Bad Habits - Geeked - July 07 2005
You’ve likely seen the commercials for European Assault, the latest in the Medal of Honor franchise, and thought for a fleeting moment that this video game might actually help you to understand the Allies’ heroism in World War II. Relax. This game doesn’t do that. It is pretty fun, however, even despite all its limitations.
European Assault is a fairly standard first-person shooter in the Counter-Strike vein. It’s a game where maps are for exploring, goals are given and must be met, and everything furthers the fairly thin storyline, where you’ll take the part of U.S. Army Lt. William Holt. As a new OSS recruit, you’ll go with British, American and Russian troops as they re-enact four famous missions, climaxing during the Battle of the Bulge.
There are a couple of twists that make the game interesting. Do something heroic, and you’ll get rewarded right at that moment. Heal your own team or efficiently kill the enemy, and watch your adrenaline meter go up. High adrenaline means time will slow down, you’ll be harder to kill, and your ammo will run out less frequently. But as interesting as these features are, they also detract from the game’s realism.
Yes, it’s nice that keeping your teammates alive can reward you, but what we’re missing are the more gritty aspects of war. Can we have a guy’s adrenaline meter drop when scary things are happening all around him? Or how about if, when the meter goes up, it gets harder to shoot because your hands are shaking? Weather effects? Equipment shortages? Gonorrhea’s effects on the troops after taking a French town? These are the elements that would make the game truly interesting. Sadly, though, the plot-driven nature of the title prevents this. While the maps’ open nature means that there are lots of ways to get to the same place, there’s only one place to get to.
But not all is lacking. The graphics in this game are amazing. Characters and objects are clearly rendered, even if some of the soldiers’ faces aren’t all that impressive, and the backgrounds are so lush and detailed that you’ll really feel as though you’re in Europe. And while the pictures are pretty, the sound will absolutely blow you away. It really will - especially on a console equipped with a surround-sound system. You’ll hear the explosions around you and feel the war. OK, occasionally the sound slips out of sync, but it’s not enough to take you out of the game once you’re in it.
Once you’re in it, though, you won’t be there too long. Even though there are four battles to cover, there are only 11 maps. Granted, these 11 maps are fun, and even challenging. But no matter how you slice it, they are still merely 11 maps. That ain’t a lot of game, and given the lack of the other features, you’d think EA would have thrown in more to play with. Even so, you’ll have a good time with this one; just don’t waste your money buying it. European Assault has “rental” written all over it.
WHAT’S COOL: Graphics and sound that make you feel like you’re actually fighting in WWII; controls are easy to master.
WHAT’S UNCOOL: No online component means you have to actually see your friends to kill them; not a lot of depth; plot-driven elements weaken the fun.