Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead PC Review

Well we’ve done the OSS, what about the Paratroops? MOHAA:S brings you back into WW2, not as Mike Powell, but as Sgt. Barnes of the paratroops. This game is another 1.2GB off your hard disk gone. But what the heck- If it’s anything like MOHAA it’s got to be good. Well… I put the CD in, click install, it doesn’t work! I get worried, go on the ‘net, find info… have to download a 4 hour nVidia driver patch! Try again… works! Yahoo!

No introduction this time, sadly, but a slightly spruced up menu (alas, no titles). I started the game in Normandy (where D-day was) and a nice Commandos style movie comes up explaining the situation, then a long loading time.

The game fades in and you’re in a plane. The door is open and clouds rush past. The guy in front of you seems to have dozed off, and they say war is all action. Yep – it’s D-day again. Eventually everyone stands up and hooks up onto the bar on the roof, then they check the person in front of them to see if they are okay for the jump. Then out you go through the door. When I got out through the door and saw what was happening I thought, ‘What the hell?’ And quite rightly too, there were planes everywhere, paratroopers gliding down, flak spraying up at you from below, explosions, men falling, trees, a river, and a barn roof placed precariously beneath you… oh crap. With a deafening crash I go through this roof and get trapped by the parachute staying on the roof. Then a grenade gets thrown in, and I think I’m doomed. But then the grenade explodes… and green gas pours out of it… crap. Luckily it’s just Nazi coloured smoke, I cut free from my parachute and pop the Nazis only to find I hardly have any ammo. After jumping out of the top window I run through a river getting myself wet. Then I have to man a mounted flak cannon, which is a nice change, and mow down men, trees and a truck.

I won’t give any more away about that mission, except it’s erm… good. But the second mission is the second best ever – Omaha Beach beats it by a few miles.

Bastogne… yes… that brings Band of Brothers to mind. And guess what – It’s the same as Band of Brothers this part. You have the foxholes, you have the trenches, you have the artillery and trees falling, but you have to guard the line. I find this MG42 on the ground and I find I can pick it up, so I pick it up… take it to the line… unpack it… mow down a few hundred Nazis. Pack up, move to the left flank, unpack, mow down a few hundred Nazis, pack up, go to the right flank again, unpack, mow down a few hundred Nazis… mission over. Cool.

This three mission game is very well put together – with controllable flak 88s, machine guns etc. it takes you further into WW2 than any other game. A bit short, but worth it.

Summary:

Graphics
Not much improvement on MOHAA, since it’s the same engine.

Gameplay
Total immersion into WW2.

Sound
The same as in the original MOHAA.

Lifespan
Too short lived unfortunately.

Overall
Same loved action but it’s too short and ends too quickly. Can be completed in one day.

8 out of 10