Medal of Honor Warfighter Review

 So I know it seems I am running behind on this review, it is because I really wanted to get some good stick time before I gave my opinion on the game. Setting aside what I have seen around the net, I felt the only true justice would be to play this game in full both in Single Player and Multiplayer.

So let’s start with the single player which is based on various past and current events including sniping the pirates out of the lifeboat from an US Navy Destroyer. I was a little underwhelmed by the single player only because of the length. I miss the games that you would have to play for days on end to complete. We actually did live broadcast the single player as we played through it and manage to finish it in a few sessions, but overall I feel it was short. I know this seems like a knock against Medal of Honor, and it is, but it seems to have become the accepted practice these days.

Outside of the length, there were some minor issues with freezing during single player. As I found out the second freeze happened right before the point where the campaign completed which was quite irritating to say the least. Also, the AI is a bit on the naïve side which seems to be the case in more and more games.

On the positive side, the graphics are rich throughout the game. I really enjoyed the attention to detail throughout the game. It made for a truly immersive effect for me, which I highly enjoy. I was taken by surprise when I had to drive vehicles including a level of evading. It was a nice break from the norm. The sniper mechanics were fantastic; I appreciate the fact that you had to factor in bullet drop to hit your targets.

I will say the check point system was surprisingly well thought out. Both of the game freezes I experienced were mid to late level and had I known that I would be able to pick up at the last checkpoint I probably would not have raged as much.

Over all the Single Player is rich in graphics and true to scenario gameplay, but almost too linear and short in my opinion. But I would still recommend it to my friends with no regrets at all.

Now let’s talk multiplayer. Now don’t get me wrong I enjoyed Battlefield 3, but I am sorry, Medal of Honor blows it out of the water. I know, I know, the comms are crap and by all means you cannot function effectively without proper communications. I blame this on the lack of a beta for PlayStation. I am only speculating that had there been a beta on PlayStation, they could have identified this issue before release.

To continue on the negative side of the multiplayer, I feel that the maps can be a bit small at times. I understand that you have a two-man fire team, but your full team is large enough for a larger map size. Now don’t go overboard of course, but I would like to see some larger open maps personally. The only other issue I really see is with the wealth of weapon unlocks, a majority of them seem to be more cosmetic than function. I mean who really wants three versions of the same magazine? And who’s idea was it that secondary weapons would have unlimited ammo? I would love to smack the guy that had this idea.

Our biggest gripe is that there is a lack of means to set up a match between two clans. We have voiced this directly to the team and it really hurts the extended playability that is paramount to keeping your players coming back for more. DLC can only do so much. Now we are hearing rumors through the moderators at Battlelog that private servers are coming in a few months, but why are we not seeing this day one. We had written this game off for tournaments because we were advised this was neither an option nor a priority.

Finally the other irritation I have is with the invite system, I love the idea of being able to send a mass invite, but could you limit it to only those online in Medal of Honor. I spent ten minutes apologizing to friends that did not even have the game after I sent a mass invite out.

Moving along to the positive side, well this is a surprise that the game was quite stable on release. I was able to dive right into the servers with no issues. The party system is pretty great. You are able to lock your fire team buddy so that you can stick together and joining a server is quite easy.

Once you are in-game, having the ability to adjust your loadouts according to the situation at hand is simple and actually quick. You are able to set up each of your soldiers loadouts before you are in a match, but if needed you are able to adjust it on the fly with little issue. I have noticed that every now and then it will switch you back to what you started with, but it only takes a second to switch it back.

The gun mechanics are pretty spot on, no gun seems to overpowered beyond the rage metered though I think there could be some minor adjustments here and there. I spend a lot of time sniping since that is my thing and I like how when you activate the supported function, you are limited in your movement.

Gunfights really do come down to skill in most situations and the PDM is not overly powerful such as the PMN was in Socom. With the secondary weapons having unlimited ammo, you have to be on your toes with your primary magazine. That point where your opponent runs out of ammo and switches to their secondary can mean life or death.

The modes are quite pleasing as well, you can opt to play a single mode or a couple of mixtures, but I would love to see a matchmaking option that includes all modes. I really enjoy Hot Spot and even Team Death Match. I have never been big on respawn games, but I can live with the respawn limit in many of the modes.

Outside of TDM, the modes do require that you use teamwork to really have any chance of winning. Especially in the bomb planting modes, you will find that the locations are well balanced with multiple plant options. Many of us remember the single plant in a circle set up in Socom making it very easy for the defending team to camp on that location from a few different angles.

With the varied plant locations, you are able to get in a blind spot and plant while giving you the ability to try and setup to defend your plant.

