Medal of Honor: Vanguard - hands-on

It's easy to think of Medal of Honor: Vanguard as the less-capable cousin of upcoming hit-to-be Medal of Honor: Airborne. Both drop you from shrapnel-ridden skies onto the smoking European theater below, but Vanguard's got to do it all without any next-gen horsepower. But after our hands-on time with the PS2 and Wii-exclusive shooter, we're feeling pretty good about cleaning out the Nazi infestation one last time before heading on to prettier, HD pastures.

As with all Honor games, the bullet points are the same - kill Nazis, sabotage their plans and, if possible, maybe kill some more on the way back out. New features should help Vanguard rise above mediocrity, however. Instead of searching for life packs and first aid kits, your health will now recharge if you duck and take it easy for a spell. Not the kind of realism the series prides itself on, but it does make the game more fun to play. The Allied forces can sprint now too, enabling you to haul ass across dangerous intersections without becoming ground beef. According to the developers, this run run-and-gun, get-to-cover style of play will make Vanguard feel much different than the games before it.

It's not all fast action though - Vanguard will reward players for planning out their attacks instead of rushing through, finger on the trigger. As a paratrooper you can guide your descent into the level and begin at any point. Your landing spot will determine how the enemy troops will counterattack and affect your overall battle plan.

It's easy to think of Medal of Honor: Vanguard as the less-capable cousin of upcoming hit-to-be Medal of Honor: Airborne. Both drop you from shrapnel-ridden skies onto the smoking European theater below, but Vanguard's got to do it all without any next-gen horsepower. But after our hands-on time with the PS2 and Wii-exclusive shooter, we're feeling pretty good about cleaning out the Nazi infestation one last time before heading on to prettier, HD pastures.

As with all Honor games, the bullet points are the same - kill Nazis, sabotage their plans and, if possible, maybe kill some more on the way back out. New features should help Vanguard rise above mediocrity, however. Instead of searching for life packs and first aid kits, your health will now recharge if you duck and take it easy for a spell. Not the kind of realism the series prides itself on, but it does make the game more fun to play. The Allied forces can sprint now too, enabling you to haul ass across dangerous intersections without becoming ground beef. According to the developers, this run run-and-gun, get-to-cover style of play will make Vanguard feel much different than the games before it.

It's not all fast action though - Vanguard will reward players for planning out their attacks instead of rushing through, finger on the trigger. As a paratrooper you can guide your descent into the level and begin at any point. Your landing spot will determine how the enemy troops will counterattack and affect your overall battle plan.

Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE.