A great first person shooter for the PSP! If only they made it longer.
Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.
True, the control system just isn't as good on consoles and handhelds as they are on computers. The fps genre started out, and will always play best, on a personal computer - its current popularity on the Xbox and Ps3 notwithstanding. True, to compensate for the inferior control system, the A.I had to be dumbed down enough to make the game playable.
True, the game lacked the complexity and depth of the PS2 and PC missions -- there were no Panzer Tanks, hidden Snipers and super soldiers around to add a little variety and spice to the gameplay.
Nevertheless, I heartily recommend this game to everyone. It is a must-buy, and I look forward to part 2, coming out this mid-November.
Despite the limitations, Medal of Honor Heroes is an extremely addictive, superbly well-designed, and deeply engaging game with great production values. What it lacks in complexity and depth, it makes up for with great maps and level design. Even if the A.I. is dumbed down, you don't notice it with the game producing a large number of opposing enemies. And in the end, even the poor controls become intuitive and... just right.
I loved the weapons, especially the BAR (my favorite) and the Sig -- the two most powerful weapons in the game. With these, you can kill enemies in one or two shots. The Thomson isn't half bad but its less powerful, killing in 4 shots. Unfortunately, the poor controls delimits the use of sniper rifles and thus the Gewerhl and Enfield rifles become less effective. I found this disappointing, considering they were my favorites in the PC and Ps2 games. I was also a bit disappointed not to have been given the freedom to choose weapons prior to each mission... nevertheless, you have access to most weapons in each level, so that somewhat compensates for it.
The maps start out ,mediocre (I hated the airfield map), but then the quality quickly escalates. You'll find out what I mean when you reach the Belgium maps, where you'll find yourself sniping down from a an icy hilltop (great) or racing to beat the clock in beachside camp. I also loved the Church and Bridge maps in Belgium.
The game shines in Veteran and Hero modes, especially when you're going for the gold medal in every mission. There's also a nice multiplayer mode available, with the single player "Skirmish" mode closely mirroring it in case you don't find players online. These act as totally different games, extending the game experience and somewhat making up for the brevity of the campaign mode.
In the end however, this brevity is what prevents the game from ranking among the PSP greats. The campaign mode lasts only three major levels, with each having 5 missions. While gunning for gold helps extend the playing time, ultimately you'll get disappointed in the end especially if you've enjoyed the game as immensely as I did. Hopefully when Heroes 2 comes out in November, this won't be the case.
After all, if you've already threshed out the game engine and level designs, how difficult could it be to add just a couple of more levels to complete the game experience?