Medal of Honor: Airborne

What’s the Story?

As a U.S. paratrooper in MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBORNE, part of Electronic Arts' popular World War II shooter series, you land wherever you like -- be it on the ground within the safety zone, or on a rooftop inside of an Axis stronghold -- and then combat the enemy troops by following one of a few paths to victory. The objectives can be completed in whichever order you choose. The game begins with Operation Husky, where you'll drop into a Sicilian village, and ends with a climactic fight in and around a huge vertical concrete tower in Germany Once you're on the ground, however, the core gameplay will be familiar to previous Medal of Honor players: skulking around with a first-person perspective, swapping guns and grenades, and analyzing the environment with help from an onscreen map that indicates where the allied and enemy troops are.

Is It Any Good?

You can choose weapons to suit your objectives and unlock upgrades by performing impressive moves, including taking down four or five enemies at a time. This adds an interesting role-playing game-like element to the action. Keep in mind, however, that some weapons have serious recoil, which can make them harder to aim and fire repeatedly. Along with the eight- to 10-hour single-player campaign, Medal of Honor: Airborne offers a handful of multiplayer modes for up to 12 players over the Internet, including Team Deathmatch and Objective Airborne.

Medal of Honor: Airborne is an engrossing military action experience -- especially the second half of the story and team-based online modes -- that proves to be one of the best in the franchise to date.