Medal of Honor Above and Beyond is shaping up to be a definitive WW2 experience for VR with the inclusion of 12-player online multiplayer at launch.
It’s also an ode to the series’ past Medal of Honor installments as players get to square-off with classic modes online. Alongside a rebooted single player campaign, VR players can take their skills in a slew of fast-paced multiplayer modes including team deathmatch, domination and S&D. In a new trailer from Respawn Entertainment and Oculus, Medal of Honor Above and Beyond will be pitting teams of Allied and Axis soldiers against each other. A smooth, tactile shooting mechanic from past VR games before will be in full-force as players are physically ducking, turning and shooting in their rooms. Hands-on gestures showed players manually aiming and firing fully-sized WW2 replica weapons while tossing a Stielhandgranate back at enemies. In true VR fashion, players will have to also count their shots before manually reloading favourites like the Thompson, MP40, M1 Garand and STG-44. Its progression will also let players access some close, mid or range-tiered guns with their own stats to suit playstyles. It’s worth noting that players can equip a few perks, including a morphine stim shot that can instantly replenish health (yes, they will have to physically inject themselves with it).
Many of the online operations will also put teams in various locations across the Eastern Front during WW2’s peak. The trailer showed off some familiar Medal of Honor maps, including a war-torn church and snowy base with plenty of vehicles for cover. The maps will also be divided by some obstacles, while another map showed players climbing a canyon and firing at enemies looking below. Respawn’s experience with Titanfall is clearly in play for Medal of Honor, as its maps give players multiple routes of traversal in a run-and-gun experience. Interactive switches and other physically-driven actions can also affect the environment and give teams momentum in firefights. Under the multiplayer scene, squads of players in longer sessions can take cover un various bunkers and houses and physically scope out enemies. This would be crucial for modes including Mad Bomber, which pushes one team to plant a ticking C4 at designated targets. Like the popular S&D modes in other shooters, the opposing team plays defense. While enemies physically stick bombs to a wall, others need steady hands to defuse it under a timer.
The modes also revealed some character customization, including cosmetics like a mafia outfit and deeper levels of army uniforms. Players can also take part in an all-out assault in Deathmatch across smaller maps. Its trailer also showed off an authentic WW2 vessel and sailors using close-quarter lever rifles for one hit kills. Players can hide behind missile shelves while climbing deeper levels of the boat for flanking routes. The traditional WW2 Team Deathmatch marks a welcome return since Medal of Honor Airborne released in 2007. Of course, both Allied and Axis teams will be working together to reach the most kills with team balancing and fast respawn times. Blast Radius is one of the more interesting modes, as teams fight their way to a middle point and hold out for as long as possible. Called a “king of the hill” with explosives, teams will be picking each other off while advancing to objective markers with a payload. Domination takes full advantage of ducking as players capture a control point and fend off invaders to rack up points. In VR, players can blind fire behind cover against enemies who have higher ground.
Medal of Honor Above and Beyond launches for the Oculus Rift and Quest Link platforms next week on December 11, 2020. It will also be available for all PCVR and Steam VR supported headsets including HTC Vive and Valve Index with crossplay.
