I remember the first time I ever played Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.  The storming of Omaha Beach is probably one of the most memorable experiences I have played in a World War II environment.  Unfortunately, the franchise was drilled into the ground over and over to the point that it lost complete relevance.  It also did not help that a rival franchise, Call of Duty, came out with a better play system and better set pieces.  With that, Medal of Honor went into hibernation, until today.

It seems that EA has decided to cash in on some of this new found popularity with current events, as Medal of Honor will return in 2010, this time taking us to the war ravaged country of Afghanistan.  This new Medal of Honor title will have you playing a Tier 1 Operative, that answeres directly to the National Security Command.

I like the idea of a new Medal of Honor, and the new setting really gets me happy, as  I am completely done with the World War II setting.  The only thing that has me concerned is the look of the main character in the box art.  He looks like he came straight out of a mold of 1990’s era James Hetfeld.  I could be wrong, but it just seems like the wrong look for a character, but I might be nitpicking.

Anyway, check the following release for more information.

EA ANNOUNCES ‘MEDAL OF HONOR’

Franchise Re-booted with New Development Teams, New Soldier, New Setting

Guildford, UK – December 2, 2009 – Medal of Honor™ returns to the front lines, this time in today’s war. For the first time in the franchise’s 10-year history, Medal of Honor is leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that in 2010, Medal of Honor, an all-new first-person shooter game, will introduce the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. The development team has been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community since the earliest stages of development to create the most authentic modern war experience. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today’s most elite soldier – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism.

Medal of Honor is being built with a best-in-class single-player campaign. The Medal of Honor development team at EALA has been hand-selected by the studio leadership of General Manager Sean Decker, Executive Producer Greg Goodrich and Senior Creative Director Rich Farrelly. To compliment the single-player experience, EALA has enlisted the multiplayer expertise at EA DICE. This team will develop the multiplayer experience of Medal of Honor. These two studios are coming together to deliver a world-class Medal of Honor that is poised to re-set and re-boot the franchise for a new generation.

“When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.” said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. “We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”

“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”

Tune in to Spike TV’s 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8pm PST for a world-premier first-look at Medal of Honor.

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