Summary

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault is a first-person shooter set in the Pacific Theater of World War II, following the journey of Pvt. Thomas Conlin. With its emphasis on realism and historical accuracy, the game provides an immersive experience of the battles and camaraderie of the U.S. Marines.

Release Year: 2004
Genres: Shooter
Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows)
Developers: EA Los Angeles
Publishers: Electronic Arts

Introduction

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, released in 2004, is a first-person shooter that transports players to the Pacific Theater of World War II. Players take on the role of Pvt. Thomas Conlin as they experience the harrowing battles and camaraderie of the U.S. Marines during this pivotal period in history.

Synopsis

“Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault” is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. The game is the seventh installment in the Medal of Honor series and serves as a sequel to the Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. The story is set during the Pacific War.

The game begins with the player, in the role of Pvt. Thomas Conlin, a U.S. Marine in the Pacific Theater of World War II, taking part in the landing on the Tarawa atoll. As Conlin’s Amtrac approaches the shore, it’s hit by an artillery shell, throwing Conlin and the other passengers into the shallow ocean, forcing them to wade ashore. Conlin fights his way onto the shore, only to get cut down by a bullet during a Japanese counterattack. As he bleeds out, the game flashes back to the start of Conlin’s first day of basic training.

During basic training, the player is introduced to the characters that will become his squad. The squad leader Frank Minoso, a big, smooth-talking, New Jersey native; sniper William “Willie” Gaines, a country boy from North Carolina; and corpsman James Sullivan, a quiet sailor from a rich family in Oak Park, Illinois. After training, Conlin is assigned, without the rest of his training battalion, to serve aboard the USS Arizona. He arrives at Pearl Harbor early on the morning of December.

Conlin is reassigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, and together with his old boot camp training mate they take part in the Makin Island raid. During the raid, they are tasked with destroying a radio tower, destroying a supply dump, and rescuing a downed airman, before returning to their insertion point to fend off a Japanese counter-attack and defend their submarines from an aerial attack.

Following the Makin raid, the squad is assigned to the 1st Marine Raider Battalion and deployed in Guadalcanal. They are first tasked with the defense of Henderson Field and the outlying area against a Japanese attack, culminating in a push to re-take the airfield.

“Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault” introduced some new features to the franchise, such as recovering health by calling the corpsman, and the ability to order squad members to give covering fire, regroup, move up and fall back. The Director’s Edition features some additional content, such as a presentation that shows the history of American-Japanese war, behind the in-game missions (levels) and a built-in music player that allows the user to listen to the soundtrack.

The game ends in 1943, and in a cliffhanger (“The road to Tokyo is a long one, and we’re only halfway there…”-Thomas Conlin at the end of the game). The planned sequel was never released, as other games have been developed since the release of Pacific Assault.

Characters

Key characters include Pvt. Thomas Conlin, the protagonist; Sgt. Frank Minoso, Conlin’s squad leader; and other members of Conlin’s squad, each with their own unique personalities and backgrounds. The game also features various Japanese soldiers as adversaries.

Gameplay

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault offers a blend of first-person shooting and squad-based tactics. Players must navigate through enemy territory, using a variety of weapons and equipment to engage in combat. The game emphasizes realism, with a health system that requires players to seek medical attention from squad medics.

Conclusion

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault is a memorable entry in the Medal of Honor series, offering players a vivid reenactment of the challenges and triumphs of the U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theater. Its focus on historical realism and engaging storytelling makes it a standout title for fans of military and historical games.