8Bit/Digi

Oculus Finest Hour

After a long hiatus; the series that started the military shooter genre is making a comeback with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Developed by Respawn Entertainment in a partnership with Oculus, this highly anticipated title was announced at Oculus Connect 6.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a VR shooter that has players take on the role of an OSS Agents as they work to bring down the Nazi war machine. Players will work with memorable characters from the series while using a verity of tactics to over come a challenge.

The first trailer was shown during the Keynote Speech at Oculus Connect 6 while demo booths were ready to go in the expo hall.

Demoing Medal of Honor

During my session, I first got the chance to learn about the gameplay mechanics in the tutorial level. For a real playthrough, I got to choose from one of three missions to experience.

The training level allowed me to become more familiar with the controller setup along with the many weapons one would be using. The weapons available at the firing range were the standard selections like the M1911 or the M1 Grand. I also got to see the level of detail that was put into recreating this moment in history (especially when I was standing next to the M1 Sherman Tank).

Since I prefer Close Quarters Combat (CQC), I opted to play “Gestapo Headquarters” for my real playthrough. The mission has players raid a hotel that has been converted into an outpost for the Gestapo agents stationed in the area. The goal will be to locate and destroy a list of French Resistance operatives. I also had to admire how the level seems to be inspired by Operation Repunzel from Medal of Honor: Frontline.

Final Thoughts

Above and Beyond is the rebooted that the series has needed after the debacle called Warfighter. In regards to the quality of fun, I enjoyed walking around with my Thompson and shooting every sum-bitch in a Nazi uniform (like Aldo the Apache). In regards to being a VR experience, I admire the attention to detail in regards to the world building.

I only played the game for an hour but I’m already confident that Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is the title that will attract traditional gamers to the Oculus. This is what we have imaged gaming in VR would be like but this game goes beyond those expectations.

Plus as an old school gamer who played the first Medal of Honor on the PlayStation, its great that this series has been given a second chance.

Disclaimer: Facebook provided me with press credentials for Oculus Connect 6.

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