Medal of Honor doesn’t single-handedly define the first person genre. Nor does it introduce some radically new idea or change the way we look at games in general. But rather, like Call of Duty, it also broke away from its WWII roots and reboots in a modern setting. In many ways, it’s just like the other ‘modern warfare’ shooters that are already on the market. So why even get it? Because, it does what it does very well, and it’s also pretty damn fun.

The story takes place in Afghanistan over a two day period during Operation Enduring Freedom. During that time, you’ll switch, with fairly equal playtimes, between a SEAL, Army Ranger, and “Tier One Operator”, with an Apache helicopter mission thrown in for flavor. The campaign does a good job of being believable. Soldiers interact with a sense of camaraderie, and converse with accurate force-specific jargon. Equally realistic objectives and scenarios are also within the campaign, mirroring the kind of operations these men would undergo in real life. The influence of the military sources that were used in the creation of the game are apparent. It’s also worth mentioning that the frame rate does drop significantly when the action gets really frantic, but it’s not game breaking.

The controls are the same as MW2, at least on the consoles, so if you’re coming from that game you won’t get that sense of ‘controller shock’ that can occur with other titles. You’ll receive the standard assortment of weaponry found in any other game of this kind: assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, etc. The ever present one hit kill knife is also in the game, and is as satisfying as ever. The Apache segment is on-rails, and you only control the weapons. This works fine, however, as it’s more fun to shoot at targets without worrying about piloting as well.

Multiplayer is a much different game compared to single player, having been developed by Battlefield creator DICE. Much like Battlefield, there are different classes to choose from and weapons to unlock, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The maximum number of players for each team is 12, players can’t form into squads, and maps are relatively small, making CQB a common occurrence. Damage from weapons is also greater, so death is much more common. It’s fast and frantic, and it’ll be sure to tide you over until Black Ops comes out next month.

Overall, Medal of Honor doesn’t offer much that hasn’t already been seen, nonetheless it’s a solid game. I highly recommend it.

H.A.W.X. 2 is an arcade flight game. Unlike a simulator, which tries to replicate the realities of flight, the arcade flight genre simplifies the process to make it more enjoyable for a wider audience. Luckily, this is the way I prefer it. Who needs reality slapping them in the face while shooting down enemy craft or doing multiple barrel rolls at 1400+ miles per hour? Not me, and it makes for quite the action packed experience.

There are several modes available in H.A.W.X 2: Story, Free Flight, Survival, Arcade, and Multiplayer.

Story mode takes place in the near future and is told from the perspective of pilots from three countries: USA, UK, and Russia, and their involvement in quelling insurgent and Russian Ultranationalist activities across the globe. This is somewhat familiar territory for recent military-based games, but it still works. The inclusion of Ghost Recon and references to other Clancy games is also a nice touch. Most missions involve dogfighting in fighter planes, but the occasional UAV, recon, bombing, or AC-130 mission adds a bit of variety. After completing the entire story, you can play custom versions of the missions using any unlocked planes and loadouts you have. It’s pretty fun to tear through earlier missions in an F-22 Raptor or A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Free Flight is simply a threat-free way to try out your new planes in any of the game’s environments.

Survival is, what else, a survival mode. You pick your plane and fight off waves of increasingly difficult enemies until you finally lose. It’s a good way to gauge a plane’s abilities in combat situations.

Arcade is one of the more interesting modes. Every story mission is represented, but also has a certain restriction placed on it. This can be anything from being allowed only your cannon to being forced to play an entire mission in assistance OFF mode. These missions then become either fairly simple or frustratingly difficult.

Finally, multiplayer allows for other players to face off in matches. Sadly, I wasn’t able to find a match online, so I can’t properly review this portion of the game.

In-game environments look incredible. Thanks to GeoEye, every location is highly detailed and are a real treat to view, especially in HD. Planes are also equally detailed, but the human models and non aerial vehicles leave a bit to be desired. Of course, the main focus in the game is the planes, so detailed people and ground forces may be asking a bit too much.

The controls are simple enough. There are buttons for acceleration and breaking, yaw, flare release, target acquisition, and your weapons. There is also assistance OFF mode, which removes the game’s limitations on plane movement, allowing you to perform impressive maneuvers at a greater risk of stall. In this mode the camera also zooms way out. When paired with the increased maneuverability, this can make combat a bit more difficult. Difficulty, of which there are three levels, also affects plane movement.

The game features a rewards system. Defeating enemies and completing missions nets you experience points which raise your in-game level. Certain actions also complete challenges, which often reward you with additional experience. You can use points earned while leveling up to purchase new weapons packs, planes, and overall upgrades. Continuously using a plane will also raise the mastery of that plane, which allows for greater levels of customization.

So, to buy or not to buy? I say go for it. I found it to be enjoyable, and the multiple modes and unlocks can keep you busy for a while. Plus, F-22 Raptors! ‘Nuff said.

[Review was done using the Xbox 360 version]