Medal of Honor: Warfighter Review

The class support actions don’t dominate the shooting gameplay. They are relatively infrequent but still prove useful. Support actions include; smoke screens, mortars, missiles, remote robots and Apaches. The UAV is launched by throwing a small aeroplane that flies forward and circles around. You will need to be in the right place, facing the intended direction, to use it effectively. Spec Ops can deploy radar jammers that disorientate enemy mini maps. Blackhawk helicopters fly to specific locations and allow your team to quickly return to battle. To reduce effectiveness, normal gunfire destroys Blackhawks and the gunner can be shot out. The support actions expand the idiosyncrasies of each class while maintaining the balance.

The best Fireteam gets extra tokens and the coveted fist bump animation

The multiplayer maps are well designed for concentrated battles. They omit superfluous detail and are crafted specifically for multiplayer. The Sarajevo stadium map brings the battle around a war torn Luge track. The Basilian Aftermath map is a water logged, post-tsunami map. There is a good variety of layouts and atmospheres in the eight launch maps. Sector Control (Domination) and Team Deathmatch modes are satisfying circular experiences on all maps. Combat mission, just like Rush in BF3, strings together bomb targets that extend the battle arenas. There are multiple locations to plant explosives too, forcing defenders to cover the entire objective area. The map design allows attackers to flank objectives although some do it better than others. With proven modes on good maps, the multiplayer remains engaging.

Warfighter is inconsistent with its use of the incredible Frostbite 2 engine. Some missions look ordinary, with grass materializing before your eyes. Others showcase the strengths; great lighting, wonderful animations and powerful sound. Excellent ambient audio and soldier chatter bring the multiplayer alive. The wonderful destruction effects are mostly absent, only a few wooden crates and fences can be destroyed. The game runs very well, but there are technical problems. Online play can have unexplained lag resulting in players disconnecting or warping. There are also random crashes, server delays and end of round glitches. Overall, Warfighter is a good looking game that performs adequately.

You can paint weapons a dazzling array of colors. That's what real soldiers do

Medal of Honor: Warfighter reverses the strengths and weaknesses of its predecessor. Single player is probably one of the worst shooters this generation. The disjointed campaign comprises of stupid AI and superficial breaching. The multiplayer is in another league, with enough differences to make it stand out from the saturated genre. The differences aren’t merely cosmetic and can be further appreciated the more you play. Warfighter’s shelf life might not be long, given the already low player count. It will depend on how EA supports it going forward. If you need a modern shooter to scratch that online itch, Warfighter might be a short term solution.