Wiitime
the guy below- HES BACK!!
- Oct 15, 2006
- 1,409
- 23
- Wii Online Code
- 1405-1695-6567-5492
http://wii.ign.com/articles/832/832525p1.html
Theres not much i will say. Its another great preview. They love this game and i cant wait for it. Enjoy
November 2, 2007 - It should be no surprise by now that we're pretty big fans of Medal of Honor Heroes 2 here at IGN. Since our first time going hands-on with the game months ago we went from having cautiously optimistic hopes for the game to genuinely enjoying our premiere experience, largely do to the sheer amount of customization that went into the Wii controls. Everything from cursor speed to dead zone, motion controls and actual camera pan speed can be changed on the fly for either on or offline play, as Medal of Honor Heroes 2 has easily the most customizable - and therefore intuitive - control for any Wii FPS thus far, Prime included.
Rather than bringing the same "Oh wow, apparently Call of Duty was a success!" gameplay to the table - as seen in other Medal of Honor games - Heroes takes the series in different direction, actually bringing it back to its 007-like roots. If you remember, Medal of Honor started on PSX, where the idea of a squad vs. squad gameplay had yet to really flourish. What you got instead was a more arcade-like, "man vs. the world" experience as you took control of an OSS agent who was thrown behind enemy lines and forced to make the most of it. Heroes 2 isn't entirely squad-based, but it isn't totally solo either, as you once again take control of an OSS agent, but will constantly move between larger firefights and intimate, almost stealth-based scenarios.
And it runs locked at 60 FPS.
Since we've had a chance to go hands-on with the game so many times before this, we'll focus on the more specific ups and downs of the game, rather than regurgitating what we've already told you. If you're looking for more on the basics, just check out our previous coverage thus far.
Heroes got its start as a PSP game, and thus there will of course be a bit of a different feeling throughout the experience overall. Yes, the game looks better, plays far better, and delivers enough to justify it as a console experience. Wii is, after all, the primary SKU this time around. You'll notice differences though in the game's optimization that not only made it possible to run on PSP originally, but also keeps the Wii version locked at a solid 60 frames per second. Battles are generally smaller, even when dealing with squad vs. squad, as fights tend to sit at the four-on-four or five-on-five numbers, rather than some of the more blown out console efforts you'll be used to seeing on other systems, or other franchises.
Again, this is far from a downside, as the game feels like a true change of pace from every other war game out there; it's simply worth mentioning. Levels are generally smaller than even Call of Duty on Wii, but with the difficulty ramping up in a big way (easy is still pretty challenging at times, too) it'll be more about conquering the levels in a more tactical way than simply running and shooting blindly. This is where the Wii-motes precision comes into play so well, as the game feels stronger than any other FPS on the system, so targeting enemies and nailing head shots is a natural and fun experience. Other things, such as disappearing corpses, also lend themselves to a faster frame-rate and stronger optimization on Wii, helping it lock in a great overall feel throughout the game.
The main focus for us this time around, however, was the multiplayer mode, which we were finally able to dive into just yesterday afternoon. MOH Heroes 2 boasts a 32 player online mode, and while some may find that hard to believe we're definitely believers. Our experience with it yesterday wasn't quite that epic, instead sitting at about six on six most of the time, but it's easy to see how the game can keep its frame-rate and feel smooth the entire time.
For starters, levels are pretty large in size, often making use of a few key hubs, rather than one huge open area like Halo or the like. In "Chapel" for example, there's a church section with pews and a perch, an open area for the courtyard, a small (but longer) building off to the far East side which makes for great cover when sprinting from the chapel out into the yard, a sniper nest in a smaller building West of the chapel, and a huge graveyard section (often used for spawning) outlining two sides of the level. We had a chance to play both deathmatch and team deathmatch in this section, and we had a blast, as you always had a few people facing off in the yard, a number of smarter players taking up the sniper perch or long hallways, and people constantly filtering in from the chapel and graveyard spawns. I personally made a habit of patrolling the long halls and sniper next, using my shotgun to wipe out campers in each respective position.
As for the general flow of multiplayer, the game is faster and far more brutal. The quick 180 degree turn is still included, as is a new quick-melee that hurts less, but can be done with a button press rather than motion, so you don't end up screwing over your IR aim to do it. There's also sprint in multiplayer, which needs to refill after being used for about five seconds, but you can actually interrupt the refill and drain it again as soon as the sprint ends, letting you find quick cover if you finish running and find yourself still in a pinch. As a bit of an odd one, we had instances where we actually ran through other people, causing them to go transparent for a moment.
Developers take note: This is the one and only way to do Wii FPS games.
