Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Reviews
A smorgasbord of spectacular WW2 action scenes, none of which are excellent, and some of which are downright unfun.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a pretty but average-at-best VR shooter that comes with an impressive WW2 tribute in tow.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has a good foundation for its WWII action, but poor pacing and a poorer story hold it back.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a weird game in that it feels like it should have came out several years before it actually arrived. It's stuck in time. It's easy to appreciate the budget that went into making it look the way it does, and I hope Respawn gives it another go; but it needed so much more than a shiny veneer to survive in this current VR climate.
Above and Beyond has its share of problems, like a campaign that feels like a bunch of disjointed scenes... but when it hits the right key, offers intense and unforgetable moments. Add the memorable content of the Gallery and fun multiplayer modes, and you've got a game that isn't perfect, that will be enjoyed by IIWW games lovers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond offers a fun and lengthy single player campaign with lots of replayability alongside a full featured suite of multiplayer modes. I did, however, find the general tone to be somewhat at odds with the respectful presentation, lacking a connection with real history and feeling more like a Wolfenstein game at times. There are also some issues still to be patched, which Respawn are working on, and the multiplayer lacks players right now. Overall, this is a tour of duty that is rewarding but not essential.
I feel that when it comes to everything Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has to offer, Respawn Entertainment has gone out of their way to show us that not only does the Medal of Honor franchise still have meaningful life left in it, but there are things this game does that other games can look to as a benchmark of how to deliver a fully fleshed-out and visceral action VR experience.
A competent shooter in virtual reality. Somewhat oversimplified in the use of guns and vehicles but nonetheless more than worthy of your time, if you like shooting nazis.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It’s clear that Respawn still has the chops to make a quality Medal of Honor game. There’s a lot of heart here, and an attention to detail that must be admired. With that said, it’s clear the studio had troubles accomplishing its goals in VR – and the result is a curious VR experience that’s worth experiencing, but equally is nothing like a VR system seller. It stands strides behind Alyx – but then again, so do most VR games.
At the end of the day, I want to play more Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, but the technical issues rear their head even on the most powerful hardware available. The campaign often falls on the wrong side of humor, but the gunplay is like nothing else. Multiplayer is an awesome added treat, though the bots are pretty dumb. It's the very definition of a mixed bag.
What should have been a staple of VR shooters to come turned out to be little more than what feels like a rehash of a 2000's shooter. While the gameplay might have you yawning at times and racked with frustration in others, The Gallery at least provides an incredible wealth of stories from real WWII veterans that brings a level of intimacy to what could otherwise feel like a soulless experience.
Respawn Entertainment nails everything that makes VR so special and wraps it in a fun shooter with a narrative style that doesn't take itself too seriously and offers simple but solid multiplayer options. Add to the mix a true gem with real historic value like the Gallery, and you can hardly ask for more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond isn't the return to the series that I would have hoped. As a VR game is has a lot to offer, the gameplay is engaging, the missions varied, and both the single-player and multiplayer can be fun to play. However, the story is woefully mismanaged, with a cast of mostly unlikeable and unsympathetic characters - a tragedy when it comes with an incredibly powerful piece of work in the form of the gallery, a collection of documentaries and interviews with veterans of the war.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, if nothing else, represents a symbolic step forward for VR game platforms like the Oculus Quest 2. It’s the closest thing to a AAA title I’ve played on my headset yet. I don’t know if its nearly-50GB file size is warranted given the so-so visuals, but I did have a lot of fun with the Campaign missions. I’ll still wait a while for the multiplayer to work out its kinks, but I can see myself enjoying that eventually, too. All in all, I’m not sure if Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond would do Grandpa proud, but if you own an Oculus Quest 2, it’s a fun experience and worthy of your time.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond has a few faults; however, the excellent campaign more than makes up for it with over-the-top scenes galore.
If some spectacular passages stand out, it is difficult to be passionate about its events. A survival mode and a multiplayer mode complete the picture, but the rather stupid AI of the enemies does not make the whole thing indispensable. It's a shame, because question interaction, it was pretty well done, with a pretty cool handling of weapons.
Review in French | Read full review
People have been waiting for 8 years for a new Medal of Honor game and Above and Beyond could have been that triumphant return to the series people have been hoping for, unless you are starved for new VR content I would give Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond a wide berth.
VR Doesn't Quite Come Naturally To Above And Beyond, But It's Still An Impressive Medal Of Honor Reboot
Though Above and Beyond’s mechanics are familiar, Respawn have achieved the impossible in the realm of virtual reality. There’s just one steep cost holding it back from greatness: My own body.
I was really hoping to be impressed with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, but it unfortunately actively tried to ruin itself. It’s not poorly made, or glitchy, or unplayable, it’s just unbelievably mediocre. In fact, the best thing about the game is the real life documentary in it that interviews real vets.