Xboxist

Medal of Honor Heads to Afghanistan

Hot on the heels of President Obama's announcement that he will send an additional 30,000 troops to the war-torn country, EA has revealed that the next entry in its Medal of Honor series will also be set in Afghanistan. For the first time in the franchise's 10-year history, Medal of Honor will leave the well-trodden battlefields of World War 2, updating the game in a modern-day conflict. This new game will be coming to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms later in 2010.

The game features a special group of soldiers called the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. The development team has been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community since the early stages of development to create an authentic modern war experience. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today's most elite soldier in some of the most difficult terrain on earth.

Medal of Honor is being built around a robust single-player campaign. The Medal of Honor development team at EA Los Angeles is in charge of the title. To compliment the single-player experience, EA LA has enlisted the multiplayer expertise at EA DICE. This team will develop the multiplayer experience for the game. These two studios are coming together to deliver a world-class Medal of Honor that is poised to re-set and re-boot the franchise for a new generation.

"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 Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war." said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. "We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience."

This is an interesting, but not surprising turn for the franchise. The recent success of Modern Warfare and its sequel demonstrated how large a market exists for modern-day shooters. Still, we get the feeling that EA might be a bit behind the curve with this game, and may face difficulties entering a now crowded arena of contemporary themed FPS titles. Be sure and let us know what you think about this new game announcement int he comments below.