Summary: “Medal of Honor: Vanguard,” released in March 2007 for the Wii, was so subpar that little was expected when its follow-up arrived nine months later.
But “Medal of Honor Heroes 2” might be the most surprisingly good game of 2007, even though it debuted at the end of the year.
The differences from its predecessor are immediately noticeable. The graphics are sharper with deeper colors and the play control is tighter.
And here’s the best part: “Heroes 2” is the Wii debut of a first-person shooter with online multiplayer - and Electronic Arts nailed it.
Unlike the glitchy online mode of EA’s “Madden NFL 08,” the mesmerizing multiplayer for “Heroes 2” handles up to 32 gamers in the same match with no lag.
It feels like a top-notch PC multiplayer game, with the point-and-shoot aiming of the Wiimote providing even more accuracy than a computer mouse.
The multiplayer maps are entertaining and varied. The bombed-out city is perfect for one-on-one or a handful of players, the sprawling military base with plenty of hiding spots is designed for large team deathmatches, the village is a sniper’s paradise and the close quarters of the sewers recall the frenetic bloodbaths of “Quake.”
In the multiplayer and single-player modes alike, “Heroes 2” is much more hectic and fast-paced than most games in the “Medal of Honor” series. Players must learn how to use their surroundings as cover or die. It’s no “Gears of War,” but still a fun challenge to master holding “A” on the Wiimote to aim your gun while tilting the nunchuk to duck in and out of cover.
“Heroes 2” provides a plethora of control schemes, so everyone can find one they like.
Only the easy setting, Greenhorn, allows lock-on targeting. The other modes require gamers to aim with the Wiimote. This can be difficult during a heated firefight, but best prepares you for the multiplayer, which bans lock-on.
There’s even an optional on-rails Arcade mode meant to be used with the Zapper gun attachment. It’s the same as the single-player experience, but eliminates the need to control movement with the nunchuk.
Motion controls are subtly slipped into the single-player and multiplayer modes. Most work well, but it’s a shame that throwing a grenade is a clumsy process that takes too long to be effective, especially in multiplayer.
The single-player mode’s most-annoying quirk is its dumb artificial intelligence - Nazis stand in the open while non-playable Allied soldiers are right next to them, but they don’t even notice each other.
Fret not, because long after you complete the run-of-the-mill single-player missions, the multiplayer will keep you coming back. “Heroes 2” arrived with little fanfare, but the multiplayer makes it one of the few Wii games that deserves to be labeled a “must-have.”
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