Medal of Honor: Frontline

Gameplay

Frontline is a first-person shooter where players take control of the protagonist player character in a first-person perspective where they fight through levels set during the Second World War against the Wehrmacht using historical weaponry of the era, performing a series of military operations. Briefings take place at the start of each mission, which advance the plot and introduce new characters. Each mission is structured through a number of linear levels, each with differing locations, levels of action and styles of gameplay. Initially the player character begins on the frontlines during D-Day backed up by other computer AI-controlled soldiers with an emphasis on fast action-orientated gun-based gameplay. As the story progress however, the player character is sent on a variety of other missions including a number of covert and undercover operations in locations such as military based, German-occupied towns and manors, submarines and countryside settings. The player character is tasked with objectives during levels that range from infiltration, espionage, rescue and recon. Because of the variety between missions and locations, gameplay also changes pace. While many missions involve Allied assaults on German targets others include elements of stealth and exploration. For example, one selections of missions has the player detach from an allied raid to infiltrate a German U-Boat in order to get to a secret facility while another has them rendezvous and sneak into a German headquarters in disguise to rescue an operative. Many missions are performed solo yet some include an AI companion for backup. Health is determined by a health bar that can be replenished using a selection of "medikits" found throughout levels with varying degrees of effect.

During missions, players can earn medals by the end of each level be meeting requirements such as completions of objectives, eliminating an amount of enemies and maintaining a percentage of health throughout, all represented by a bronze, silver or gold star.

Plot

Frontline starts with Lieutenant James Steven "Jimmy" Patterson storming Omaha Beach as a part of Operation Overlord, (It is considered that the introduction to the game is taken from the film Saving Private Ryan) after which the OSS sends him to disrupt German U-boat operations. The OSS discovers that the Germans are building a secret weapon, but their contact in the Dutch Resistance goes missing. As a result, Lt. Patterson joins up with the 82nd Airborne during Operation Market Garden to find him. After finding the contact and rescuing him from German custody, the OSS learns that the secret weapon is a highly advanced jet fighter called HO-IX. Lt. Patterson embarks to destroy the aircraft, however en route he has to cross the Nijmegen Bridge, disarm explosives, and send supplies to the British 1st Airborne in Arnhem. The OSS track down the man in charge of building the fighter (An SS Hauptsturmführer named Rudolf Ulbricht von Sturmgeist). Lt. Patterson is sent to Emmerich to track Sturmgeist, but once aboard the SS Officer's personal train, Patterson is unable to catch him before he is able to escape. Even though the man-hunt for Sturmgeist was fruitless, Lt. Patterson manages to destroy a vital German supplies coach. Lt. Patterson infiltrates the secret airfield outside Gotha where the fighter is held, cripples German aircraft production, fights and kills Sturmgeist, and escapes the airfield using the HO-IX.

Development

For Medal of Honor: Frontline, "EA LA decided to make Patterson the star of the D-Day level in order to streamline the plot and eliminate the confusion of switching main characters."

Soundtrack

Medal of Honor: Frontline Original Soundtrack Recording is the soundtrack album for the game. The music was composed by the award-winning Michael Giacchino in the Spring of 2001. The score was performed by the Northwest Sinfonia and recorded by Steve Smith at the Bastyr Chapel outside Seattle, between the 11th and 15 June 2001. At over 70 minutes, and written for an 80-piece orchestra, in addition to a full chorus, this was the most ambitious score in the series to date.

Different from the score releases of Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor: Underground, the CD album for Frontline was not made available through Amazon, but only through EA Games' online store. A digital release was followed in 2005, three years after the game's release.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Scott Langteau; all music composed by Michael Giacchino.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.

High-definition remaster

At E3 2010, a high-definition version of Frontline was announced. The remastered version of Frontline was included in the PlayStation 3 version of Medal of Honor (2010) with updated gameplay options and also trophies support and remastered with high-definition graphics. The player has the option to play with the classic gameplay, such as dual stick turning/strafing controls and dual button weapon switching, or modern based gameplay with iron sights, single stick looking and strafing, and button press crouching controls. In August 2011, Frontline was released for PlayStation Network.