The first-person shooter genre has come a long way since its inception with the likes of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. While both franchises are miraculously still going, they're not quite at the top of the FPS pyramid, with military shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield taking that crown instead, but it wasn't always this way. Back in the early 2000s, a different military shooter franchise was one of the biggest contenders in the ring: Medal of Honor.
Debuting in 1999 for the original PlayStation, the first Medal of Honor made an explosive impact on the gaming landscape, featuring impressive visuals, incredible scope, and a story endorsed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg himself. Following the first game's success, Medal of Honor found its way to the sixth generation of consoles, where games like Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and Medal of Honor: Frontline made the brand a household name. Following a lackluster reboot in 2010, the Medal of Honor franchise has been largely forgotten, but that doesn't mean EA shouldn't bring it back.
It's Time For a New Medal of Honor Game
Right now, Call of Duty is the dominant force in the FPS market. While Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard didn't quite hit the heights of the Modern Warfare series, Call of Duty has still held tightly onto that top spot for years now. Its only real competition has come from the Battlefield franchise, and over the last decade or so, Battlefield has only continued to stumble and fall. Battlefield Hardline, Battlefield 5, and Battlefield 2042 have all been critical and commercial failures compared to Call of Duty.
With Battlefield flailing, it's the perfect time for an old beloved franchise to rear its head once again; Medal of Honor could fill a niche that no other big franchise can right now. While World War 2 shooters are a dime a dozen in the current market, Medal of Honor has an edge over its competition. While most modern WW2 shooters focus on their multiplayer component, a new Medal of Honor game could focus on its campaign, which was always a highlight for the franchise.
Beginning with the very first Medal of Honor all the way back in 1999, the franchise has always made its campaign the main focus of the experience, and they've usually been pretty high-quality single-player experiences as a result. The aforementioned Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and Medal of Honor: Frontline both had excellent campaigns, with thrilling action set pieces and compelling characters, which looking back is very ahead of their time, with Call of Duty taking a good few years before it did the same. A return to the basics for the series could be exactly what the current FPS market needs.
Unfortunately, EA has left things on a bit of a sour note for the Medal of Honor franchise. Following the poor reception of the 2010 reboot and its Warfighter sequel, the Medal of Honor franchise was essentially put on hold, and it quickly faded into distant memory. Notably, in 2020, EA tasked Respawn Entertainment with creating another entry for the dormant franchise: a VR title called Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Unfortunately, Above and Beyond struggled to impress players due to its poor optimization and lackluster gameplay, but EA was on to something. Respawn may not be the best pick for a VR revival, but it could certainly create a bold new, single-player-focused Medal of Honor experience, and a reboot that would get immediate attention from fans.