This is undoubtedly one of those instances where frame-rate was held by cutting a corner or two, but it's really more of an observance than it is a flaw, as it hardly ever comes up. Players also seem to die within a decent length of time from the beginning of a firefight, oftentimes hitting the ground while something like the MP40 still has a good 12 rounds in it. As a final quick note about deathmatch specifically, you can select which alliance you take (as well as the costume for your character), but are not locked by what weapons you can use. In team deathmatch you have access to either axis or ally weaponry based on which side you play for. In free-for-all, you can grab any weapon on any side, and that includes sniper rifles and bazookas as well.
We also had a chance to try out the capture the flag mode, which was also pretty entertaining. We were playing within the main sewer level, basically a symmetrical face-off map, and had to grab the opposing team's flag and bring it back to our own. If a player drops the flag or is killed, the flag returns after a few moments of hitting the ground. As with any mode, players can use quick commands in place of voice control. The only downside, however, is the position and execution of the scripted VO. In order to do it, players need to hit the 1 button on the controller, and then use the d-pad to scroll through the six available voice options one by one. Once a line is selected, pressing A will unlock your screen and say the command. The voice commands are as simple as "Yes, No, I Need Help, Enemy Spotted, Attack, and Retreat" but most of the time you'll be moving too fast to have time to use it. Take "I need help", for example: If you really do, you don't have time to press 1, and then hit A. It's the first one on the list, but that already freezes your character, allowing whatever threat you "need help" to avoid to promptly decimate you. If there was a way to put the commands in a more prominent spot, or maybe include a scroll wheel so you didn't need to go through them one-by-one they'd be much more helpful. Here's hoping next year's doesn't need it due to an inclusion of voice chat.
Overall our experience with online was a blast though. The action moved extremely fast, locked in 60 frames all the while, and the added precision of the Wii-mote made it all the more enjoyable. We of course would have killed for voice chat, but in the end it isn't a huge issue, as the game's aren't too tactically heavy. You're either running to get the flag, running with the flag, shooting an enemy, or shooting anyone you see in deathmatch. When playing team games player names appear above ally heads, and little things like over-the-shoulder viewing of another player during respawn times makes it feel like a legit, polished experience. There's even the option to vote for new maps, construct your own game to instigate votes, kick players (also a vote) while playing, and actively change your payload when dead. It's fast, it's fun, and it's easily the most fun we've had with Wii online thus far.
We'll have more on Medal of Honor Heroes 2 as we near the game's release. Until then, be sure to check out our new gameplay videos in our media gallery below, showcasing the tightest FPS controls you'll find on Wii.
Theres not much i will say. Its another great preview. They love this game and i cant wait for it. Enjoy
November 2, 2007 - It should be no surprise by now that we're pretty big fans of Medal of Honor Heroes 2 here at IGN. Since our first time going hands-on with the game months ago we went from having cautiously optimistic hopes for the game to genuinely enjoying our premiere experience, largely do to the sheer amount of customization that went into the Wii controls. Everything from cursor speed to dead zone, motion controls and actual camera pan speed can be changed on the fly for either on or offline play, as Medal of Honor Heroes 2 has easily the most customizable - and therefore intuitive - control for any Wii FPS thus far, Prime included.
Rather than bringing the same "Oh wow, apparently Call of Duty was a success!" gameplay to the table - as seen in other Medal of Honor games - Heroes takes the series in different direction, actually bringing it back to its 007-like roots. If you remember, Medal of Honor started on PSX, where the idea of a squad vs. squad gameplay had yet to really flourish. What you got instead was a more arcade-like, "man vs. the world" experience as you took control of an OSS agent who was thrown behind enemy lines and forced to make the most of it. Heroes 2 isn't entirely squad-based, but it isn't totally solo either, as you once again take control of an OSS agent, but will constantly move between larger firefights and intimate, almost stealth-based scenarios.
And it runs locked at 60 FPS.
Since we've had a chance to go hands-on with the game so many times before this, we'll focus on the more specific ups and downs of the game, rather than regurgitating what we've already told you. If you're looking for more on the basics, just check out our previous coverage thus far.
Heroes got its start as a PSP game, and thus there will of course be a bit of a different feeling throughout the experience overall. Yes, the game looks better, plays far better, and delivers enough to justify it as a console experience. Wii is, after all, the primary SKU this time around. You'll notice differences though in the game's optimization that not only made it possible to run on PSP originally, but also keeps the Wii version locked at a solid 60 frames per second. Battles are generally smaller, even when dealing with squad vs. squad, as fights tend to sit at the four-on-four or five-on-five numbers, rather than some of the more blown out console efforts you'll be used to seeing on other systems, or other franchises.
