Medal of Honor: Frontline

A screenshot of the gameplay

Frontline is a first-person shooter where players take control of the protagonist player character in a first-person perspective where they fight through levels set during the Second World War against the Wehrmacht using historical weaponry of the era, performing a series of military operations. Briefings take place at the start of each mission, which advance the plot and introduce new characters. Each mission is structured through a number of linear levels, each with differing locations, levels of action and styles of gameplay. Initially the player character begins on the frontlines during D-Day backed up by other computer AI-controlled soldiers with an emphasis on fast action-orientated gun-based gameplay. As the story progress however, the player character is sent on a variety of other missions including a number of covert and undercover operations in locations such as military based, German-occupied towns and manors, submarines and countryside settings. The player character is tasked with objectives during levels that range from infiltration, espionage, rescue and recon. Because of the variety between missions and locations, gameplay changes pace. While many missions involve Allied assaults on German targets others include elements of stealth and exploration. For example, one selections of missions has the player detach from an allied raid to infiltrate a German U-boat in order to get to a secret facility while another has them rendezvous and sneak into a German headquarters in disguise to rescue an operative. Many missions are performed solo but also sometimes include an AI companion for backup. Health is determined by a health bar that can be replenished using a selection of "medikits" found throughout levels with varying degrees of effect.

During missions, players can earn medals by the end of each level be meeting requirements such as completions of objectives, eliminating a number of enemies and maintaining a percentage of health throughout, all represented by a bronze, silver or gold star.

Frontline starts with Lieutenant James Steven "Jimmy" Patterson storming Omaha Beach as a part of Operation Overlord, after which the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) sends him to disrupt German U-boat operations. The OSS discovers that the Germans are building a secret weapon, but their contact in the Dutch Resistance goes missing. As a result, Lt. Patterson joins up with the 82nd Airborne during Operation Market Garden to find him. After finding the contact and rescuing him from German custody, the OSS learns that the secret weapon is a highly advanced jet fighter called HO-IX. Lt. Patterson embarks to destroy the aircraft, however en route he has to cross the Nijmegen Bridge, disarm explosives, and send supplies to the British 1st Airborne Division trapped in Arnhem. The OSS track down the man in charge of building the fighter (An SS Hauptsturmführer named Rudolf Ulbricht von Sturmgeist). Lt. Patterson is sent to Emmerich to track Sturmgeist, but once aboard the SS Officer's personal train, Patterson is unable to catch him before he is able to escape. Even though the man-hunt for Sturmgeist was fruitless, Lt. Patterson manages to destroy a vital German supplies coach. Lt. Patterson infiltrates the secret airfield outside Gotha where the fighter is held, cripples German aircraft production, fights and kills Sturmgeist, and escapes the airfield using the HO-IX.

Medal of Honor: Frontline Original Soundtrack Recording is the soundtrack album for the game. The music was composed by Michael Giacchino in early 2001.[2] The score was performed by the Northwest Sinfonia and recorded by Steve Smith at the Bastyr Chapel, between June 11 and June 15, 2001.[3]

Different from the score releases of Medal of Honor and Medal of Honor: Underground, the CD album for Frontline was only available through EA Games' online store.[4][5] A digital release was followed in 2005.[6]

By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of Medal of Honor: Frontline had sold 2.5 million copies and earned $95 million in the United States alone. Next Generation ranked it as the eighth-highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country.[42] The PlayStation 2 version also received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[43] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom;[44] and a "Gold" certification from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),[45] for sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.[46]

The game received "generally favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[7][8][9] GameSpot named Frontline the best video game of May 2002.[47] It won GameSpot's annual "Best Sound on PlayStation 2" award and was a runner-up for "Best Music on PlayStation 2" and "Best Graphics (Technical) on PlayStation 2". It received further nominations in the "Best Shooter", "Best Music" and "Best Sound" categories among GameCube games, and "Best Music" and "Best Sound" among Xbox games.[48]

At E3 2010, a high-definition version of Frontline was announced. The remastered version of Frontline was included in the PlayStation 3 version of Medal of Honor (2010) with updated gameplay options and also trophies support and remastered with high-definition graphics. The player has the option to play with the classic gameplay, such as dual stick turning/strafing controls and dual button weapon switching, or modern based gameplay with iron sights, single stick looking and strafing, and button press crouching controls. In August 2011, Frontline was released for PlayStation Network.[49]

• Official site
• Medal of Honor: Frontline at MobyGames