While Call of Duty and Battlefield may be the biggest names in the FPS genre right now, there was a time when there was a third headlining franchise as well. Created by Steven Spielberg, the Medal of Honor series was once an FPS behemoth. Across dozens of titles, players were thrown into all sorts of high-stakes battles throughout World War 2 and the modern era. But, with the rise of some powerful competition, Medal of Honor has faded into relative obscurity.

Even though Medal of Honor may not be as big as it once was, it does not deserve to be forgotten. The franchise is responsible for some of the most iconic FPS titles around and has gone on to be one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. All that success should mean that the franchise still has a place in gaming today, yet it currently seems like EA really has no plans for any future endeavors. However, that really needs to change, because Medal of Honor could be exactly what Call of Duty and Battlefield need right now.

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Medal of Honor Deserves a Second Shot at the FPS Market

Medal of Honor Was Once on Top of the World

Medal of Honor first began back in 1999 on the PS2, and from the second it launched, players were enthralled. It was originally envisioned by Steven Spielberg after he worked on Saving Private Ryan. He wanted to craft a way to explore World War 2 through both an educational and entertaining experience, and it seemingly delivered on both. It was not only met with universal acclaim upon release, but is also often credited for popularizing the entire World War 2 shooter trend. As one would expect from such a success, the studio got to work expanding it with even more exciting experiences.

After the first three games, Steven Spielberg would end up selling the franchise to EA, who would continue releasing Medal of Honor games almost every single year. By the end of 2007, there were around 15 different titles within the franchise of all shapes and sizes, making it one of the biggest names in the FPS genre. But as the franchise continued, increased competition from Call of Duty and Battlefield made it harder to grab players’ attention. After the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, it was seemingly game over.

That game took Call of Duty to the modern world, leaving WW2 behind. That ended up being extremely successful, so Danger Close Games and Dice tried the same thing with Medal of Honor in 2010. Sadly, instead of being the leader in the genre, it ended up being compared to its counterparts and failed to match their success. Its follow-up, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, would then end up being heavily lambasted by critics, which resulted in it falling flat with audiences. Since then, all that players have gotten is a disappointing VR experience.

Medal of Honor Could Still Be Big If Given the Chance

After failing to capture audiences as the FPS genre transitioned to the modern era, the Medal of Honor series has seemingly been put on the backburner for the time being, but that's hardly an appropriate fate. The franchise is credited with spawning the genre, so without it, Call of Duty and Battlefield might never have existed in their current form. And because of that, it really deserves a second chance outside the VR landscape.

With the right developer and plenty of care, Medal of Honor could be big again. As the other two franchises struggle or become complacent, the former kingpin could come back and shake up the genre. It has the potential to offer something to FPS fans that has seemingly been neglected; a strong singleplayer campaign, WW2 setting, and riveting multiplayer. Even though it will have a lot to prove, if it nails down those aspects, then Call of Duty and Battlefield may have to up their game a bit, which would lead to a healthier genre in the process.

Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor is a franchise of first-person shooter games themed around military combat. All of the original games are set during World War 2 with the player being part of the Officer of Strategic Services, a spy group aiding the Allies. The recent games take place closer to the modern realm, with the gameplay changing from spy missions to open shooting.