Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Medal of Honor: Infiltrator delivers a tight, top-down shooter experience that immediately evokes memories of arcade classics like Commando and Frontline. The controls are intuitive: move with the D-pad, aim in eight directions, and fire with a single button. This simplicity allows you to jump right into the action without a steep learning curve, yet the challenge remains high throughout.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

Across 15 distinct levels, the game mixes up mission objectives to keep you engaged. One mission might have you scouring a map for secret documents, while another has you planting explosives in enemy depots. These varied goals give each stage its own flavor, preventing the gameplay from feeling repetitive even as the enemy placements grow more relentless.

Cover mechanics play a crucial role in survival. You can duck behind buildings, walls, or crates to avoid incoming fire, giving the game a tactical edge that sets it apart from straight-ahead run-and-gun shooters. The inclusion of stationary weapons—like mounted machine guns or commandeered tanks—adds another layer of strategy, forcing you to decide when to hold position or push forward.

Difficulty spikes are frequent and unforgiving, true to the series’ heritage. Enemy soldiers often swarm in numbers, snipers pick you off from a distance, and time limits on certain objectives can add pressure. While this may frustrate casual players, veterans of 8- and 16-bit war games will appreciate the constant push to refine their skills and memorize enemy patterns.

Graphics

The game’s top-down perspective offers clear, colorful visuals that stand out on handheld hardware. Though the sprite work is simple by today’s standards, each enemy type, building, and piece of terrain is easily distinguishable. This clarity is crucial when shells and bullets whiz across the screen, as you need to react quickly to survive.

Level design shines through in its varied environments: you’ll traverse sun-baked deserts, snow-covered valleys, and dense urban areas. Each backdrop features unique color palettes and thematic touches, from palm trees swaying in the breeze to crumbling stone walls that hint at a war-torn city. These visual shifts keep your eyes engaged even as the action intensifies.

Animation frames are limited but effective. Soldier sprites have a satisfying recoil when firing, and explosions are conveyed with bold, flashing pixels that emphasize the impact zone. The occasional screen shake effect during heavy artillery or tank blasts further enhances the sense of immersion, despite the game’s minimalistic hardware footprint.

UI elements are cleanly integrated into the playfield, displaying your ammo count, remaining lives, and mission objectives without cluttering the screen. Subtle scrolling keeps the camera centered on your character, and the occasional radar overlay helps track off-screen enemies, ensuring you’re never blindsided by a surprise attack.

Story

Medal of Honor: Infiltrator offers a straightforward, mission-based narrative. You assume the role of an elite Allied operative tasked with thwarting enemy plans behind the front lines. While the storyline lacks deep character development, it’s delivered through concise mission briefings that set clear objectives and maintain a sense of purpose.

The cutscenes between levels are brief but effective, often consisting of military officers plotting enemy movements or highlighting strategic targets. These interludes give context to your actions, such as rescuing POWs or sabotaging supply lines, and provide just enough narrative momentum to carry you from one stage to the next.

Dialog is minimal, relying instead on environmental storytelling. Ruined villages, scattered bodies, and abandoned equipment speak volumes about the war’s brutality. This approach lets the gameplay take center stage while still immersing you in a believable conflict scenario.

Although you won’t find plot twists or deep interpersonal drama here, the game’s emphasis on mission success and survival drives a simple but compelling arc. Every completed objective reinforces the sensation of striking a critical blow against the enemy, rewarding your tactical decisions with tangible progress on the war effort.

Overall Experience

Medal of Honor: Infiltrator is a masterclass in distilled, retro-inspired shooting action. It may not boast cinematic set pieces or sprawling open worlds, but its focused design ensures that every level feels tight and purposeful. The blend of varied objectives, cover mechanics, and occasional vehicular segments keeps the gameplay loop fresh from start to finish.

The game’s high difficulty can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, overcoming brutal enemy waves and tricky boss encounters is immensely satisfying. On the other, new or casual players may find themselves restarting levels frequently before appreciating the nuances of cover and weapon management. Persistence is rewarded, but patience is required.

Replay value is strong for those who thrive on mastery. Speedrunners will appreciate the timer-based challenges, while completionists can hunt down hidden collectibles and experiment with different weapon upgrades. Even after conquering the base campaign, leaderboards and time trials offer additional reasons to revisit the battlefield.

In the end, Medal of Honor: Infiltrator stands as a finely tuned homage to classic top-down shooters, wrapped in the familiar trappings of the Medal of Honor franchise. Its straightforward story, vibrant visuals, and demanding gameplay make it a standout choice for fans of old-school action and anyone seeking a challenging handheld experience.

Retro Replay Score

7.5/10