Medal of Honor Infiltrator (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Because all of us DS owners missed out on the latest Medal of Honor, we thought we'd have a look at when the classic FPS franchise last graced a Nintendo handheld. You have to journey back to 2003 and the Gameboy Advance before you discover anything. Zoo Digital had taken a stab at a PS1 conversion some years before with the appalling MoH: Underground but developers Netherlock sought a more risky route by changing the game's perspective to a more GBA-friendly, overhead perspective. How did it turn out? Well, read on and see and you may just be dusting off your Gameboy Advance again after all these years.

Gameplay

This last outing for the Medal of Honor franchise has you playing the role of Corporal Jack Murphy who has found himself right in the middle of World War 2. The game takes you though a variety of campaigns with everything from North Africa to Russia covered over the 15 lengthy levels. Most of this is viewed from a 'top down' perspective much like the classic Cannon Fodder, letting you survey the area and adding a bit of strategy to the gameplay. Planning out your missions is much more satisfying than simply running into an area and shooting everything that moves, although even this is problematic due to a limited ammo supply. Each of the missions has a primary and secondary objective and while you don't have to complete all the secondary objectives, such as collecting papers and destroying fuel dumps, if you do you will be awarded with more points and medals. The levels themselves are incredibly well designed and feature a learning curve that offers challenge without frustration. You will still suffer the odd ambush though where you must figure out a different plan of attack just to gain the upper hand over your enemy.

Losing a life is doesn't always mean starting the mission right from the beginning and checkpoints are often the same location as ammo dumps. This not only makes the game less frustrating but also allows you to change weapons, and occasionally swapping a machine gun for a more powerful long-range rifle maybe just what you need. You'll also have the odd tank or gun emplacement at your disposal but only when the mission requires it. The other style of gameplay is a kind of side-scrolling 'Operation Wolf' affair with you controlling a cross-hair as you fend off the enemy against the clock. This would generally be seen as a diversion from the gameplay but here, although they're entertaining, these 'arcade' type sections are not nearly as enjoyable as the main game. Infiltrator is, sadly, a little on the short side but with an unlockable Survival Mode and Multiplayer Deathmatch, you'll be playing it for some time.

Controls

The control system is incredibly responsive. Most of your guns and other weapons pack a real punch although sometimes the incredibly tricky 'angled' shots don't hit their targets because they are hard to judge. This is only a minor niggle though and never really interferes with the overall enjoyment of the game.

Graphics

The GBA was never very strong when it came to anything 3D and the developer has wisely tapped into the console's strengths keeping everything 2D. Most of it is viewed from a 'top-down' perspective that is not only very detailed but allows for lots of action at once with no noticeable compromise in the frame-rate. The characters are well drawn and, although very small, still well animated. You'll even be treated to the FMV black and white news footage, which the MoH series will forever be associated with, and which sets the atmosphere perfectly. The other screens are viewed side on, again retaining this 'old school' shooter style making it one of the better looking action games on the platform.

Sound

The soundtrack is wonderful and not only will you be treated to the Medal of Honor theme music but you'll also get some great sound effects which have been ported from the console version. These include explosions, gunfire and best of all, English and German soldiers yelling out battle instructions.

Final comments

Putting the terrible MoH: Underground firmly out of your mind, Infiltrator is just how games should be made. Not only have they managed to tap into the GBA's strengths but they have also evolved the series in a stylish and entertaining fashion. It's still a little too short for our liking but the extended unlockables and Multilayer Deathmatch make this a game that should be a part of everyone's collection.

Pro: Great Sound and Graphics, Amazing Gameplay.
Con: Short Single Player Campaign.
Final score: 8.7

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