Dear Journal,

Today I saved the world from some smelly terrorist.

In discussing the previous Medal of Honor I made the comparison more than once that Call of Duty was like any of Michael Bay’s many explosion filled films where as MOH was more along the lines of Saving Private Ryan or The Hurt Locker. Yes, there is action and explosions to still be had, that is just part of war, but that there was far more substance to the new Medal of Honor than its main competition. Warfighter doesn’t compare to the first game but the story and characters still have far more depth to than then other franchises.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter doesn’t change up the script much at all. It is, at the core, a pretty generic military FPS much like all the other ones before it. There are a few fairly cinematic moments thrown in, and a few levels that do a great job of heightening your sense of urgency but nothing compared to its predecessor and often it drops the ball entirely.

The first true level of the game is an example of this. I died roughly nine or ten times in the first thirty seconds of the game because apparently I was going slightly more to the left than I was supposed to and being picked off by a sniper that wasn’t actually visible until later in the level. This type of thing seemed to happen a few times, being shot at by enemies not actually visible that is. Though it may have also been a side effect of not being able to use my full TV screen (which is high definition but also still square; it’s a weird TV, don’t ask). Though I’m convinced there were several times when it just wasn’t possible to see the enemies. MOH does seem to struggle with visuals far more than a game of this caliber should.

The other main times the game stutters almost to a halt involve driving. There are a couple of driving levels, one that tires to incorporate some sort of stealth mechanism into it, and they both are pretty horrible experiences. The controls are “ok” at best and the levels just aren’t much fun.

Beyond that the game is a little to fragmented as it jumps from one character to another. This isn’t outright bad, but it does make it hard to keep track of what story and what character you are following at any given point.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter still manages to have a far more engaging story than the Modern Warfare series though. Mostly because the game’s story is grounded far more in reality, with plot structure rather than explosions. While there is no epic moment in Warfighter like there was in the first Medal of Honor (for me the level in the first MOH where you and your squad are pinned down as an entire mountain of insurgents descends on you will always be a great moment in gaming in my mind), you still care about the characters you are with/playing as. This is most evident in one scene involving the Preacher’s family, but no spoilers on that.

Ultimately, Medal of Honor: Warfighter isn’t bad; it just isn’t all that exceptional either. A solid story and familiar game mechanics make it worth playing through, but so much about Warfighter makes it feel like it is just a place-holder till the next game in the series. By no means is the game’s roughly five-six hour campaign worth paying full price for, but if you enjoyed the first MOH you should certainly keep your eye out for this to hit the right price.

Tomorrow I take a trip through Disney’s history in Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion.

Final Rating: 7/10

CBR Break Down:
Console Played On: Xbox 360
Time to completion: Around 6 hours
Gamer Score Earned: 450/1000
Price Bought at: $34.99
Current Price: $28.49 (Amazon)
Recommend Purchase Price: $19.99 if you plan to play online as well. Less if you don’t.
Why you should buy it: Story mostly.
Why you shouldn’t buy it: In many ways, you’ve played this game before.

Check out all the Backlog Quest II journal entries!