Medal of Honor Open Beta – What it Does Right, What it Does Wrong

Everyday readers of RipTen might recall an editorial I posted a while back titled; “Medal of Honor Beta – What it Does Right, What it Does Wrong“. The aforementioned editorial was essentially a rundown of a few things I thought were both good and bad about the closed beta run by EA a few months back.

The beta is back, but is it beta than ever? See what I did there? Oh forget it. This time the beta is open to everyone, with an emphasis on people testing the servers and game modes. This time instead of Team Assault and Combat Mission, the gametypes on display are Combat Mission and Sector Control. Sector Control works in a similar style to that of Domination, from Call of Duty. Players find over three pre-designated sectors, and each allows a side to accrue points depending on how many they have captured.

I’ve clocked up around 4 hours, the same amount as last time, before I chose to write this follow up editorial. Once again, this isn’t a whinge, rant or moan post, it’s my honest thoughts about a game I am genuinely curious about, and interested in.

What it Does Right:

Sound Effects/Immersion:

Once again I am blown away by the level of immersion and realism that this game has delivered. Men shout from afar, bullets whip at your heels, explosions reverberate throughout the confines of the playing field. The weapons sound great, as do the various sounds that are added outside the game. Something I love quite a bit is the constant radio chatter between the soldiers on the ground and the command team wherever they’re located.

The whole thing sounds brilliant on a surround sound setup, and I can’t wait to get the full treatment once the final game launches in October of 2010.

Connection is Fixed:

I found with the previous Beta that I would always have problems with lag and latency. Whether or not the game finder has been fixed or the servers have been cleaned up I don’t know, I just know it works. Throughout the numerous games I played I found I was getting kills easier and I didn’t feel as great of a connection gap helping other players. That being said, the dedicated server browser is still complete and utter shit, but more of that later.

As well as the connection being improved, I was no longer being placed into games with only two or three players. 95% of the games I joined were just starting off, or were just finishing and the next round was about to start. This is good, forward momentum and I hope it’s fixed even more when full release comes around.

Weapons Feel Balanced:

Something I mentioned in my previous article was that the US Rangers rifles and handguns felt a lot more overpowered than the Taliban (Now Opposition Forces). I can genuinely say that both sides feel even, although a little random at the best of times. The Sniper classes rifles feel very on and off, sometimes killing with one hit, other times it can take a metric shit tonne of bullets before the enemy dies.

The explosive weapons (RPG-7′s and Grenade Launchers) feel a little bit lacklustre, and a number of times I would shoot a grenade launcher at an enemies foot, only to have them power on through it and own me. Sad face is sad.

Competitive Community Could Exist

Something I think the game could end up with is a major competitive community. The game is both slow and tactical, whilst still offering explosive thrills and instant action. The map design of both the new levels on show is brilliant, each with their own twists, turns, bunkers and caverns.

Couple this with some seriously balanced rifles and weapon attachments, and you could have a real contender on your hands for a new competitive game. It’s definitely better than Modern Warfare 2.

What it Does Wrong:

Dedicated Server Browser Still Sucks Dick, And Balls.

When I think of dedicated server browsing I think of something like Day of Defeat, Call of Duty and even ArmA 2. A list of all the servers sorted by Ping, Players, Map, Game Type and Server Name. Why can’t the Medal of Honor one be like that? I just use the Game Finder now, and hope I get a good connection, because the standard server browser is stupid and barely any help at all.

I seriously hope it’s fixed, or remodelled prior to launch, because right now it’s a major flaw in an otherwise enjoyable game.

Spawn System:

The spawn system in the Beta is still pathetic. It’s not uncommon for a bunch of people to be huddled in the spawn area, making it impossible to leave while the enemy scurries around, blocking you into a corridor of death. Players spawn on other players, something I absolutely detest, and it’s annoying having someone spawn then give away your location as they shoot at someone they clearly wouldn’t be able to kill.

Not Enough Explanation:

Even now, I am still struggling to understand how you level up and get new weapons. At no point does the game tell you how to do it, or even what you need to do in order to get points. It just drops you straight into the combat and smiles as you prance off into a sure-fire death. The Sector Control is even worse, as the game never tells you how many points you need or how many points each sector provides. Too much of the game is left to interpretation, instead of there being even some loose explanation of each thing and how it works.

The Wrap:

The revised open beta definitely does a lot more right then it does wrong, and I am definitely glad I downloaded it and gave it a second chance. Look out for the full version of the game when it launches October 12th. Enjoy the below frag video, which I recorded over my time with the beta.