Short campaign, outdated graphics and somewhat re-hashed game play doesn't make this game memorable enough.
Graphics: 6
Sounds: 8
Value: 7
Tilt: 6
Medal of Honor: Breakthrough is the second expansion pack to the massively popular Medal of Honor: Allied Assault campaign. Considering that both Allied Assault and Spearhead concentrated predominantly on the European theatre, Breakthrough is based in Africa and Italy hence bringing in a fresh approach to the World War II FPS genre. However the short campaign, outdated graphics and somewhat re-hashed game play doesn't make this game unique enough to become a memorable experience.
You play the role of Sgt. John Baker of the famed US 34th Infantry Division where like the previous two MoH games, getting the opportunity to re-enact the campaigns that can be regarded as turning points of the war. Therefore Sgt Baker will face the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the fall of Bizerte, the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino and lastly defending Anzio, Italy. Plus keeping up the Medal of Honor experience, once you have completed each of these three large missions will entitled you to earn all the prestigious Medal of Honor badges to add to your collection. A further medal can be added for completing the entire campaign on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels.
Keeping on the experience that made Allied Assault popular, expect Breakthrough to have the same intense fire fights therefore you'll constantly be outgunned and outmanned. But all is not lost as you'll get the opportunity to man mounted machine guns on the back of jeeps (which requires pure luck than skill), have fellow allies to fight alongside you (and die just as fast) and complete those stealthy missions (which ultimately results in mowing down hundreds of Germans before the mission ends). So as you can see that nothing has really changed yet there are some few new innovations that bring sparks to the somewhat rehashed game play. These innovations are searching for mines (using a mine detector) and showing papers (note: these are different papers from the previous MoH games). Very exciting stuff don't you agree?
The once all powerful Quake III engine is now showing its age as Breakthrough is now a sight for sore eyes. Yet considering this engine is famed to be highly changeable, it's sad to see that the developers made no attempts to even ramp up the landscapes as it really feels like the same European locations save the different colours. Thankfully though, the maps are very large and well designed therefore you will have a sense of adventure trotting from one end of the map to the other. At times when I can see the end of the mission up ahead, I normally run back to the start of the map only to walk the entire distance to admire the 'handywork' I have done yet it's purely a novelty than anything else.
On the other hand the sound quality is still top-notch as there are a few new scores that are tailored to this game hence made it somewhat a class on its own. Other noticeable features are Italian spoken AIs, more ambience sounds like crackling fires and sparks from overhead wires will make the player feel for the game instead of playing in the game. And if you have invested quality speakers, Breakthrough has some really cool surround sounds effects that at times will make you swing your head away from the screen only to realise these sounds are actually produced from the game itself.
Being an expansion pack, don't expect epic length campaigns. There are three main campaigns to complete and each of these three campaigns has approximately two to three parts for which consist of approximately four missions. That said, expect to invest probably four to six hours to complete the single player campaign. Thankfully though, the online feature has an additional game mode called Liberation where it's very similar to the favourite 'Jailbreak'. The premise is basically a death match style form when once killed only to spawn at the enemy's jail. The player can only be saved by his team mates when opening the jail cell and the only way to end the game is when the entire team is in jail.
Breakthrough promises new locations that in principle spark up to that ever-saturated WW2 European theatre yet predominantly only uses rehashed graphics, sounds and game play. Also considering the highly anticipated Call of Duty is around the corner really makes you feel that Breakthrough is more of a cash cow than a sparkling new chapter to the Medal of Honor series. It's a shame that the final chapter ended like this so I can only recommend this game to the die hard MoH fans otherwise save a couple of bucks and get Call of Duty or instead get the MoH War Chest for the complete MoHAA package.