Medal of Honor: Story of 82nd Airborne Division Retold in Videogame

Here at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home of many historic units of fame, the mere mention of XVIII Airborne Corps, Special Forces and the 82^nd Airborne Division will get you a resounding HOOAH! From a community who adores these Soldiers, refusing to mention these units is to insult history.

It was only a matter of time before the visionaries of Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor series announced their newest game Vanguard featuring the 82^nd Airborne Division.

"This is not only the home of XVIII Airborne Corps it's also the home of the 82^nd Airborne Division. So it was only fitting that we hold this honor," said AAFES game zone manager Dee Bailey. "Within minutes of setting up the game display near the entrance of the store, a crowd was already at the tables checking the game out."

As a first-person shooter, the player interacts with the rest of the Soldiers within this prestige unit by taking part in the operations through the eyes of Corporal Frank Keegan. Players can hear and see what Keegan is experience as he engages in a variety of missions from Operation Husky on the shores of Sicily to Operation Varsity inside Nazi Germany.

From jumping into battle to fighting your way through city streets torn by battle players will be in for a great experience, according to Matt Sentell, senior producer of Medal of Honor Vanguard.

"The vision was to deliver a classic Medal of Honor experience to our fans," Sentell said. "(With) non-stop cinematic thrill-ride through some of the most spectacular and hard-fought battles of WWII."

After 18 months of development the game was ready for release but not without its challenges to bring quality to the gamers.

"One of the biggest challenges we faced was allowing the player a complete and uninterrupted airdrop experience," he explained. "From the opening where you're sitting in the plane and anticipating what's to come, to jumping out and controlling your parachute to try and land in an advantageous location, we avoided the use of any pre-rendered cinematic that would have taken you out of the experience and created a transition into game play. Re-creating the spectacle of these incredible battles from WWII as seen from the air was quite an undertaking."

But according to a few gamers and non-gamers who attended AAFES Game Zone event admitted they couldn't resist picking up the controller and move through the city streets of the game. A few 82^nd Airborne Division as well as other airborne unit soldiers admitted finding themselves lost in the game within two minutes of trying the game.

"We chose to focus on the 82nd because they were the first division in the U.S. Army to go airborne," Sentell explained. "And we felt that this story really hadn't been told in video games before. From the very first combat jump during Operation Husky, when the idea of jumping out of planes into battle still seemed quite insane, to the decisive role that the Airborne divisions played in Operation Varsity at war's end, the 82nd's journey during WWII is just a great story of American heroism and sacrifice."

Vanguard has captured a lot of attention among the veteran community as the March issue of Veterans Magazine featured the game on its cover with a photographic history of the 82^nd inside.

The graphics were awesome with great background music and sound effects. The controls were a bit odd at first but easy to figure out and I was able to get into the game pretty quickly. Within minutes of flanking the parachute and touching the shores or Sicily you quickly engage the enemy as you and your unit pushes into the city to find your stranded comrades. But then again, no one expected less from EA since Medal of Honor's first launch in 1999 has grown as the most popular influential first-person shooter game in the world of gaming with its unique genre of World War II games making it the best-selling franchise published by EA.

As an amateur military history enthusiast I was pleased to do some side research on the missions I'm playing to find the battles and locations are really based on locations in a World War II-era Europe. This game I felt could easily become a treasure to history buffs as well.

The game is available for the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 2 console and offers a great experience. Since I was only able to experience this game on the playstation console I've asked Sentell about the differences between the consoles.

"The two versions are identical except for how you control them," he said. "Obviously with the Wii you have a very different experience because of the ability to literally point and shoot at the screen, and to make gestures for things like throwing grenades or performing melee attacks, and this can make the Wii version more immersive at times. (In fact) the airdrops are definitely some of my favorite moments in the game."

I agreed as I was sucked into the game the moment Keegan and his unit was sucked out of the back of an aircraft after it was shot down by enemy fire and I'm guiding him down to the beach for a landing.

"Seeing the spectacle of these historic battles from the air as you parachute into them is breathtaking," Sentell added. "At the same time, managing to land in certain locations can give you an edge in the upcoming battle, providing for instance a weapon upgrade that you wouldn't otherwise get or allowing you to surprise the enemy from behind their lines."

And now my personal review of Medal of Honor: Vanguard.

My experience with this game was awesome. I enjoyed the game play even as a victim of simulator sickness as the visuals were not too intense and I'm able to play one full mission at a time with an hour break in between with no problem. The controls were a bit odd at first but easy to figure out which gets you into the game faster. I shop at Gamestop who offers this game for $39.99 for the PS2 and $49.99 for the Wii version.

My only pet peeve in the game is when you're trying to engage the enemy from behind a wall or a second floor window with your unit. You're unable to see the enemy as you and another soldier try to engage the same target. So while you are trying to take out the enemy blindly, the enemy is taking you out. But other than that, I thought the great was awesome.

Pros: Great music, great sound effects, great scenery and storyline. The Medal of Honor team did a great job at trying to maintain historical accuracy. As a first person shooter, the game was easy to get into and even becomes addicting after 30 minutes of game play.

Cons: Staying aware of where the rest of your unit is standing or you won't be able to see the enemy. Even though you are able to play this game for longer periods of time, I would caution gamers who experience simulator sickness while playing a first person shooter to know your limits and take breaks while playing.