War Fighters… they fight wars and stuff…

Just as Activision has their bi-annual military shooter series of Modern Warfare and Black Ops, EA has their own in the form of Battlefield and Medal of Honor, the latter of which was rebooted by developer Danger Close in 2010. This year the sequel will be released and heralds itself as the most authentic shooter on the market.

Warfighter continues the story of Tier 1 Operators, namely returning characters Mother and Preacher. Now using the stunning Frostbite 2 engine – which was utilised to great effect in last year’s Battlefield 3 –  the game employs the use of flashbacks of the soldier’s family and their lives back in the States to try and reveal the men behind the uniforms.

Instead of focusing on one specific conflict the narrative is set around multiple real-world events such as hostage rescues in the Philippines and Somalian Pirate attacks.

The team behind Warfighter has worked closely with Special Operators from around to world to make sure that every aspect of the game is as realistic as possible, from the way its soldiers move to the method in which its various firearms are reloaded.

The game features new and improved destructible environments, as well as more drivable vehicles than before, such as the remotely operated MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) robot. An enhanced breach mechanic has also been implemented, allowing the player to choose the most suitable method with which to burst into a room, potentially full of dangerous insurgents.

Recently a huge incentive to pre-order a copy of Warfighter has been introduced that gives players early access to the Battlefield 4 beta, taking place in the Fall of 2013. No doubt this will drive veteran shooter fans into a gun toting, cash spending frenzy on Amazon.

Like most first person shooters the real bulk of the content centres around the competitive multiplayer. Unlike the last Medal of Honor where multiplayer duties were taken on separately by fellow EA developer DICE, both the single player and competitive modes in Warfighter have been developed in-house by Danger Close, giving the product a more cohesive feel.

The player is given the option to fight for their own country and select a character class therein, which include Assault, Sniper, Demolitions, Point Man, Heavy Gunner and Spec Ops builds. This gives the game more of an international feel, inspiring patriotism and competition from participants around the globe. It has been compared to “the FIFA of first person shooters”. This mode will feature multiple special forces teams worldwide, including the American Navy Seals, British SAS, Russian Spetznaz and many more, each with their own unique hardware and styles of combat.

The new “Fire Team” mode has also been included, binding two players together in a mini squad. It allows them to always be aware of the other’s position and spawn on each other in battle, provided that they’re out of the opposing team’s line of sight. If your partner is taken down and you avenge him in time, he is revived instantly and can continue on fighting by your side.

Granted, Warfighter isn’t the most original project in the world but hardcore fans of military shooters still have a lot to be excited about in this brutal, gritty FPS.

I did play through 2010′s Medal of Honor reboot and while I quite enjoyed the single player campaign and did even briefly indulge in some multiplayer action – mostly for it’s easier achievements – I don’t think it really compares with Call of Duty or Battlefield in terms of quality.

That said, I’m sure I’ll be playing it at some point and now with the use of the Frostbite 2 engine, as well as their new storytelling techniques, it’s fully possible that Danger Close will have me eating my words, as well as some serious lead before too long.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter hits shop shelves on 26th October 2012 for PS3, Xbox 360 & PC.

Rob Gisbey is a games journalist and music production graduate from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. To listen to his acoustic demo, read his articles and listen to the VxM Videogames Podcast head to his blog.