Medal of Honor hits PS3 today; Greg Goodrich talks DICE, single-player, Frontline HD

It is finally time to take that step; a step so critical that it will elevate you to a new level of gamer. It’s time to step up to Tier 1! Medal of Honor for the PS3 is now on retail store shelves in the US.

Edit: Below, Sid Shuman from the PlayStation.Blog interviews Medal of Honor Executive Producer Greg Goodrich about the differences between the Danger Close-developed single-player campaign and the DICE-led multiplayer mode, the PS3-exclusive Medal of Honor: Frontline HD campaign included on the Blu-ray disc, and more.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Medal of Honor, it’s a modern reboot of the venerable franchise that has existed for ten years. Operating directly under the National Command Authority, a relatively unknown entity of handpicked warriors are called on when the mission must not fail. They are the Tier 1 Operators.

Over two million Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines wear the uniform. Of those, approximately 50 thousand fall under the direct control of the Special Operations Command. The Tier 1 Operator functions on a plane of existence above and beyond even the most highly trained Special Operations Forces. Their exact numbers, while classified, hover in the low hundreds.

They are living, breathing, precision instruments of war. They are experts in the application of violence. The new Medal of Honor is inspired by and has been developed with Tier 1 Operators from this elite community. Players will step into the boots of these warriors and apply their unique skill sets to a new enemy in the most unforgiving and hostile battlefield conditions of present day Afghanistan.

The single-player, created by Danger Close, is an authentic, emotional and exhilarating look at the war in Afghanistan through the lens of a band of fictional characters. The multiplayer, created by world-class studio DICE, is an adrenaline-fuelled experience that will put your first-person shooter gaming skills to the ultimate test.

Also, the PS3 edition of the game comes with the re-mastered Medal of Honor Frontline. For the first time ever, you’ll be able to storm the shores of Normandy in full HD! Medal of Honor Frontline was a landmark title for the PS2 when the game was released in 2002. It helped pave the way for first-person shooter titles and defined and established Medal of Honor as a force to be reckoned with.

When we started to talk with Sony Computer Entertainment about the possibility of releasing an HD version, everyone familiar with the franchise was extremely excited and considered it a no-brainer; it had to be done! Visual aesthetics wasn’t the only thing to get improved, however. The team also managed to implement the “aim down the sight” mechanic into the game. Get ready to suit up as Lt. Jimmy Patterson once again and head back behind enemy lines for 15 missions based on real events that occurred during WWII.