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[Wildebeest]

20+ years of developers trying to make the video game version of Black Hawk Down.

 

[Insane Metal]

The games on PSX were absolutely amazing. I loved them.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Also, thank you for the gold, you devilishly handsome man of culture

Just you keep them threads coming old bean, nothing like reading varied gaming stuff to keep it interesting

 

[DaciaJC]

This theme man….

I expect no less from Michael though.

The OST for Frontline is an all-time great. Giacchino is a genius.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Medal of Honor used to be THE fps.

EA should really bring it back

 

[Myths]

MOHAA on school pcs was something

We’d have the LAN going during nurtrition, staying right inside of Digital Media class. The teacher was cool af about it too. I’d have a thumb drive with me, had about a dozen of us running FFA and Freeze Tag.

 

[Aesius]

We’d have the LAN going during nurtrition, staying right inside of Digital Media class. The teacher was cool af about it too. I’d have a thumb drive with me, had about a dozen of us running FFA and Freeze Tag.

I love that this was a thing for anyone in high school in the early to mid 00s.

I had two years of playing Counterstrike during my engineering classes in HS. Me and one other kid were the only ones who were proficient at mouse+keyboard or FPS in general, so we absolutely dominated. Eventually others started to learn, but damn it was fun to wreck everyone.

 

[Kikorin]

Yes, this is also true for most open world, sometimes less is more. That's why everyone loved GTA: Vice City, because the maps was so carefully crafted and atmospheric, the ost so memorable and everything just fit together so well that core memories were created at every corner.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

I mean, coming from someone with zero interest or experience in the genre, overall - being thrown into an emulated experience that accurately portrays the immense tension of battle and the chaotic nature and forces you by necessity to only focus on things that are essential to your survival in lieu (or ideally, in spite) of amazing, realistic, thought out details....sounds pretty badass. Like the dude the other day who was hyping up Doom or whatever so hard that reading the thread made me want to go outside and start a fight with a stranger I was so pumped up.

But the campaign you described and are in favor of sounds amazing, too. Which is where my no horse in the race opinion comes in: Balance. Everything should be balanced. You know what sounds cooler than either scenario? Both scenarios at the same time.

 

[Hayabusa83]

Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor Underground were my jam back in the day. I would say those two titles had as big an impact on my gaming tastes as Goldeneye and Halo.

 

[Myths]

I love that this was a thing for anyone in high school in the early to mid 00s.

I had two years of playing Counterstrike during my engineering classes in HS. Me and one other kid were the only ones who were proficient at mouse+keyboard or FPS in general, so we absolutely dominated. Eventually others started to learn, but damn it was fun to wreck everyone.

Guys already knew what it was once Nutrition hit. It got to be so serious that dudes starting bringing their headsets. (The PCs in the lab had no speakers of course).

It feels good to have single-handedly put a routine in place for the squad. Some days it was Breakthrough, other days it would be Spearhead. The weather of Druckkamern matching a rainy day IRL was so satisfying.

 

[Drizzlehell]

I mean, coming from someone with zero interest or experience in the genre, overall - being thrown into an emulated experience that accurately portrays the immense tension of battle and the chaotic nature and forces you by necessity to only focus on things that are essential to your survival in lieu (or ideally, in spite) of amazing, realistic, thought out details....sounds pretty badass. Like the dude the other day who was hyping up Doom or whatever so hard that reading the thread made me want to go outside and start a fight with a stranger I was so pumped up.

But the campaign you described and are in favor of sounds amazing, too. Which is where my no horse in the race opinion comes in: Balance. Everything should be balanced. You know what sounds cooler than either scenario? Both scenarios at the same time.

Wasn't that me as well? I just made a Doom Eternal thread the other day, lol.

Anywho, yes, you're totally right. I would actually love to play a WWII game with visual fidelity of modern shooters, but one that also puts attention to little details and focuses more on atmosphere and is overall better paced. I feel like Wolfenstein: The New Order was actually kinda like that. It had a lot of stealth sections and smaller-scale shootouts with Nazis, and I legit remember enjoying a lot of small details and fun little interactions in it. Except, you know, it wasn't exactly based in reality, lol.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Wasn't that me as well? I just made a Doom Eternal thread the other day, lol.

Anywho, yes, you're totally right. I would actually love to play a WWII game with visual fidelity of modern shooters, but one that also puts attention to little details and focuses more on atmosphere and is overall better paced. I feel like Wolfenstein: The New Order was actually kinda like that. It had a lot of stealth sections and smaller-scale shootouts with Nazis, and I legit remember enjoying a lot of small details and fun little interactions in it. Except, you know, it wasn't exactly based in reality, lol.

Holy shit, lmao, must have been you, then. DOUBLE congrats on your ability to hype up shit I've never played.

