Battlefieldhas been a staple of the first-person shooter genre since its inception withBattlefield 1942. The series has brought players to expansive and destructible environments to engage in massive battles against other players. The series has seen massive hit after hit, butthe recent entry ofBattlefield 2042was less than stellar. Now reports have been circulating that DICE may be moving onto the nextBattlefieldand leaving2042behind, but maybe then it is time for DICE to take a break. EA should instead focus on its other first-person shooter franchise,Medal of Honor.
Not only does EA publish Respawn Entertainment’sTitanfallseries, and DICE’sBattlefieldfranchise, but it has also been sitting on the iconicMedal of Honorfranchise. WhileMedal of Honordid receive a VR title through Respawn Entertainment, the last mainline title was released all the way back in 2012. SinceBattlefield 2042proved to be less than stellar for fans of the franchise, EA should fill the void withMedal of Honor.
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Battlefield 2042 Was a Misstep
WhenBattlefield 2042was announced, fans of the franchise were intrigued with what DICE was planning. After two titles set in the past, one being in World War One and the other in World War Two, the franchise was once again returning to the more modern-day settings ofBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4. It promised to bring players back to large-scale destructible maps through exciting multiplayer matches. This time, the battles would include natural disasters like tornadoes and were set in the near-future of 2042.
Before release, trouble had begun brewing with the game. For starters,Battlefield 2042would not includea single-player campaign unlike previous titles. The game would instead be solely multiplayer focused with any possible story being told through the multiplayer environment. Anyone interested in the story could also head over to theBattlefield 2042website and read up on the lore, or they could head over to theBattlefieldYouTube and watch a short film called “Exodus.”
The loss of single-player was not a huge loss for some players, as they came for the multiplayer shenanigans.Battlefield 2042was the firstBattlefieldto offer cross-platform play and included the iconic modes of conquest and breakthrough. However, instead of allowing players to select a class to play as, they had to select from ten different specialists with their own abilities. These specialists turnedBattlefield 2042into a hero-shooter-like title instead of aBattlefieldgame, and that alone angered many fans.
Upon release,Battlefield 2042was met with mixed reviews from critics and panned by the playerbase. Many disliked the specialist system and felt like the maps were less than stellar. On top of that, the game was missing many staples of theBattlefieldgenre, including a scoreboard, and had extensive bugs upon release that made the game virtually unplayable. Instead of being a triumphant return for the franchise, it quickly received overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam. As of February 2022, the player base haddropped well belowBattlefield 5.
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Medal of Honor Has a Long History
TheMedal of Honorseriesbegan all the way back in 1999, and was developed by DreamWorks Interactive. The first game in the series put players in control of a fictional soldier named Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson, who was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services from the United States intelligence agency during World War Two. The story followed Jimmy Patterson as he completed missions for the OSS; the story concept being an idea from Steven Spielberg.
The first game in the series was met with high praise by many game critics, and a sequel was quickly orderedcalledMedal of Honor: Underground.The series would spawn multiple sequels after that, and the first 12 installments all took place during World War 2. It placed more of an emphasis on the campaign than it did the multiplayer, and the majority of entries improved upon each other. AfterMedal of Honor: Heroes 2released in 2007, the series did not see another entry until 2010.
The series made a return in 2010 withMedal of Honor.It was the 13th title in the series and was the first one set in the modern era. Dice was recruited to help with the multiplayer component and the game was the first in the series to receive a mature rating. It was met with strong reviews and a sequel came out two years latertitledMedal of Honor: Warfighter.
Unlike the 2010 entry in the series,Medal of Honor: Warfighterwas met with mixed reviews. The game picked up right whereMedal of Honorleft off and was praised for its visuals. However,Warfighterreceived criticism for its poor AI and confusing storyline. EA called the game a critical and commercial failure, and the series was once again put on hold with EA’s resources beingdirected towardsBattlefieldinstead.
The most recent entry in the series was calledMedal of Honor: Above and Beyond, and was a huge departure from the series formula. Respawn Entertainment took the reins and crafted a VR title set during World War Two. It received mixed reviews, but was one of the best-selling games on Steam throughout December 2020. It felt closer to the original titles thanMedal of Honor: Warfighterdid, but it did not reach the same heights as the original titles did.
A New Medal of Honor Game Could Fill the Void
WithBattlefield 2042failing to retain an audienceand receiving negative reviews, it would be a perfect time for EA to revive the belovedMedal of Honor. The series was once a staple of the first-person shooter genre alongsideCall of DutyandBattlefield, but has mostly faded into obscurity over the last couple generations. If the response ofMedal of Honor: Above and Beyondis anything to go by, there is still an audience out there who want aMedal of Honortitle.
Instead of trying to reinvent the genre or the franchise,the nextMedal of Honorshould return to the series roots. It should take the series back to World War 2 like the VR title did and provide franchise fans a well-constructed story. Respawn has shown that it can create compelling first-person shooter stories withTitanfall 2,and it could replicate that success with a standardMedal of Honorgame. Tie on a fun-filled, class-based multiplayer mode, and it could be the perfect return to form for the franchise.
Medal of Honorwas once one of the biggest shooter franchises on the market with 15 different entries. Now thatBattlefield 2042has failed to enthrall genre fans, it is a great time forMedal of Honorto make a comeback. The franchise deserves its time in the spotlight again, and EA should give it that.
