Summary
The subgenre ofMilitary shootershas been a dominant force in the industry sinceCall of Dutyfirst hit the scene. However, long before that mammoth-sized game came theMedal of Honorseries. These games primarily take place during World War 2 and cover different areas of the conflict, whether that be Europe, Asia, or Africa.
They also vary in quality, from the best the genre had to offer at the time to being boring and uninspired. For anyone interested in heading back into the series for either history or nostalgia, the games mentioned below will guide them in the right direction for playing the best the series has to offer.
Updated On July 14, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat:Medal of Honor and Battlefield used to be two wings of Electronic Arts in the FPS genre, with the former focusing more on story-driven campaigns and the latter putting the emphasis on multiplayer.
Unfortunately, things didn’t proceed well enough for the Medal of Honor series during the seventh generation of consoles, as both the reboot and its follow-up didn’t generate enough revenue, and Electronic Arts eventually decided to shift all its focus to Battlefield.
14Medal Of Honor: Warfighter
The Final Mainline Entry In The Series
After the first reboot from 2010, a sequel followed two years later withMedal of Honor: Warfighter. The game, unfortunately, did not live up to the same heights as its predecessor.
The campaign had a couple of standout levels, but the whole experience was bogged down by technical issues and lackluster enemy behavior. The multiplayer similarly did nothing to impress. Because of this, a real series revival never took off, andMedal of Honoronce again went into hibernation.
Perhaps one reason for this game’s technical faults is that it runs on the Frostbite engine, whereas the first game in the rebooted series runs on the Unreal engine
13Medal Of Honor: Vanguard
A Mixture Of Previous Innovations With Mediocre Execution
In the jump from PS2 and PS3, many games did not receive direct ports between generations. Instead, there were versions that shared similar features while having different levels and stories.Medal of Honor: Vanguardis one notable example.
It has the parachuting mechanic ofMedal of Honor: Airbornebut it is a different game other than that. Ultimately, the game comes off as fairly unimpressive altogether. It does not do anything new, and its parachuting mechanic is far more interesting inMedal of Honor: Airborne.
The Wii version is mostly the same as the PS2 version except for the implementation of motion controls.
Respawn Entertainment’s DNA traces back all the way toMedal of Honor: Allied Assault, which was designed by the studio’s founders. In this way,Above and Beyondshould have been a sweet homecoming. However, the game did not live up to that historical pedigree, nor did it satisfy the expectations set by the studio’sstellar FPS games likeTitanfall 2.
Above and Beyondtries to be as realistic as possible with its VR format in order to convey the struggle soldiers went through in World War 2, but this does not always translate to interesting gameplay. Its low Metacritic score is disappointing, considering the impressive production value and the great care that went into the game.
A documentary short made for the gameColettewon an academy award, making history as the first work produced by a game studio to achieve such an honor.
Where mostMedal of Honorgames beforeRising Sunfocused on Europe, this 2003 shooter took place largely in Japan, which gave players a nice change of scenery.
The game opens with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, matching the spectacle and horror of the Omaha Beach mission fromFrontlineandAllied Assault. The campaign is not as interesting as the games that are mentioned later on, but the local multiplayer is entertaining enough.
10Medal Of Honor: Heroes 2
A Unique Experience For Two Unique Platforms
Curiously, this game came out on the Nintendo Wii and PSP, two drastically different systems when it comes to controlling an FPS game. Neither console had a killer entry in the genre, though the Wii had some decent rail shooters that used the Wiimote to emulate a light-gun peripheral.
With this in mind,Medal Of Honor: Heroes 2manages to be a perfectly adequate shooter for both platforms. It will not blow anyone away, but it serves as a good way to pass the time. Additionally, themultiplayer offerings on PSPwere extensive for the time.
9Medal Of Honor: European Assault
Taking A World War 2 Tour Around In Europe, North Africa, And The Soviet Union
European Assaultwas the first game that added some unrealistic features to the series' classic gameplay, which is probably why it is not as beloved as the previous games in the franchise.
InMedal of Honor: European Assault, players have access to an Adrenaline Mode that activates wants a certain kill threshold is reached, and makes the player invincible for a brief duration, granting them unlimited bullets to push forward and butcher the enemies.
Aside from that,European Assaultfeatures a great variety of maps around Europe and North Africa, which makes it a great tour around World War 2.
8Medal Of Honor: Pacific Assault
Fighting Against The Axis Army In The Pacific Ocean
Pacific Assaultis a direct follow-up to Allied Assault and it takes players to the Pacific War in World War 2, where the battle against Japan takes place. The game delivers some unique landscapes and maps that are one of a kind in the entireMedal of Honorseries.
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assaultintroduced new innovations in the gameplay for the first time, such as the ability to order the AI-controlled squad-mates to support the player or do some basic practices. The game also allowed players to regenerate their health by getting help from medics.
WhatMedal of Honor Airbornelacks in polish, it more than makes up for in originality. Maps are more open than a typical first-person shooter, and players have the freedom to parachute down to almost any spot in the level.
This was many years before theBattle Royale genremade dropping into the map the norm. The multiplayer similarly kept this format for its matches. Unfortunately, it does not quite have the refinement and whoa factor other early PS3 and Xbox 360 shooters had, and it was lost in the shuffle early in that generation.
Early in the 2010s, the series did what a lot of IPs did andwent through a reboot. This game took the action to modern-day Afghanistan. It borrows more fromCall of DutythanMedal of Honor, but it still tries to remain a solemn tribute to those who served in the line of duty.
The single-player campaign is nothing to write home about, but the multiplayer was a surprising bonus. It plays a lot heavier thanCall of Duty, and the maps are more open, leading to interesting long-range firefights between teams.
Interestingly enough, the single-player runs on the Unreal Engine while the multiplayer runs on the Frostbite Engine.
5Medal Of Honor: Infiltrator
A Memorable Move From FPS To Top-Down Shooter
Translating an FPS series to the Game Boy Advance was tricky.Medal of Honordid the right thing by making it an isometric third-person action game. Players blast their way through missions using surprisingly beautiful environments, considering the hardware.
Quick first-person segments also pay tribute to the main series' core gameplay. It might not be accurate to what being on the frontline was like in World War II, but one should not really expect an experience like that on a feeble handheld device. After all, modern consoles could not really replicate that experience either.
