Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is a response of the Electronic Arts LA developers to the commercial success of both of the previous games in the series, including the console Medal of Honor: Frontline. Contrary to its predecessor, this game transfers the player from the European theatre of war to the waters of Pacific, forcing him to take part in the blood events of years 1941-45, namely the American-Japanese war.

Those fond of shooting between slanted eyes will assume the role of an American corporal, Joseph Griffin, who takes part in most of the famous battles of the war. In the 9 missions, the player will visit Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Philippines, Singapore, and the Khwae Noi river with its famous bridge. The task to do are typical: infiltration of the enemy territory, stealing documents, blowing up targets, rescuing prisoners, and so on. Every mission is preceded by an intro read by the narrator and is embellished with so-it-would seem authentic pictures. After that, the player goes into action, where everything depends on Griffin whom he controls. Well, almost everything. At times, he may call upon the American units wandering about. It is worth it to perform the tasks given as well as possible, because we are accountable for them. Perfect operations are awarded with three types of medals which, in turn, unlock many hidden bonuses which greatly complement the gameplay.

In order to survive in the extreme conditions, we need weapons. The player's arsenal consists of 12 items, among which we can find pistols, submachine guns and machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, and a bazooka. All this junk has its counterparts in the real world, of course, and some of it was available to test out in MOH: Frontline (Browning, Springfield, Thompson). Heavy equipment is a great addition. At the very beginning of the game, we use a huge anti-aircraft gun, trying to hit Japanese "zeroes". The soldier's inventory is complemented by all kinds of "regenerators" of life energy: food, small and big bandages, and the most effective surgical kits.

Single player campaign's con is that it is repetitive. That's when the multiplayer comes into the picture. Rising Sun has a very interesting one, starting with cooperative mode in split-screen, through four-players death match, to eight-players team match.

The audiovisual layer of the game doesn't deviate from what we could already see in MOH: Frontline. The graphics and the animation are somehow worse than the Xbox and GameCube versions, although it isn't so bad. There are some pleasant effects, such as clear, waving water, fluttering leaves on the trees, and changing weather conditions. The game audio was recorded in the Dolby Surround Pro Logic II system, and sounds really convincing. The developers let the Japanese soldiers speak in their native language, thanks to which everything not only looks, but also sounds authentic. For that reason and because of the violence scenes, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is not suitable for a present for small kids, and is intended for the players above 12 years of age.

Last updated on 15 December 2014