I could go on for days, but overall I am pleasantly surprised by the Multiplayer and actually look forward to playing with friends nightly. If we really do see private servers, the game will be worthy of tournament play and we will make sure to get the word out very quickly once it happens.

Overall I would recommend everyone give this game a good try. And if you are a PlayStation Plus member, you can hit up a one hour open trial. Strap on your boots boys, there’s a military shooter that needs your attention!!

Concept7/10
Graphics10/10
Sound10/10
Playability8/10
Entertainment7/10
Replay6/10

With the current issues we are rating this an 8 out of 10, but had there been private servers and the comms were working out of the gate this would have easily been a 9 out of 10 hands down!

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It’s All About the ‘BattleLog’, on Battlefield: 3

Story by: CritiKiL
First-off, I’d like to say that I hope everyone is enjoying the Battlefied: 3 Beta. I acquired it just yesterday and it seems like it’s going to be a really great game. But whats going to make this an even ‘greater’ game is definitely going to be, the BattleLog! The game Drops on 10/25/2011 for the PC, PS3 and of course XBox 360, and I strongly suggest that you fork-up the money for all that you’ll be getting! Here are just a Few of the things that is going to make this upcoming game, spectacular:
  • COM CENTER ~ Your friends list lives at the bottom of the page in the Com Center. There you can join their game and chat with them.
  • FRIENDS ACTIVITY FEEDGet instant reports when your friends unlock new weapons, get new awards or make plans for tonight’s game.
  • FINDING THE RIGHT SERVERSelect your favorite game modes, maps, and map sizes with the browser filter. Click a server you’d like to join alone or with friends.
  • INVITE YOUR FRIENDSDrag your friends from the Com Center to a Drop Zone and they will get an invite to join.
  • KEEPING UP TO DATEGame updates are automatically pushed to you. Use the Game Manager (‘bottom-menubar’ of BattleLog), to start the update process.
  • SHOW WHO YOU AREYour Profile is where other people come to see you. Your Soldiers, Stats, Favorite servers and your own personal Battle feed. 
  • NEVER PLAY ALONE ~ Join a platoon or create your own.
One more interesting point I’d like to make (not making any comparisons here!), but it’s interesting that with all we are getting with BattleLog, it’s FREE…and COD Elite is Charged (hmmmm ~ lol!) But if you want to get a True Comparison, check out this ‘Comparison Link’ below. There is no difference as they are both ‘comparisons’ to a video game:
Now, to Access the BattleLog, just click this link below:
DON’T FORGET TO WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW. It give’s an ‘in-depth’ look at the features and functionality of the free social platform Battlelog. Battlelog will change the way you play, track your stats, and interact with your friends in Battlefield 3.
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Oh Yea ~ Battlefield: 3 Has ‘Jets’!

Story by: CritiKiL
Watch this intense 64-player vehicle warfare, which includes…”Jets”! The video below is from the beautiful Battlefield 3 multiplayer map Caspian Border and it also marks the premier of jet gameplay as played at GamesCom 2011. The map: Caspian Border, is a multi-faceted, vehicle heavy map that exemplifies classic Battlefield gameplay. Yes, ‘Jets’ are Back! Check the video out for yourselves, and leave us a comment on what you think!
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Run For The Hills: ‘NFS: The Run’ (11/05/2011)…

Story by: CritiKiL
The First video trailer was named ‘Death from Above‘, you find yourself battling to be in first place through the streets of Chicago. In this next video, you’ll get a taste of the different environments from San Francsico to New York. Even the music in this latest trailer gets my attention of the thrill of racing in trying to be #One!
As ‘The Run’ streaks through the hills of Nevada, you find yourself at the heart of the pack. Battling with the unforgiving desert heat and technically demanding terrain, you must do everything you can to fight your way to the front. In the mist of all the action, superior graphics display of the environments as well as the fun of the game, nothing comes to your mind more than for you to remember to:

FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK!
COMING: NOVEMBER 15, 2011

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Urgent Frequency Ep. #87 – E3 Exclusive PRE 3 PODCAST

 

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Battlefield 3 Looks Gorgeous, Multiplayer Beta Announced

Courtesy Game Informer / EA press conference
by Jeff Marchiafava on June 06, 2011 at 03:55 PM

 

At EA’s press conference, DICE showed off the superior power of Battlefield 3’s Frostbite engine, announced a window for the multiplayer beta, and took a jab at Activision’s Call Of Duty: Elite pay service.