 

[DownTheRabbitHole]

Kinda weird i typed in "call of" and the first recommendation was call o duty 3 graveyard and it was exactly what i wanted to search, hmm.

I know it's not medal of honor but this call of duty 3 level was so epic, i remember playing this on 360 and being blown away

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I dont remember much about it except it had great sound with the Bink sound shooting helmets. I had to look at the longplay video above to see how far I got into the game and it was about midway. I guess thats when I stopped (the part you're outside in the trees part).

 

[HazukiSensei]

First two brothers in arms were actually an impressive attempt at realistic ww2 warfare.

Heavy recoil, shakey aim. Small infantry fights. Flanking, the intensity etc.

Gamers couldnt fuck with the shakey aim today. I preferred shit like that. Gamers today are casual af and would ask for no recoil and steady aim lol hence brothers in arms hells highway.

 

[dave_d]

Wait, Medal of Honor? The game that they put in a sniper rifle even though the game engine literally couldn't support it, that one? The one where it had the teleporting Nazis? I noped out of that piece of garbage after the 3rd level.(I think I sold it right after that.)

 

[TheAssist]

I also think the fact that the graphics arent as realistic make a difference.
Your brain fills in a lot of the blanks while you play. Mix that with some nostalgia of the era and you have a very immersive experience without AAA tech behind it, where you are mostly overstimulated to the point where you dont really notice anything anymore and just focus on your next objective marker on the hud.

 

[ryzen1]

Hmm... I'll give it a go, then. I actually just found that I do have Hell's Highway on Xbox via backwards compatibility. Is it okay to just play that one or is the original better?

If you are care about the story, you should play the main game in order
Road to Hill 30
Earned in Blood
Hell’s Highway

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Nope.

On second thought, OP was right.

The slower pace of the game allowed the player to enjoy the details of the game more and make the game feel more realistic.

Kinda makes Hell Let Loose feel like a spiritual successor.
It's slower pace reminds me of MoH.

 

[DeepEnigma]

On second thought, OP was right.

The slower pace of the game allowed the player to enjoy the details of the game more and make the game feel more realistic.

Kinda makes Hell Let Loose feel like a spiritual successor.
It's slower pace reminds me of MoH.

This is why I will always have a special place in my heard for RS3: Raven Shield on the PC. I even made a map of my house and a couple of neighbors on a block in UE for it.

 

[Apocryphon]

1:35-13:49

First two games were amazing.

They worked so well because they weren’t just balls to the wall shooting and had amazing atmospheres.

Call of Duty 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein: The New Order are top tier as well. No One Lives Forever and Doom 3 too, but they’re not war shooters.

 

[Drizzlehell]

1:35-13:49

First two games were amazing.

They worked so well because they weren’t just balls to the wall shooting and had amazing atmospheres.

Call of Duty 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein: The New Order are top tier as well. No One Lives Forever and Doom 3 too, but they’re not war shooters.

Yeah, I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but now when I think back on it, The New Order really gives off those MoH vibes, aside from all the alternate history sci-fi absurdity.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Those games were classics. There was also parts where you had to show fake ID to progress and not stand out. There was variety and atmosphere. its more involving than the gallery shooters we have now.

 

[Hudo]

I just wanted to pop in and say that Medal of Honor: Airborne is severely underrated.

 

[ozz ex machina]

I think the nostalgia goggles are strong in this thread. Yes they were great but only in the context of its time. They are objectively less atmospheric than a lot of modern shooters.

That being said I'd kill for a new brothers in arms type game. Slower paced, super atmospheric ww2 shooter in france.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Everyone discounts Medal of Honor but it’s apart of the reason call of duty became a thing.

 

[DaciaJC]

I just wanted to pop in and say that Medal of Honor: Airborne is severely underrated.

Big time, it's still one of the best singleplayer WWII shooters as far as giving the player freedom in how to approach a mission. I was very much hoping they would continue using that design philosophy for the modern day reboot, especially since inserting via something like a Blackhawk or HALO jump wherever you wanted would fit the spec ops theme so damned well, but they decided on a super linear, scripted CoD approach. Bummer.

 

[docchicken]

Medal of Honor used to be THE fps.

EA should really bring it back

Sure, but there's little space for it now. Plus bean counter execs aren't gonna greenlight a risky project like that.

 

[bender]

20+ years of developers trying to make the video game version of Black Hawk Down.

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down - IGN

Release Date, Trailers, News, Reviews, Guides, Gameplay and more for Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

www.ign.com

What a disappointment this game was.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Everyone discounts Medal of Honor but it’s apart of the reason call of duty became a thing.

Yeah but not that Medal of Honor, lol. That one was serviceable at best.

