The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we turn the clocks back and take a peek at one of the PSOne’s most celebrated shooters – Medal of Honor.
——————-
Developer: Dreamworks Int.
Region(s) available: North America
Players: 1-2
Back in 1999, PlayStation owners were still clamouring for that quintessential FPS outing to help define the genre on Sony’s grey box just as Rare’s stonking GoldenEye 007 did for the Nintendo 64. For many, Dreamworks’ inaugural Medal of Honor title was the closest PSOne gamers would get to achieving such a feat. Featuring a story penned by legendary director Steven Spielberg, MoH would go on to sell by the bucket load and frequently found itself included on countless ‘Best of PlayStation’ lists more than a decade after release. It spawned countless sequels, establishing the brand as one of the premier war-themed FPSs next to Call of Duty.
Set during the last few months of World War II, the game plonks players in the boots of fellow OSS recruit Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson. Here, you’ll infiltrate Nazi-occupied territory to carry out varied mission objectives, ranging from sabotaging equipment, stealing documents and, naturally, dispatching copious amounts of enemy troops. Indeed, MoH’s template would become bread-and-butter for endless WWII-themed shooters over the next few years, and, while rudimentary by today’s standards, is still a competent, engrossing affair. As mentioned, the game’s objectives are a diverse bunch, and you’ll be hopping from one-man-army-antics to more stealthy tactics at the flip of a coin.
One time you may find yourself having to mow down a horde of gun-toting Nazis, while on another occasion, you’ll be stealing uniforms and utilizing forged papers to penetrate heavily guarded enemy instillations. Still, when the time comes to unloading lead upon your (hopefully) unsuspecting foes, there’s plenty of weapons that’ll get the job done. Throughout your journey, Patterson will get his mitts on a host of firearms, including bog-standard pistols and machine guns to more elaborate devices such as Bazookas and sniper rifles. Enemy AI is also surprisingly competent, and your opponents are far from the obtuse, fumbling foes you may have anticipated from a 10-year + game. They’ll react to gunshot and other sounds, and when on the attack, will provide cover for each other, lob grenades at you and dodge anything you throw back at them if given the chance.
Outside of the single-player campaign, MoH also chucks in a split-screen multiplayer mode that allows two players to blast holes in each other across various maps. Particularly noteworthy is the inclusion of various unlockable historic figures including William Shakespeare and Jose Rizal, as well as bizarre additions ranging from a German Shepherd dog to a Jurassic Park-inspired velociraptor. Evidently, Mr. Speilberg’s contributions extended beyond the game’s script.
Tune in again same time tomorrow as we once again go gallivanting around Inside PlayStation Network.