EA takes online shooters in the right direction with Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 for the Wii.
Presentation:
The general presentation in this game is good, nothing more, nothing less. The menus are easy enough to navigate through, and the features are overwhelming. The online menu is a bit glitch, but it gets the job done. Getting into whatever type of game you want to is very easy and takes almost no time at all. The only complaint I had with the menus is that if you are using the Wii Zapper, then you have to use the A button to select things on the menu, which is kind of pain. EA should have definitely realized that the B button would have been better for the Wii Zapper controls when it came to menu navigation. Besides this slight drawback, the presentation works, that's all that needs to be said.
Graphics:
Whenever the topic of graphics comes up when dealing with this game, it usually leads to people flaming this game beyond all recognition for the fact that the graphics aren't good. I agree to a degree. The Wii's graphical capabilities are a lot better than what this game achieves, as we found out with games such as Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Mario Galaxy. However, when play this game, I think that it feels more like a 'starter game' for online games for the Wii. This makes me think that EA put a lot of work into the gameplay of the game, and less work into the graphics. The graphics leave you with a sense that, since the gameplay is dead on, that the developers wanted to make the gameplay perfect, and not worry about the graphics as much. I'm not saying that the graphics aren't good, however. The lighting effects and gun effects are pretty good for a WWII shooter, and like in most WWII shooters, the sun never seems to come out. In some places you will see leaves flying down all over the place, in others you will see potholes in the street and puddles on the sidewalk. The graphics and environments are good, but at times you think to yourself, "Wow, these could and should be a lot better." The graphics get what has to be done, done, but nothing really special and outstanding.
Sound:
The guns in this game make sounds that guns make. The people in this game make the sounds that people getting shot in the face make. The only sound that really jumps out at me as being really good is the music. When an intense part is going on and your health is low and your Wiimote is shaking, the music becomes intense. When you are trying to find a game online a nice orchestrated work repeats itself. It's pleasant, but if you play online as much as me, then it becomes annoying. Just find a game quick. The sound is good, but I feel it could be better with some more unique orchestrations, and maybe some different screams and orders from your soldiers and the Nazis.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is very interesting in this game, and there is a lot to talk about. For starters, control. The regular control in this game is fantastic once you get the hang of it. You use both the Wiimote and the Nunchuck. The Wiimote aims your guns, switches your weapons, zooms your weapon in, etc. The nun chuck is used for movement and crouching. If you use the Wii Zapper for anything other than Arcade mode, you will be sorry. It just doesn't work for this game because the game requires too many buttons, and to access the buttons you have to move your hands around and click the buttons you want on the Wiimote. Then you have to move you hands back and readjust your aim. All this in the middle of an intense firefight! I don't think so! There are two main control schemes. One is for the Wii Zapper and one is regular. The regular one is obviously better, since the Wii Zapper doesn't work for this game. (I found something very interesting. If you use the Wii Zapper control scheme without the Wii Zapper, the controls still feel pretty good!) Also note that you will be making weird hand gestures to set bombs and other stuff in this game.
The amount of different game modes in this game are vast. Naturally, you have your main single player campaign. This is broken up into three difficulty levels. 'Green' is the easiest, 'Veteran' is medium difficulty, and 'Hero' is the hardest. The single player campaign is broken up into 6 different missions. The campaign is over fairly short, and will probably take you anywhere from 3-8 hours. The campaign is fun and all, but there are better things to take up your time. Once you are done with all 6 missions in campaign mode, you can do them all over again, but this time with a twist. The Arcade mode in this game is just like a rail shooter in an arcade [hence the name 'Arcade' mode]. You don't need to move in Arcade mode, so this will be a great time to actually use the Wii Zapper. I personally feel this is what the Wii Zapper was made for; rail shooters. You go around each mission area, stopping in places to shoot bad guys, switching weapons every now and then, and shooting health packs to refuel your health. The Arcade mode is fairly addicting, and will definitely keep you coming back for more. Another mode is Multiplayer mode. The game doesn't support offline multiplayer, but it does support online play for up to 32 players. This is the most players in an online for the Wii thus far. The online component is pulled off well. There are 3 different game types that include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag. Each one is pulled off beautifully in all 6 of the single player campaign mission areas. Some mission areas don't have every game type, but most of them do. There are no friend codes in this game, and the lobby hosts a friends list, the ability to create your own game, passwords, and many more. The online is jammed with content!
The 6 mission areas that are playable online and in single player are:
* Base
* City
* Missionary
* Port
* Sewers
* Village
Other features of the game include options menus for editing all your controls, volume, and other things of that nature. There is also a menu for awards, records, and achievements.
The weapons in this game stay true to the WWII era and the Medal of Honor franchise. There is obviously your M1 Grand, Thompson, and BAR. The full list of weapons:
* .45 Auto Pistol
* BAR
* Gewehr Rifle
* Grenades
* Karabiner
* Luger Pistol
* M1 Bazooka
* M1 Grand
* M12 Shotgun
* MP40
* Panzerschreck
* Springfield
* STG-44
* Thompson
As you can see, there is a good selection of every type of weapon, whether it be submachine guns, sniper rifles, or your standard grenade. The gameplay in this game is dead on perfect in almost every way.
Lasting Appeal: This game will take you about 10 or so hours to beat everything in the single player. Sure, this is fun, but the online play is where this game truly shines. You can play 3 different modes in 6 different maps with up to 32 people. This game, like many other online shooters, gives you a lot of online action. You are definitely going to get your moneys' worth if you have Wi-Fi!
Conclusion: If you have don't have Wi-Fi, this game is a decent first person shooter that shows off the Wii Zapper with the game's arcade mode; but if you have Wi-Fi, this game excels and really shows a Wii game can do online.
Presentation: 7.2/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 8.2/10
Gameplay: 9.7/10
Lasting Appeal: 8.5/10
Final Score: 8/10