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EA Games  2003
XBOX, PS-2, Game Cube




Language: English

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Medal of Honor Rising Sun


I have been a fan of the Medal of Honor series since the original game appeared on the Playstation so many years ago. And after EA's overwhelming success with MOH Allied Assault on the PC, I was eagerley awaiting their conversion to the Pacific Theatre with Rising Sun.

I was that excited about the release of this game, I bought my own copy the day it was released - even before I had my own XBOX console! As I loaded the game on a friend's console, I was amazed at the intro video, and how it almost seamlessly merged into the first level - where you have to survive aboard the California during the Pearl Harbor attack.

This level was created extremely well, with an excellent level of detail paid to the history of the attack. The in-game tribute to the Arizona is a nice touch. I did find it a bit cliche though how your character is able to bring down more aircraft than the Japanese actually lost in the attack - though I guess this is a trademark of the series.

Unfortunately the game is relatively short, with only eight main levels. These are:

  • 'Day of Infamy'
  • 'Fall of the Philippines'
  • 'Midnight Raid on Guadalcanal'
  • 'Pistol Pete Showdown'
  • 'Singapore Sling'
  • 'In Search of Yamashita's Gold'
  • 'A Bridge on the River Kwai'
  • 'Supercarrier Sabotage'

The best thing I found about this game is the level of historical and technical detail given to the weapons and vehicles - though I think this aspect wouldn't be discovered by most people playing the game.

Although difficult at times, the gameplay keeps the player involved at all times, and rarely do you find yourself walking around with nothing to do. Graphics on the XBOX version are great, though I have seen better from this console.

If you find the voices of some of the characters familiar, then it's because a number have appeared in other movies recently. These include Dale Dye (Band of Brothers) as the voice of Gunner Sergeant Lauton and Mako (Pearl Harbor) as the voice of Shirma.

Overall, I was impressed with how the creators handled taking the MOH series to the Pacific. I was a bit disappointed with both the length of the game and how the graphics often appeared, so am considering this a test or a preview for the upcoming MOH Pacific Assault on the PC.

Note that this is a review of the XBOX version of MOH Rising Sun. Playstation 2 and Game Cube versions may differ slightly.



Review by Daniel Leahy  

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Last Updated
September 21, 2023


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