So I discovered the first Medal of Honor is a PS1-exclusive first person shooter, so I got curious and decided to check it out. And, I think it holds up remarkably well. In my Alien Resurrection review, I made a following statement:
the game was the first, or at least one of the earliest games to utilize dual stick control scheme which has become a standard in modern gaming
I might have exaggerated when I said “the game was the first”. Medal of Honor does feature a preset that allows for one stick to move, and the other to move the camera if you have a Dualshock controller. There are probably earlier examples of these controls that I’m not aware of (also, I’m talking about double analog controls in the context of a first person shooter, I know Ape Escape exists). Anyway, I thought these controls worked pretty well. Of course, just aiming with the camera isn’t precise or advisable, since there’s no reticle. That’s where aiming mode comes in, press and hold the left stick to aim. The game is inspired quite a bit by Rare’s Goldeneye 007, and it shows. I thought standing still and aiming while taking shots would be detrimental, but it worked fine in the end, and you can lean slightly left or right if you tilt the pressed stick, although it’s more for aiming accuracy rather than dodging. There are “stealth” missions where you act as a spy, you’re required to “shoot” your documents to make people let you pass and to avoid suspicion, although some people of higher ranking can bust you. Failing doesn’t result in an instant failure and isn’t severe enough, which I’m thankful for, although it’s still better to be sneaky. I’m also thankful that there are only a three of these levels in the entire game.
There’s a decent variety of weapons, although your arsenal changes from mission to mission. In one level you get a sniper rifle, in the other, a rocket launcher. There are a few minor things I like about combat. For one, the enemies will actually try to use your grenades against you or just kick them out of the way. It’s satisfying to throw a grenade, then stun them with a regular shot so that the grenade explodes in their hand. Although, the AI isn’t always smart about them, as they can kick a grenade towards a wall, bouncing back at them. Another small touch I like, is that the helmets are actually protective. I thought it was a neat thing in Darkest of Days, but I discovered this game did it MUCH earlier. It’s a mechanic I don’t see very often in First Person Shooters (not that I’ve played that many). The difficulty is mostly smooth, there aren’t any checkpoints, but there are rarely moments of frustration when you lose, actually, some levels are pretty short. That being said, it does get pretty tough towards the end, which automatic rifle men tearing you apart in seconds, and rocket launcher enemies, colliding with a rocket is pretty much an instant death, which does feel a bit much.
The graphics are actually pretty nice, the characters are well animated, and there are plenty for being hit in different areas. The framerate is mostly steady, with rare instances where there are many enemies that slow down the game. The only issue I have with the presentation is the draw distance, it’s not very far. Usually, it’s not actually an issue, but it can be difficult to spot enemies, like in that mine level towards the end where you have an open area and a rocket guy on the bridge, whom you can’t see and pick from the distance. And they can just bamboozle you from bad eyesight. When zooming in using a sniper rifle, you can see the geometry popping in and it still doesn’t give you much of visibility. The music and sound effects are cinematic, which I guess is to be expected from a Steven Spielberg production. And I’m not complaining, it sounds unique.
Overall, I had a surprisingly good and fun time with Medal of Honor for the Playstation. I can call this game a classic, the dual stick controls work well, the presentation is nice, and the gameplay is enjoyable. If you’re a fan of first person shooters, and especially if you’re a fan of retro games, this first entry into popular series may surprise you.
the game was the first, or at least one of the earliest games to utilize dual stick control scheme which has become a standard in modern gaming
I might have exaggerated when I said “the game was the first”. Medal of Honor does feature a preset that allows for one stick to move, and the other to move the camera if you have a Dualshock controller. There are probably earlier examples of these controls that I’m not aware of (also, I’m talking about double analog controls in the context of a first person shooter, I know Ape Escape exists). Anyway, I thought these controls worked pretty well. Of course, just aiming with the camera isn’t precise or advisable, since there’s no reticle. That’s where aiming mode comes in, press and hold the left stick to aim. The game is inspired quite a bit by Rare’s Goldeneye 007, and it shows. I thought standing still and aiming while taking shots would be detrimental, but it worked fine in the end, and you can lean slightly left or right if you tilt the pressed stick, although it’s more for aiming accuracy rather than dodging. There are “stealth” missions where you act as a spy, you’re required to “shoot” your documents to make people let you pass and to avoid suspicion, although some people of higher ranking can bust you. Failing doesn’t result in an instant failure and isn’t severe enough, which I’m thankful for, although it’s still better to be sneaky. I’m also thankful that there are only a three of these levels in the entire game.
There’s a decent variety of weapons, although your arsenal changes from mission to mission. In one level you get a sniper rifle, in the other, a rocket launcher. There are a few minor things I like about combat. For one, the enemies will actually try to use your grenades against you or just kick them out of the way. It’s satisfying to throw a grenade, then stun them with a regular shot so that the grenade explodes in their hand. Although, the AI isn’t always smart about them, as they can kick a grenade towards a wall, bouncing back at them. Another small touch I like, is that the helmets are actually protective. I thought it was a neat thing in Darkest of Days, but I discovered this game did it MUCH earlier. It’s a mechanic I don’t see very often in First Person Shooters (not that I’ve played that many). The difficulty is mostly smooth, there aren’t any checkpoints, but there are rarely moments of frustration when you lose, actually, some levels are pretty short. That being said, it does get pretty tough towards the end, which automatic rifle men tearing you apart in seconds, and rocket launcher enemies, colliding with a rocket is pretty much an instant death, which does feel a bit much.
The graphics are actually pretty nice, the characters are well animated, and there are plenty for being hit in different areas. The framerate is mostly steady, with rare instances where there are many enemies that slow down the game. The only issue I have with the presentation is the draw distance, it’s not very far. Usually, it’s not actually an issue, but it can be difficult to spot enemies, like in that mine level towards the end where you have an open area and a rocket guy on the bridge, whom you can’t see and pick from the distance. And they can just bamboozle you from bad eyesight. When zooming in using a sniper rifle, you can see the geometry popping in and it still doesn’t give you much of visibility. The music and sound effects are cinematic, which I guess is to be expected from a Steven Spielberg production. And I’m not complaining, it sounds unique.
Overall, I had a surprisingly good and fun time with Medal of Honor for the Playstation. I can call this game a classic, the dual stick controls work well, the presentation is nice, and the gameplay is enjoyable. If you’re a fan of first person shooters, and especially if you’re a fan of retro games, this first entry into popular series may surprise you.
thephilosopher
9 months ago