Medal of Honor 2010 vs 2012?

• 3: The emotional core.

MOH2010 was full of emotion. From the opening cinematic referencing the September 11th attacks, to the retaking of the Kabul airfield, to the desperate defense by the Rangers after a Taliban ambush seen below:

“Aw fuck this. I’ve seen this movie before…. PRIVATE! Switch with me!”

The combat was varied between elite “Tier 1” operators, enlisted Army Rangers, and even AH-64 Apache pilots. It lingered enough on each one to give you some emotional attachment, especially for Rabbit. I think the emotional impact was even further impacted by the fact that most of us know, or have known people who’ve been over there, doing this kind of work. This approach really put a ‘human’ face on this war game, and it really resonated with me.

Look no further than the Medal of Honor (2010) end sequence and cinematic below:

“Heroes Aboard”

Man, I admit I cried the first (and second..) time I played through this. It was so ‘epically’ emotional. The firefight just to get to the top was frantic and harrowing, and then.. the end. Sigh. Defies the usual first person shooter ‘happy ending’ that we are used to. For me, this reinforced the real-world significance even more. Add to this that the majority of the game was based on an actual US Military mission, Operation Anaconda, and you have a recipe for a serious wargame.

“This isn’t how this ends…”

“No.. this isn’t.”

And then.. the ending text, spelled out over music:

“… To our brothers past and present –

This is a dedication to America’s servicemen. A dedication to the debt we owe to Warriors lost, and to all of our military forces who continue to defend freedom around the world. Men and women who have honorably served throughout our nation’s history – who stood and continue to stand fast in the face of a determined enemy and defeat them with unwavering discipline.

Most Americans do not know what our Special Operations Forces community experience. They do not know what these Warriors endure in combat, nor do they understand the selflessness and love of the brothers beside them. Men within this community bring the fight to the enemy, engage aggressively, and stand their ground.

Born unto a different cloth, these men could have chosen a life of prosperity and chased every opportunity afforded by our great nation. Giving life as they live it, they chose to leave these pursuits behind and devote themselves instead to a higher calling, living with indomitable purpose – by simple truths – 

Brotherhood. Honor. Sacrifice. 

Words molded into their character, exemplified by their actions.

It is their final hour we celebrate – our fallen brothers who shine a light on the greatest attributes of dedicated men. With their sacrifice, legends are born and will live as examples to inspire the heroes that will lead our nation to victory in the years ahead; making our founding fathers proud and acting as a promise to America’s next generation.

This is to our fallen brothers. You will be honored in our community’s history as the greatest heroes. As men who shouldered our nation’s burdens, you will remain as beacons for our heroic ideals. Taught to be proud and unbending in failure and humble in success, there are no greater examples for which this nation stands for and of which this nation is built from – the ideal of service to country and to others.

To our community and all who wear the uniform – Thank you for your service to the nation.

And, to those in this hour who are in the fight and keep our enemies awake at night.”