Medal of Honor heads to Afghanistan

Publisher EA has, as revealed by MCV early last month, announced that its next Medal of Honor title will ditch the series’ traditional WWII theme in favour of a contemporary setting – more specifically, Afghanistan.

Simply called Medal of Honor, the game, which is being seen as a re-set for the franchise, introduces what is being called ‘the Tier 1 Operator’ and is described as a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle”.

It promises authenticity and will be based on real-world events. It has been developed with the help of the US Special Operations Community and hopes to depict modern warfare through a small band of fictional characters”.

EA also pledges a thoroughly fleshed out, best-of-class single player campaign – no doubt a reaction to the relatively short experienced offered by what will surely be its biggest rival, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

That’s not to say that the multiplayer component isn’t being taken seriously – Battlefield developer DICE has been drafted in to help with the multiplayer component of the game.

When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war,” the game’s executive producer Greg Goodrich stated.

The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war. We are honoured to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”

EALA’s VP and GM Sean Decker added: EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames.

We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”

Medal of Honor will be released in 2010 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.