 

[MacReady13]

At first you might think: "Oh that Drizzle, making yet another silly thread with a really far-fetched premise"

But hear me out.

Now, to get the obvious out of the way - of course I'm not talking about the quality of the graphics and the sheer scale of the spectacle. It's not even a contest here because obviously modern games simply look better and the technology behind them allows for more complexity in almost every aspect of its design.

But here is where I think the immersive aspect kinda got lost in translation. Because despite the fact that these games can create a more grandiose spectacle, I think that replacing a more focused vision with pure chaos of battle kinda desensitizes me as a player and prevents me from paying attention to the kind of details that used to be impressive about these games. Think back on what made MoH stand out amidst other first person shooters back in 1999:

• helmets popping off of enemy's heads
• enemy soldiers kicking grenades back at you
• enemy soldiers squeezing the trigger on their guns and emptying their magazines into the air as they dramatically dropped to the ground in death throes
• overall impressive AI that had the Nazis take cover, retreat, feign surrender, react to stealthy approach, etc.
• covert spy missions and shoving papers in officer's faces
• cinematic orchestral soundtrack
• realistic setting based on historical events

Of course, pretty much every modern shooter features all of those things and then some, but the difference is that while in Medal of Honor these features were the main selling points and were very prominent during the gameplay, making the experience so much more fun and memorable whenever they happened, modern games tend to be so fast and chaotic that you will most likely miss out on 99% of the detail that was put into them. In most cases all that you will be focused on are the iron sights of your gun, sprinting through the map, and getting motion sickness from all the shaky cam, motion blur, and blood splatters that show up on the screen every 2 seconds. All in the middle of a pitched battle where the constant sounds of explosions, gunfire, your squadmates and enemies constantly barking orders at each other, and a vaguely generic soundtrack mix together into an absolute cacophony of indistinguishable chaos. It's a design that does a decent enough job at recreating the chaos of battle, but I think that the overall experience kinda suffers from the sensory overload, and the fact that most war shooters of the post-Call of Duty era feature campaigns that are 100% gun porn from start to finish, doesn't help either.

It's so much more immersive and memorable when sound design is more subtle and atmospheric, and the gameplay is more focused, missions have more variety, and you can actually notice the little details that make the experience feel more believable. That's what I think makes a game like Medal of Honor still feel more immersive than many other games that came after it.

To be honest, I said it from the day I 1st purchased it on PS1 and I still feel the same way today. Game was unbelievably good in the way the enemy reacted and the way bullets interacted with the enemies. Way ahead of its time. Loved both it and its sequel as well on PS1.

 

[Fatal Chuck Yeager]

Think back on what made MoH stand out amidst other first person shooters back in 1999:

You must not have had a PC in 1999.

 

[simpatico]

Allied Assault is hugely underrated. It's just as important as Half Life for bringing FPS games into the next level.

 

[Diddy X]

Frontline was great, great soundtrack and atmosphere, had great fun even with the arcaic fps controls.

 

[Drizzlehell]

You must not have had a PC in 1999.

PC is all I had in 1999. And I know what you're getting at and no, there were no shooters like that on PC at the time. The only other game that pushed the envelope in a similar way was Half-Life but even that was more about scripted setpieces and storytelling rather than realism.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Alexa, what is the definition of realism?

Spoiler

helmets popping off of enemy's heads

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I think Resistance Fall of Man did a better more immersive atmosphere than modern shooters and it was an alternate history with aliens.
Dying felt more impactful too with the music it played. Shoutout to Spec Ops The Line too.

 

[Hayabusa83]

I think Resistance Fall of Man did a better more immersive atmosphere than modern shooters and it was an alternate history with aliens.
Dying felt more impactful too with the music it played. Shoutout to Spec Ops The Line too.

Resistance FoM was incredible! Some of the bunker levels were very eerie. Fighting the overgrown Hybrids in the incubation chambers freaked the hell out me.

Wish we could get a 4K remaster, in my opinion it is Insomniac's finest work. The weapon wheel was absolutely awesome and to top it off you unlocked more weapons and grenades after you beat it.

Criminally underrated game.

 

[Varteras]

At first you might think: "Oh that Drizzle, making yet another silly thread with a really far-fetched premise"

But hear me out.

Now, to get the obvious out of the way - of course I'm not talking about the quality of the graphics and the sheer scale of the spectacle. It's not even a contest here because obviously modern games simply look better and the technology behind them allows for more complexity in almost every aspect of its design.

