Now, I'm really into WW2. A lot. I consider it one of the most important events in world history (as do a lot of people), and I am humbled and grateful for the sacrifices given by the millions of people who died for the cause of freedom. Which is why I feel guilty whenever I play the D-Day mission of this game. It is, in effect, an interactive snuff film. A simulated depiction of the actual deaths and horrors that happened many years ago on the beaches of France. All in the name of entertainment. I find it hard to believe a game could charade as a memorial to the war dead, whilst simultaneously providing us with the chance to safely take part in a situation that NO-ONE on this earth should ever have to experience. But, having got the rather immoral taste of the games selling-point out of my mouth, I can go on to praise the rest of it. Doing everything RTCW did not, MOH:AA provides the player with a variety of interesting and varied missions, presented in a professional looking package with enough atmosphere to give you the 1000 yard stare. MOH will have you pricking your ears up one minute, listening for the tell-tale footsteps of a Nazi patrol, and the next you'll be in the back of a jeep trying to shoot Stuka dive-bombers out of the sky. MOH has some fantastic missions, too varied to mention here, all of which provide a great scenario to admire the obvious time and effort that has gone into this game. Good AI, decent graphics (a little hardware-demanding though), a superb music score and lot's of finely crafted details. The way you can work in tandem with other computer-controlled characters adds a lot of feeling to this game, as you sneak about ruined towns, watching for snipers. All of the missions are moderately realistic, with a hint of action-film thrown in for good measure. A few faults can prove annoying, the main one being the die-and-retry nature of some of the missions (especially those sniper ones) but, to be fair, this is war and you don't get second chances with a bullet. I like this game a lot, and it pains me that the D-Day mission was so callously added. EA have removed the gore in this game as a mark of respect, and then preceded to lift the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan lock, stock and barrel into the game. It doesn't even fit into the plot; you're supposed to be some kind of Special Op's. Why would they send a special unit onto the beach head? You're too valuable. Still, this is only a personal niggle about an otherwise great game. The multiplayer is *ok*, but it shoots itself in the foot by trying to be realistic, when it really wants to be Wolfenstein. But that's what mods are for.
