We already covered what facets of the single-player campaign we want to see Danger Close change and keep in their Medal of Honor sequel. Now, it’s the multiplayer component’s turn.
To those uninformed, the first game’s multiplayer was not made by Danger Close; rather it was done by the Battlefield developers over at DICE, Sweden. Now, Danger Close will be handling development duties for the whole game, and we’re hoping some, if not all, of these changes and improvements make it into the game.
Just for reference, I’ve logged hundreds of hours into the game’s multiplayer and without lifting my own bench that much; I’d say I’m damn good at it, too.
TDM isn’t the only Game Mode People Want
We’ve all played Team Deatmatch to death by now; why not give us something new? Sure, keep the fan-favorite mode in, but don’t forget to include other game modes for objective-based FPS fans in the process.
One major thing DICE did right with the first game’s MP was the inclusion of the Combat Mission game mode. It consisted of varying objects from protecting a specific area, to disarming bombs. I honesty liked the mode so much that I was disheartened when DICE”s own Battlefield 3 failed to include it in is stable of game modes.
Why not give us more of that? Mix “Kill the VIP” missions with other stuff and make it into one long game mode a la Killzone’s Warzone game mode.
Keep Support Actions in but Spice Them Up
The game’s version of “killstreaks” called Support Actions, were a game mechanic I’m surprised not a lot of developers have emulated. It gave people a choice if they wanted to use their in-game rewards either for offensive or defensive purposes. Of course, the fact that most of them involved looking through binoculars or just being passive abilities that didn’t manifest visually was a bit of a letdown. Why not keep the core mechanic but add variations? Hopefully, they can do it without copying Call of Duty’s killstreak structure.
Support the Game Post Launch
This is a biggie. The Medal of Honor reboot received one expansion and maybe a patch or two. Yes, that’s all the post-launch support the game received during its entire “lifetime.” It’s not as if the game was perfect either. DICE didn’t fix most of the bugs, didn’t add new maps or weapons – basically, they left it to die after just a few months from release. This is something they really, really need to work on as the FPS genre is now more cutthroat than ever and paying customers will not stand for it.
I’m not saying have DLC ready for the game’s launch either. I’m just asking that Danger Close keep an eye out for exploits, bugs and to support the game with new weapons, maps, etc. I think this is something that almost everyone will approve of.
Use Frostbite 2 and Use it Well
The first Medal of Honor used DICE’s Frostbite game engine but aside from the same gun models, sound and whatnot, you might not even be aware of it. There was no destructibility in the game’s environment aside from a few walls. The developers said that was intentional as it was counter-productive to the game’s infantry-focused combat; but are you telling me they can’t use that feature intelligently without compromising the core gameplay?
Well, Warfighter will be using Frostbite 2. EA has been very vocal about the game’s use of the vaunted game engine and they should use it as it was intended. Give people exploding walls, structures that can be blown to rubble and the sort. It’s one of the game’s major advantages against the Call of Duty franchise and they should embrace it,
Make the Game More Accessible While Retaining its Depth
If you ask people why they stopped playing MoH’s multiplayer, there’s a good possibility that, aside from the game’s lack of post-launch support, it’s because the game was littered by snipers.
While a lot of FPS games do have a sniper class, it was on a whole other level in MoH. I remember using the other classes but once I honed my sniper skills, I never looked back – in short, the sniper class was way overpowered.
I mean, snipe a few people, deploy a rocket – rinse and repeat until you get the cruise missile which killed almost everyone on the map all at once. Sure, the game can still have a sniper class but why on earth would you play the other classes when you can dominate the game with just one class?
Danger Close needs to address stuff like these and make the game accessible. Not just to FPS fans but also for people who are picking a controller up for the first time. In saying this, they should implement accessibility without sacrificing the game’s depth. One good example of this would be Battlefield’s rock-paper-scissor mantra when it comes to classes, weapons and the like.
Make people choose their preferred class and own it. Give the game ample leeway for newcomers to learn the ropes but don’t forget that there will be hardcore FPS fans who will be playing it, too.
Well, that’s it. Do you agree with what we changed in Warfighter’s upcoming multiplayer? Let’s hope the people over at Danger Close is listening to fan feedback intently – and hopefully, we’ll learn more about the game once E3 season rolls in.