But here is where I think the immersive aspect kinda got lost in translation. Because despite the fact that these games can create a more grandiose spectacle, I think that replacing a more focused vision with pure chaos of battle kinda desensitizes me as a player and prevents me from paying attention to the kind of details that used to be impressive about these games. Think back on what made MoH stand out amidst other first person shooters back in 1999:

• helmets popping off of enemy's heads
• enemy soldiers kicking grenades back at you
• enemy soldiers squeezing the trigger on their guns and emptying their magazines into the air as they dramatically dropped to the ground in death throes
• overall impressive AI that had the Nazis take cover, retreat, feign surrender, react to stealthy approach, etc.
• covert spy missions and shoving papers in officer's faces
• cinematic orchestral soundtrack
• realistic setting based on historical events

Of course, pretty much every modern shooter features all of those things and then some, but the difference is that while in Medal of Honor these features were the main selling points and were very prominent during the gameplay, making the experience so much more fun and memorable whenever they happened, modern games tend to be so fast and chaotic that you will most likely miss out on 99% of the detail that was put into them. In most cases all that you will be focused on are the iron sights of your gun, sprinting through the map, and getting motion sickness from all the shaky cam, motion blur, and blood splatters that show up on the screen every 2 seconds. All in the middle of a pitched battle where the constant sounds of explosions, gunfire, your squadmates and enemies constantly barking orders at each other, and a vaguely generic soundtrack mix together into an absolute cacophony of indistinguishable chaos. It's a design that does a decent enough job at recreating the chaos of battle, but I think that the overall experience kinda suffers from the sensory overload, and the fact that most war shooters of the post-Call of Duty era feature campaigns that are 100% gun porn from start to finish, doesn't help either.

It's so much more immersive and memorable when sound design is more subtle and atmospheric, and the gameplay is more focused, missions have more variety, and you can actually notice the little details that make the experience feel more believable. That's what I think makes a game like Medal of Honor still feel more immersive than many other games that came after it.

 

[havoc00]

When did the series officially go to shit? The last game was a nice nail in the coffin

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Resistance FoM was incredible! Some of the bunker levels were very eerie. Fighting the overgrown Hybrids in the incubation chambers freaked the hell out me.

Wish we could get a 4K remaster, in my opinion it is Insomniac's finest work. The weapon wheel was absolutely awesome and to top it off you unlocked more weapons and grenades after you beat it.

Criminally underrated game.

What I liked the most about it was the health system, with regaining just your current chunk with chuck pickups. I hate when FPS games have the whole "take a breather and get all your health back, ok now start fighting again", that breaks the immersion imo.

 

[Hugare]

When did the series officially go to shit? The last game was a nice nail in the coffin

Airborne was the first misfire, then the reboot was the final nail in the coffin

None of them were really bad, all MOH games were at least enjoyable, imo

But COD was on another level at the time. You just couldnt compete with it. COD is still strong, but at the time it was a phenomenon

EA alredy have Battlefield, and it has that big scale focus to differentiate it from COD (well, it had). MOH was all about the campaign, and COD was eating its launch every time.

 

[Drizzlehell]

When did the series officially go to shit? The last game was a nice nail in the coffin

I think that even Warfighter go an unreasonable amount of hate at the time. It seems like people were just burned out on modern war shooters and this game seemed like the perfect punching bag for everyone to vent their frustrations, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was made out to be. Anyone who says that it was the worst game of all time is completely oblivious just how much absolute trash is out there, really.

Anyway, I agree with what Hugare said. The problem wasn't with that one game which killed the series, but more like the fact that MoH games have been very mid for a number of years before Warfighter, and the series just couldn't compete anymore. Even Above and Beyond was kinda meh, even though it was a VR shooter with a triple-A studio and budget behind it, which doesn't happen that often in VR space. Such a shame.

 

[geary]

Brothers in Arms series was so good to give the illusion of war...To bad, no developer went to a similar game.

 

[Connxtion]

Diving onto grenades to protect there comrades.

Loved the originals, though nostalgia plays a big part now they are horrible to play now.

 

[ThisIsMyDog]

Okay, you got me there. DICE's games always had an incredible sound design and visuals. It seems like they don't get enough praise for it.

They don't? For me DICE = audio and visual quality top in the industry.

 

[Paasei]

Mohaa was such a great game. Played that for so long. Cool competition on Clanbase during that time. The memories.

 

[Hayabusa83]

What I liked the most about it was the health system, with regaining just your current chunk with chuck pickups. I hate when FPS games have the whole "take a breather and get all your health back, ok now start fighting again", that breaks the immersion imo.

I remember it was explained within the context of the story as well. I think it was honestly some of Insomniac's most refined work. Shame that they listened to the detractors and changed everything in the sequel.

 

[SpearFist]

Love old medal of honor but Battlefield 1 tops every war game out there. Incredible atmosphere and sound design. The charge sound, the gloomy destroyed buildings all around, the headshots sound, the mud flying all over, screams, weapons kickback and fire feel. The incredible big maps, the chaos of operation. Its unamtched. On top of that the game is fuckin fun. I still play it.