Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Medal of Honor: Vanguard drops you behind enemy lines as Corporal Frank Keegan of the 82nd Airborne Division, tasking you with sabotage missions in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Each level presents a clear set of objectives—destroy anti-aircraft emplacements, rescue prisoners of war or disable enemy armor with your trusty bazooka. The mission design does a solid job of evoking the cat-and-mouse tension of behind-enemy-lines combat, and you’ll often find yourself weighing stealth versus all-guns-blazing approaches.

One of Vanguard’s standout features is its simple yet rewarding weapon customization. Early on in the campaign you gain access to attachments such as sniper scopes or larger drum magazines, allowing you to tweak your rifle or submachine gun to suit a variety of situations. Whether you opt for the pinpoint accuracy of a scoped rifle to snipe machine-gun nests or the high capacity of a drum-fed SMG for close-quarters brawling, the mods breathe fresh life into repeated firefights.

Vanguard also channels the parachute-drop mechanic popularized in Medal of Honor: Airborne. At designated jump zones you choose your landing point on the battlefield, which can profoundly affect your initial strategy. While the game forgoes vehicle sections entirely, the parachute sequences help to break up standard run-and-gun action. AI teammates will follow you through each mission, offering suppressive fire and reviving downed comrades, though their tactical awareness can feel uneven at times.

Graphics

Powered by an updated iteration of the Unreal Engine, Vanguard’s visuals capture the European theater with an earthy palette of mud-spattered fields, ruined villages and storm-tossed skies. Textures on buildings and foliage can appear a bit soft compared to modern standards, but the level layouts are thoughtfully constructed to create memorable vantage points and ambush spots.

Character models and enemy soldiers are reasonably detailed for a mid-2000s release, with recognizable uniforms and era-appropriate weaponry. Animations for reloading, weapon swapping and melee takedowns hold up well, although facial expressions in cutscenes occasionally slip into stiff or generic territory.

Explosions and particle effects remain Vanguard’s high point in visual flair: the blast radius of a bazooka round, the plume of smoke from a burning AA gun and the debris of a collapsing wall all deliver satisfying feedback. Framerate is largely stable, even when multiple AI combatants are on screen, though minor slowdown can appear in the densest firefights. Overall, the graphics serve the gameplay admirably, immersing you in a believable WWII environment.

Story

Medal of Honor: Vanguard casts you as Corporal Frank Keegan on a mission to liberate occupied Europe, weaving together historically inspired operations from the Italian Alps to the heart of Germany. The narrative thread is straightforward: sabotage, rescue and assault key enemy positions to pave the way for Allied advances. While the plot never tries to reinvent the wheel, it provides respectable framing for each mission.

Cutscenes between levels offer brief glimpses into Keegan’s motivations and the bonds he shares with his squadmates. Voice acting is competent, with an earnest delivery that captures the stoicism and sacrifice of airborne troopers. However, dialogue occasionally lapses into cliché, and character development beyond your immediate fireteam remains minimal.

Where Vanguard shines is in its mission pacing. By alternating explosive set-pieces—a daring extraction from behind enemy lines, the frantic dash across an open airfield under fire or the stealthy infiltration of a fortified encampment—the game maintains momentum and prevents the campaign from ever feeling monotonous. The story may not linger in memory long after the credits roll, but it capably drives you forward through each theater of war.

Overall Experience

Medal of Honor: Vanguard offers a solid WWII shooter experience centered on dynamic mission design and satisfying combat mechanics. The parachute-drop sequences and weapon customization inject diversity into the core run-and-gun formula, while AI teammates add a sense of camaraderie even if their tactics can be inconsistent. The absence of vehicle missions streamlines the focus but may disappoint those who crave tank battles or jeep chases.

Graphically, Vanguard holds its own given its era, with convincing environments and impactful special effects that elevate firefights. The single-player campaign unfolds at a brisk pace, delivering enough variety in objectives and locales to keep you engaged from Sicily to the Rhine. Split-screen multiplayer for up to four players adds local replay value with modes like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and King of the Hill, though the lack of online play limits long-term competitive appeal.

For fans of classic WWII shooters, Medal of Honor: Vanguard is a worthy addition to the series. It won’t redefine the genre, but its focused missions, engaging parachute mechanics and solid weapon arsenal make for an immersive trip into the heart of World War II. If you have fond memories of Airborne or crave a concise, squad-based campaign without the bells and whistles of modern shooters, Vanguard delivers a dependable—and often thrilling—journey across war-torn Europe.

Retro Replay Score

6.2/10