After seeing the live demo for Battlefield 3, it’s no surprise that EA chose to end its press conference with DICE’s upcoming shooter. Before starting the demo, the DICE rep showed off some of the advancements of the Frostbite 2.0 engine. The improvements include better animation (which is particularly evident in player transitions), better destruction (the video showed teaser clips of entire buildings crumbling to pieces), a larger sense of scale, and improved rendering (I’m still not convinced that the smoke animations are being handled in real time; they’re gorgeous). Oh yeah, the audio is improved too, but DICE is already the king in the sound department, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

DICE also took the time to mention its new Battlelog initiative, a set of social and stat-tracking tools that will be available online to Battlefield 3 players. The DICE rep stated with a smile that all of Battlelog’s options, which include finding online opponents, managing friends lists, and following your stats and achievements in real time, will be available to players free of charge — a clear shot across the bow at Activision’s recently announced pay service, Call Of Duty: Elite. Whether the two services will truly be comparable remains to be seen, but DICE has always been generous with the amount of statistics it offers players.

As for the actual demo, most of it took place inside of a tank rolling across a desert that appeared to be larger than anything I’ve seen in a Battlefield game yet. Although the tank’s HUD will look familiar to Bad Company 2 players, the demo sold the sense of the player actually being inside of a tank: Several times the player transitioned between different cameras attached to the turret and an overhead drone, and looked on as another passenger loaded giant shells into the barrel. The demo ended in a shower of explosions, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that they were the prettiest explosions I’ve ever seen in a video game.

If you can’t wait to play the game for yourself, the demo also revealed that the multiplayer beta will be available across multiple platforms starting in September; the game is scheduled to be released on October 25. We’ll be bringing you more on Battlefield 3 when we get some hands-on time with the game later this week.

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Urgent Frequency Ep. #73 CIO Shane Bell expalins WTF is going on in Urgent Fury!

Check out the latest episode of Urgent Fury's Sonic SITREP!

Tune in this week for a taste of PSNation.org’s recent interview w/ Matthew Pruitt of EA’s “Medal Of Honor”.

Hear the brand new UFreq Spoof Ad! It features our friends in Clan [AGW].

Find out how you can help our nation’s wounded veterans just for buying a lousy T-Shirt.

Plus….Urgent Fury CIO Shane Bell spills some of the beans about the recent changes within the community.

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Urgent Frequency Episode 68 – E3 The Debrief – Part Two and More

Part 2 is loaded with info about the South Hall at E3 including:

  • An exclusive interview with Craig Owens of EA
  • An exclusive interview with “Doc” of the Tester Season1
  • A round table with Owners Shane, AC and John along with special guest Bill F’kn Murray
  • How I owned the Devs of Medal of Honor
  • And a Prize Pack beyond any ever done with the new command at Urgent Fury
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E3 2010 Wrap Up, so much to do, so little time to do it all

As many know this is the first time that Urgent Fury has atteneded the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). This is a major step for Urgent Fury. In attendance were William Murray (FW’s Wolf Dog), Patrick Gross (Commander Claymore Fury) and myself, Shane Bell, CIO Urgent Fury. As you can imagine this was a major step for Urgent Fury. We spent time meeting with the major players in the industry with full acceptance as well as being snuffed by a major player as well.

Of course one of the most anticipated games for Urgent Fury is Socom 4 and yes we spent quite a bit of time with Zipper discussing this… we cannot reveal most of our discussions, but needless to say “WOW”. You will hear more in the podcasts coming up. I will say from my perspective (playing since S1) Socom is back with a Vengeance.

We also spent some much needed time with EA and DICE as they presented Medal of Honor’s Multiplayer to us. I will have to say that this is a great looking FPS for UF to add to our line up for 2010 – 2011.

Also in the mix we took a look at Brink from Bethesda which includes an intense Multiplayer as well. Though it is delayed for release in 2011 we will keep this in our scopes for some tournament play.

So of the biggest things, I will say that the debut of 3D gaming by PS3 and the 3DS are the leaders. Though many say it is a trend, I tend to disagree. Microsoft is still lagging behind in my opinion. They finally have added the built in wireless (about time) but still no Blu-Ray support, so you got to get that separate. And well no 3D either…

Patrick, WIll and Shane with Travis Steiner, Socom 4 Lead Designer Zipper Interactive

Everyone will be happy to know that you do not have to purchase a new PS3 to get 3D, it will come in the firmware updates. Also the addition of Playstation Plus for only $49.99 a year made its appearance at the Playstation Press Conference. Great price for lots of goodies, I recommend everyone gets it.

So this is a very short wrap up to the many things that came out of E3, be sure to listen to the upcoming Podcasts as we go into detail about all that was E3 and UF.

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