http://bashandslash.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1009&Itemid=1

I usually defer to Einstein when I speak of relativity, but in this case, I'll be talking about an FPS game so I won't quote everyone's favorite physicist. I bring up relativity because I've been sitting here trying to rationalize why the guys coming out of the EA MoH community event were raving about Tier1's MP.

Spoiler alert: The MP Beta is comfortably to the right side of a 6.5 overall rating. In my opinion, Tier1's online component it is a little further behind in look/feel/sound than the BFBC2's Beta MP effort was at the same point in that game's history. Given what I saw DICE do from Beta to Release with BC2's MP, I expect MoH Tier1 to weigh in with a 7.5, when it ships.

However, with the lack of a fully destructible environment and poor quality sound, it is difficult to give the Beta any more than a "good, but needs improvement" mark.

Back to relativity. I realize now that the grins from all the EA MoH Tier1 community eventers was due to the fact that they were comparing Tier1 with Airborne. That must be it. I think I now understand Rudedog when he mentioned, during my interview with him in BASH 155, that he had a great reaction to first seeing this game.

Now, having finally got a chance to play the game, I "get" the fact that this must be one of the better MP's to come out of the MoH franchise in a long time and understand all the excitement coming from the old timers in the MoH community. Unfortunately, I think the game has some ways to go to catch BFBC2 and a considerable upslope to pass what will come at us in CoD:BO. It's all relative.

Hardcore community reaction

Early reaction from our hardcore guys was not good. This was due solely to badly handled key code distribution issues, by EA. That stuff has nothing to do with actual gameplay so I will dismiss it (though I know some of you will not).

Many of the hardcore guys have now played the game and a good fraction are telling me of their disappointment in the lack of polish. I tend to agree. Given the cost of this game, DICE's MP will need to be significantly cleaned up to meet EA's lofty expectations for the product.

Complaints that the game still has console earmarks all over the place - including the menu system, which talks about "TV" adjustments, abound. That type of stuff always solicits the "console port" mantra, whether a game merits it or not.

Good/Bad

* Lack of recoil, lack of prone, lack of lean are bad signs to hardcore gamers
* Lag free dedicated servers elicit happy feelings with us. Though things would be better if the servers were a mix of ranked and unranked.
* No modding/mapping.

Graphics

Good to excellent. Excellent framerates even with maxed out graphics. Eye candy will make this title sell like hotcakes and I suspect that is exactly what the devs concentrated on.

For someone like myself, I will take good gameplay over graphics any day of the week and unfortunately, gameplay has not yet caught up to the graphics.

The Weapons

Lack of recoil is the biggest concern here, but I think that complain is misguided. The perspective in the game is such that targets are teeny tiny. It is genuinely difficult to see the enemy, much less shoot them. Recoil would make any run'n'gun action near enough impossible. For that reason, I understand why they have removed it.

Even without the recoil I would expect on my assault weapons, I still get a sense of accomplishment when I bring someone down in this game.

Good/Bad

* The AK47 view rig is not good. It looks like I am holding a wet fish.
* Pistols look and feel "right".
* The M16 looks really good, but feels much too light.
* Snipers have no kick.
* Nade physics are better than BFBC2, but nowhere near CoD.
* Explosions are as good as in BFBC2.
* RPG splash damage seems right.
* Good registration (I hit what I aimed at).

Sound

Muffled and bassy. It has the poorest sound to any big-box-office shooter I have played in recent memory.

Good/Bad

* Good directionality
* Bad everything else.
* Sound should provide situational awareness. Yet, in both MoH and in BFBC2 (and MW2), you cannot hear enemy footsteps, even right behind you.

Maps

Helmand valley

Looks nice from a distance, but there are some bizarre features that detract from it being considered top tier. Not the least of which is the lack of maneuver room when tanks are nearby (watch the video). The valley is miles across and yet they make a road so narrow, I cannot squeeze past my own tank.

Water effects are poorly done.

Collision zones offer poor quality fire-fights. These critical points offer good vision for three to four players, but in a 24-man battle, many players are left uncovered or simply staring at the back of their comrades.

Kabul

The city is overly congested with artifacts and the bluish colors make the map look dull and uninspiring. A raging fire causes all manner of flying debris to cross the map, similar to CoD4/MW2. Hated this ridiculous effect in both those games and it looks especially out of place in this game.

Gameplay

In both maps it takes considerable eye-strain to spot the enemy. They vanish in the distance as the perspective is rather flat.

The map makers have funneled the action into specific collision points on the map, yet due to many reasons, the battles fought at those points are from the epic toe-to-toe slug-fests one would expect.

The game will suit tactical players over run'n'gunners.

Though the game attempts to look like MW2, it plays like BFBC2 without the vehicles (though, there are some vehicles in this game as well).

Get set for amazing framerates even at high resolution. This is what could have been achieved in BC2, if it was not for the fact that BC2 uses your CPU for all that sound processing it does.

Conclusion

This is the first product from the new MoH series. It is not up to BFBC2 or CoD standard yet and I would rank it a distant third right now. Having said that, there is potential here if EA keeps at it. The first hurdle was to get a playable online game. They did that. Now they will need to spend a considerable amount of time on rubbing it smooth.

Will EA/DICE provide the level of support to make this game really good?

I am not sure. BFBC2 was a great game with a few bugs. The hardcore community has been leaving BFBC2 in droves because many feel DICE turned off the taps too early.

With BF3 supposedly in development, will that happen with MoH too?

was he referring to hardcore fans or hardcore mode gamerz?

pretty sure competitive gamers..

yeh, he always refers to the competitive community as the hardcore guys.

well we are hardcore aren't we? casuals are the softies.

Spoken like a true cod player

ex cod player