic engine, too, which will now be able to handle more objects onscreen and new effects like a flamethrower.

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault expansion pack

The Allied Assault expansion will feature the North African campaign. Maybe we get the chance to beat Rommel?

Electronic Arts have also confirmed that a new expansion for the PC game Allied Assault will be ready summer 2003. The first expansion, Spearhead, was released in November 2002.

The new expansion is still unnamed but will take place in North Africa and Italy. Since EA have their hands full with Pacific Assault an external studio, TKO Software, will develop the expansion. The studio is headed by Justin Chin, the designer behind Jedi Knight amongst other games.

The good news is that this new expansion will be considerably longer that Spearhead and that the expansion will introduce a new multiplayer mode.

Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun and follow-up

Rising Sun, falling standards

Rising Sun was announced last week and is a console only game. The game is the first of two games that are connected with overlapping stories. They feature two brothers, Donny and Joseph Griffin, who are separated during a firefight. Hence each game follows one of the brother's experiences in World War 2.

The first game, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, which will be released this fall, will thus feature Marine Corporal Joseph Griffin. He survives the attack on Pearl Harbor, leads the assault of Guadalcanal, and finally rescues his brother from a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines.

A new and exciting feature is the new co-op multiplayer mode. Players can also earn awards and medals for their meritorious service in defeating the enemy.
Finally you can go prone and fight Japanese soldiers with your bayonet. Additionally there will be night fighting in the jungle, where you can only see enemies by their muzzle-flash, and you must beware of dangerous animals like alligators which can attack you.

Rising Sun will be released fall 2003 and the sequel featuring Donny Griffin will be released one year later.