Again, this is far from a downside, as the game feels like a true change of pace from every other war game out there; it's simply worth mentioning. Levels are generally smaller than even Call of Duty on Wii, but with the difficulty ramping up in a big way (easy is still pretty challenging at times, too) it'll be more about conquering the levels in a more tactical way than simply running and shooting blindly. This is where the Wii-motes precision comes into play so well, as the game feels stronger than any other FPS on the system, so targeting enemies and nailing head shots is a natural and fun experience. Other things, such as disappearing corpses, also lend themselves to a faster frame-rate and stronger optimization on Wii, helping it lock in a great overall feel throughout the game.
The main focus for us this time around, however, was the multiplayer mode, which we were finally able to dive into just yesterday afternoon. MOH Heroes 2 boasts a 32 player online mode, and while some may find that hard to believe we're definitely believers. Our experience with it yesterday wasn't quite that epic, instead sitting at about six on six most of the time, but it's easy to see how the game can keep its frame-rate and feel smooth the entire time.
For starters, levels are pretty large in size, often making use of a few key hubs, rather than one huge open area like Halo or the like. In "Chapel" for example, there's a church section with pews and a perch, an open area for the courtyard, a small (but longer) building off to the far East side which makes for great cover when sprinting from the chapel out into the yard, a sniper nest in a smaller building West of the chapel, and a huge graveyard section (often used for spawning) outlining two sides of the level. We had a chance to play both deathmatch and team deathmatch in this section, and we had a blast, as you always had a few people facing off in the yard, a number of smarter players taking up the sniper perch or long hallways, and people constantly filtering in from the chapel and graveyard spawns. I personally made a habit of patrolling the long halls and sniper next, using my shotgun to wipe out campers in each respective position.
As for the general flow of multiplayer, the game is faster and far more brutal. The quick 180 degree turn is still included, as is a new quick-melee that hurts less, but can be done with a button press rather than motion, so you don't end up screwing over your IR aim to do it. There's also sprint in multiplayer, which needs to refill after being used for about five seconds, but you can actually interrupt the refill and drain it again as soon as the sprint ends, letting you find quick cover if you finish running and find yourself still in a pinch. As a bit of an odd one, we had instances where we actually ran through other people, causing them to go transparent for a moment.
Developers take note: This is the one and only way to do Wii FPS games.
This is undoubtedly one of those instances where frame-rate was held by cutting a corner or two, but it's really more of an observance than it is a flaw, as it hardly ever comes up. Players also seem to die within a decent length of time from the beginning of a firefight, oftentimes hitting the ground while something like the MP40 still has a good 12 rounds in it. As a final quick note about deathmatch specifically, you can select which alliance you take (as well as the costume for your character), but are not locked by what weapons you can use. In team deathmatch you have access to either axis or ally weaponry based on which side you play for. In free-for-all, you can grab any weapon on any side, and that includes sniper rifles and bazookas as well.
We also had a chance to try out the capture the flag mode, which was also pretty entertaining. We were playing within the main sewer level, basically a symmetrical face-off map, and had to grab the opposing team's flag and bring it back to our own. If a player drops the flag or is killed, the flag returns after a few moments of hitting the ground. As with any mode, players can use quick commands in place of voice control. The only downside, however, is the position and execution of the scripted VO. In order to do it, players need to hit the 1 button on the controller, and then use the d-pad to scroll through the six available voice options one by one. Once a line is selected, pressing A will unlock your screen and say the command. The voice commands are as simple as "Yes, No, I Need Help, Enemy Spotted, Attack, and Retreat" but most of the time you'll be moving too fast to have time to use it. Take "I need help", for example: If you really do, you don't have time to press 1, and then hit A. It's the first one on the list, but that already freezes your character, allowing whatever threat you "need help" to avoid to promptly decimate you. If there was a way to put the commands in a more prominent spot, or maybe include a scroll wheel so you didn't need to go through them one-by-one they'd be much more helpful. Here's hoping next year's doesn't need it due to an inclusion of voice chat.
Overall our experience with online was a blast though. The action moved extremely fast, locked in 60 frames all the while, and the added precision of the Wii-mote made it all the more enjoyable. We of course would have killed for voice chat, but in the end it isn't a huge issue, as the game's aren't too tactically heavy. You're either running to get the flag, running with the flag, shooting an enemy, or shooting anyone you see in deathmatch. When playing team games player names appear above ally heads, and little things like over-the-shoulder viewing of another player during respawn times makes it feel like a legit, polished experience. There's even the option to vote for new maps, construct your own game to instigate votes, kick players (also a vote) while playing, and actively change your payload when dead. It's fast, it's fun, and it's easily the most fun we've had with Wii online thus far.
We'll have more on Medal of Honor Heroes 2 as we near the game's release. Until then, be sure to check out our new gameplay videos in our media gallery below, showcasing the tightest FPS controls you'll find on Wii.
