21-Jul-2003 EA speaks about the latest expansion to hit World War II FPS Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Breakthrough, in development at TKO Software, is the second expansion to appear for the original World War II FPS. Obviously adding new single-player and multiplayer content, the add-on will find players assuming the role of U.S. Army Sergeant John Baker and fighting Axis forces in the hot and dusty climes of North Africa and in Italy.
As with the original Allied Assault and Spearhead, Breakthrough features a combination of solo missions and missions where players will fight alongside squad mates. New firepower, character skins, multiplayer modes and more are to be included, and we're also promised that Breakthrough's single-player campaign will provide more hours of gameplay than Spearhead's, to which all we can say is: "thank goodness".
A recent trip to EA headquarters in the US presented us with the opportunity to grill product manager Dave Rosen about the Breakthrough expansion.
So what does the Breakthrough expansion consist of?
Rosen: There are 11 single-player missions. It's North Africa to Italy. So Kasserine Pass, Sicily and Monte Battaglia. It's got nine new multiplayer maps and a new multiplayer mode called Liberation mode.
Similar to Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and expansion Spearhead, we're aiming for an equal balance between single-player and multiplayer.
Can you give us a few more details on Liberation mode?
Rosen: When players on your team are killed they go into a jail and then you have to hit a trigger in a level to release them. So it creates a cool dynamic, guarding the trigger versus going out and fighting people.
Once one entire team is in jail at the same time, that ends the scenario.
What new weapons and character skins feature?
Rosen: There are a lot of new Italian skins and weapons, and some new British and German ones as well. We felt that with the Spearhead expansion there were a lot of new Allied characters and weapons but not a lot for the Axis, so we're trying to balance that.
We understand that we'll get to drive vehicles in Breakthrough...?
Rosen: This is right near the start of the campaign [points to the screen while someone is playing it] and at this point he's riding in a tank. There are points when you drive a tank.
Because it's North Africa, obviously tanks and vehicles were heavily involved in those battles. Part of what this franchise is all about, something that's important to us, is historical accuracy, so we couldn't really give people the feel of being in North Africa if they didn't get to drive a tank.
So in single-player Breakthrough you'll be driving tanks more than in the past.
Once he gets through this initial combat area [points at screen again] he'll get to a tank. Breakthrough just went alpha this week, and it's not well balanced yet so it's tough to get through the first level.
Will Breakthrough owners still be able to play those who don't own it online?
Rosen: For multiplayer online you can play against anyone who's running the basic Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault and/or Spearhead.
Breakthrough will be compatible with Spearhead, and of course you'll need the original Allied Assault to play it - but you don't need Spearhead to play it.
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