Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Medal of Honor: Airborne throws you directly into the action as Private Boyd Travers of the 82nd Airborne Division, tasked with turning the tide of World War II across Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Each mission begins with a parachute jump, giving you a rare sense of freedom as you steer your descent toward key objectives. The optional landing zones reward precise drops with ammo or bonus points, encouraging you to take risks rather than touch down safely at the map’s edge.

Once on the ground, objectives range from blowing up anti-aircraft guns to rescuing fellow soldiers caught behind enemy lines, and even disabling enemy tanks with your trusty bazooka. The mission variety keeps encounters feeling fresh and tactical: you might stealthily infiltrate an enemy encampment one moment, then dive into an all-out firefight across open farmland the next. Friendly AI paratroopers fight alongside you, advancing or holding positions, while enemy forces adapt to your movements.

A standout feature is the valour upgrade system. Pull off a string of kills in rapid succession—say three headshots in under ten seconds—and you earn upgrades like an extended magazine for the German K98 or a foregrip for your Thompson submachine gun. These perks reward skillful play and encourage experimentation with captured enemy weapons, adding depth to the otherwise straightforward run-and-gun formula.

The health system strikes a balance between realism and playability. Boyd has four “health beads,” each of which regenerates if only lightly damaged. Lose a full bead and you’ll need to scavenge a health pack to replenish it. This encourages tactical retreats and careful map exploration while keeping the pace brisk.

Graphics

For its time, Medal of Honor: Airborne delivered some of the most impressive visuals on consoles and PC. The game’s engine renders detailed textures on both urban and rural environments—from crumbling Italian villas to snow-dusted Dutch countryside—immersing you in the aesthetics of 1940s Europe. Explosions light up the sky with dynamic fireballs, and tracer rounds streak past in vivid arcs.

Character models and weapon details are well crafted, with authentic WWII gear that feels substantial in your hands. Parachute animations, complete with billowing fabric and realistic sway, underscore the tension of each airborne drop. Smoke, dust and debris particle effects heighten the sense of chaos during firefights, while varying weather conditions—sunny fields, overcast skies and even light rain—add further visual diversity.

Lighting and shadows are particularly striking in indoor and nighttime missions, where muzzle flashes cast dramatic silhouettes across stone walls. While some textures may appear dated by modern standards, especially on foliage and distant terrain, the overall presentation remains more than serviceable for a game released in the mid-2000s.

Map design also contributes to the graphical appeal: each locale feels distinct, with tightly designed objectives and natural cover points. From the ivy-covered rooftops of Rome to the frozen canals of the Netherlands, Medal of Honor: Airborne offers a visually engaging tour of WWII’s European theater.

Story

The single-player campaign follows Boyd Travers as a small but crucial element of a greater Allied operation. Briefings before each jump set the stakes—liberating towns, cutting enemy supply lines and rescuing trapped comrades. Although the narrative is lean, it serves as an effective backdrop for the relentless action.

Dialogue and radio chatter between characters help flesh out the conflict without bogging down the pace. You’ll hear snippets of camaraderie and urgent commands as you advance through enemy territory, creating a lived-in world where every firefight could be your last. Supporting AI soldiers quip and shout for cover, making each mission feel like part of a larger struggle.

While Medal of Honor: Airborne doesn’t delve into deep character arcs or moral choices, its straightforward storytelling is bolstered by authentic wartime details. Discovering personal letters in a bombed-out house or stumbling upon trapped civilians adds emotional weight to the missions, reminding you of the human cost behind every objective.

Overall, the story propels you forward through four major fronts of the war, ensuring that mission variety is matched by a sense of progress. Each successful operation builds toward the climactic finale in Germany, giving players a satisfying narrative arc despite the minimalistic approach.

Overall Experience

Medal of Honor: Airborne remains one of the most memorable WWII shooters of its era, thanks to its innovative parachute-jump mechanic and rewarding upgrade system. The freedom to choose your landing zone and experiment with captured enemy weapons sets it apart from more linear shooters.

The single-player campaign offers around eight to ten hours of intense, varied gameplay, with objectives that never feel repetitive. The balance of stealth sections, vehicle-destroying missions and all-out firefights ensures there’s always something new to keep you engaged.

On the multiplayer side, you can team up with up to 11 other players in Team Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch Airborne (where only the Allies parachute in at the start) and Objective mode, which tasks teams with capturing three strategic flags. These modes inject fresh replay value, especially if you enjoy competitive play and tactical teamwork.

Whether you’re revisiting a classic or experiencing it for the first time, Medal of Honor: Airborne delivers a gripping WWII adventure with tight controls, varied missions and historical flair. Its legacy lives on as a benchmark for airborne combat in first-person shooters and remains a worthy purchase for fans of the genre.

Retro Replay Score

7.2/10