Medal of Honor

To step onto the beach of occupied Europe, take cover behind an anti-tank obstacle, and push forward under fire — war games have a thousand faces today, but this one stood at the birth of the genre. Medal of Honor brought the Second World War into the form of gripping action from the perspective of a single American soldier.

The player inhabits the role of an OSS secret service agent in the closing days of the war and carries out varied missions: sabotaging enemy facilities, stealing documents, infiltrating bases in disguise, and fighting through occupied fortresses. The game combined straightforward action with mild stealth and espionage elements, which gave it variety and the feeling that you are a genuine part of a covert operation, not just a pawn in the crowd.

For the console technology of the time it was an ambitious and atmospheric title. The orchestral music by Michael Giacchino, who later became famous as an Oscar-winning film composer, contributed significantly to this. His symphonic soundtrack gave the game a cinematic weight and dignity that shooters on consoles had not had until then.

Steven Spielberg played a fundamental part in the game's creation; his film Saving Private Ryan served as inspiration, and the project was made under the DreamWorks Interactive banner. It was precisely Spielberg's effort to create a respectful, authentic portrayal of the war that gave the series its characteristic tone — respect for the soldiers and an emphasis on the atmosphere of the period.

Medal of Honor laid the foundations of an entire subgenre of war shooters set in the Second World War and opened the way for later major series. From its creative circle later came people who stood behind other legendary brands of the genre. As a pioneer, the game belongs among the important milestones in the history of FPS on consoles.

Why play it: As a founding work of war shooters with unforgettable orchestral music and the spirit of Spielberg's films.