Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Respawn Entertainment
Release Date: Dec. 11, 2020

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'Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond' Wins Oscar Academy Award For Documentary Short Film

by Rainier on April 26, 2021 @ 8:44 a.m. PDT

Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond brings the historic battlefields of World War II back to the forefront in an entirely new cinematic and immersive way.

Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond brings the historic battlefields of World War II back to the forefront as you’ll play as an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), tasked with infiltrating, outgunning, and outsmarting the Nazi war machine.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond returns to the series’ roots, transporting players to a boots-on-the-ground World War II setting that spans the earth, sea and sky, with players jumping from planes, skiing down mountainsides and sabotaging Nazi bases. Aspiring soldiers won’t be going it alone, however: a veteran sergeant and young British medic will serve as companions throughout the single-player campaign, and the game will feature appearances from other Medal of Honor legends, including Manon Batiste and Dr. Gronek.

The game, which is being built for Oculus Rift from the ground up by a team comprised of veteran developers of the series, will put players in the role of an agent in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Players will go behind enemy lines to sabotage Nazi facilities, subvert enemy plans, and aid the French Resistance. Players will also experience a rich, exciting single-player campaign that takes them through historic events on land, air, and sea, all in virtual reality.

Additionally, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will feature a variety of multiplayer modes, some of which are only possible in VR and with the addition of Steam support, players will benefit from cross-platform play across multiple different devices. Keep an eye out for more information on these modes in the months ahead.

In addition to both a full narrative campaign and multiplayer modes, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond includes a unique story gallery, letting you sit with WWII veterans and survivors to hear their stories while witnessing first-hand the events and locations that have shaped our history. The game will lean into the franchise’s history of education through entertainment, bringing the stories of WWII veterans to life for players in emotionally powerful ways.

In a momentous occasion for the video game and interactive entertainment industry, Colette, a documentary produced by Respawn Entertainment and Oculus Studios has won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 93rd Academy Awards. Marking the first time a video game company has been nominated and awarded an Oscar, Colette is directed by Emmy Award winning director Anthony Giacchino and was originally featured in Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.

Colette is a critical component of the Medal of Honor franchise’s mission of blending action and history together into an immersive experience. One of many film shorts created for the game, each of the personal stories, including Colette’s, adds context and historical weight to the gameplay as it unfolds for players, to provide an up close and personal opportunity with the places, sights, sounds and stories of the people who were there.

It’s a journey of discovery on many levels, but the film’s greatest revelation is Colette herself who, at 90, is finally ready to let go of the grief and loss that she’s held so tightly inside for over seven decades. Lucie’s youth and genuine concern pierced the armor. The ultimate discovery of the film is Colette’s to make.

Ninety-year-old Colette Marin-Catherine is one of the last surviving members of the French Resistance. As a young girl, she belonged to a family of Resistance fighters that included her 17-year-old brother Jean-Pierre. The last time Colette saw Jean-Pierre was in 1943, when he was arrested by the Gestapo and “disappeared” into the Nazi concentration camp system, never to be seen by his family again. The family was inwardly shattered, but outwardly stoic.

No tears. Never permitted.

“We could not be more proud of Anthony Giacchino and the team's work in bringing Colette’s story to life as part of Medal of Honor, a video game franchise rooted in history and the retelling of veterans’ stories to generations for years to come,” said Peter Hirschmann, Creative Director at Respawn Entertainment. “As we continue to take steps towards further legitimizing the creativity and passion of those in the games industry, we hope this is the first of many Oscars® for video game companies who have shown time and time again how powerful and impactful storytelling through this interactive medium can be.” 

For the past 74-years, Colette has never allowed herself to put one foot in Germany. But that’s all about to change when a young history student named Lucie enters her life. Lucie is researching the camp in Germany where Jean-Pierre died. Tracing the story of Jean-Pierre is, in fact, her special assignment. The film follows Colette as she travels with Lucie to what remains of the forced labor camp near Nordhausen, Germany.

It’s a journey of discovery on many levels, but the film’s greatest revelation is Colette herself, who at 90, is finally ready to let go of what she has, for over seven decades, held so tightly inside. Lucie’s youth and genuine concern has pierced the armor. The ultimate discovery of the film is Colette’s to make. That some wounds can only be healed if we allow them to be re-opened.

with the importance of wanting this story to be seen, the documentary was also made available to stream through The Guardian late last year.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is developed by longtime series developers and in partnership with Oculus from Facebook, and explores the theatre of war in an entirely new cinematic and immersive way. Respawn worked directly with WWII veterans to capture their riveting stories to add context around the historical set pieces players will engage with in the game’s powerful story and unique VR gameplay. 

Medal Of Honor: Above and Beyond is available on Oculus Store for Oculus Rift and Steam with OpenVR support and cross-platform play.


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