It was inevitable that EA's Medal of Honor was going to draw comparisons with Activision's Call of Duty, especially as both series have now been brought bang up to date with a modern day overhaul. No longer is World War II the period of choice - today, every developer worth its salt is setting their games in the all-too familiar settings of current conflict.

In doing so, the latest iteration in the franchise’s 11-year history threw up a fair bit of controversy and hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. But that certainly didn’t deter gamers; a record number of pre-orders and two million sales in the first fortnight isn’t too bad, eh?

But the comparisons between the two hit franchises are perhaps a little unfair... and un-necessary. Afterall, the Medal of Honor games were suitably different from their rivals even when they were both focussed on war torn Berlin and fighting the Nazi regime.

The latest edition of Medal of Honor is certainly a welcome addition to the series and, and despite the fact it has been subject of mixed reviews, it's a really enjoyable game. But it is a game of two halves - with different studios given the task of pulling together the on- and offline modes. Danger Close was behind the single player element, whereas DICE – famed for the Battlefield games – was in charge of the multiplayer online mode.

The solo player component whisks you off to Afghanistan, with each of the missions putting you in the boots of Rabbit and Deuce – members of the elite Tier 1 special forces team – or US Army Ranger, Dante, and pilot, Hawkins.

You embark on what is literally a whistlestop tour (a run-through of the game only lasts four to six hours) of locations including the Helmand Valley to the debris-strewn city of Kabul. Visually, it's all very impressive. From the dust that spews across the tracks to the snowy mountain ranges and scorching rays of the sun, aesthetically it’s spot on. So much so in fact, that you can’t help but feel a little deflated during the frequent night time missions or when you venture into a cave, as you can actually see very little of the lush environments.

The game proudly states that it was developed through close consultation with the armed forces to add to the game’s authenticity – and you’ll soon be convinced because of the all the military spiel that flows from the speakers.

The controls are pretty standard, although the ability to slide your character into cover is a nice touch, and you can also “peek and lean” around obstacles to make you less of a target.

It’s a decent campaign too – but not without its flaws. During a playthrough I’ll wager that you’ll need to reload the occasional checkpoint after losing track of your team and not having the faintest clue which direction you should be heading. There’s also very little freedom as you’re led down pre-defined paths by your AI-controlled colleagues. Enemies respawn with aplomb, firing relentlessly from all angles until your reach a certain trigger point where the next sequence or dialogue kicks in.

Saying that though, there is a fair bit of variety; some missions require stealth, others see you hurtling over the hills on a quad bike. Later you’ll also spend your time in trucks, helicopters and controlling huge airstrikes.

After the fairly short campaign, players can take their new-found skills online - although it's an all-together different experience from the campaign, largely due to a different studio being in charge. Unlike the stealthy elements of the campaign mode, here you’re faced with a typical class-based shooter that is reminiscent of Bad Company 2. Take your pick from three different classes, arm them to the teeth and bound about the maps leaving a trail of bad guys in your wake.

Two teams of up to twelve players can compete in the eight available maps across four different game types: Combat Mission, Team Assault, Objective Raid and Sector Control – which adds a fair amount of replayability to proceedings. It feels far less arcadey than its Call of Duty counterpart and rest assured, your first experience will be relatively short-lived as your opponents will inevitably be well-versed in putting a bullet right between your eyes from distance. Sometimes, it’s almost impossible to see exactly where your assailant was laying in wait – but I guess, that is what makes it even more like the real thing.

Another nice touch is the Tier 1 mode - tough single player challenges that pit you against the clock as you replay the campaign missions and rack up the scores. The aim is to complete them as quickly as possible to get higher up the leaderboards; head shots, melee kills and chain kills delay the timer.

The FPS is not exactly a rare breed these days but Medal of Honor is still a welcome addition to the genre. It looks the business and the sound effects are as good as any. Personally, I preferred the solo campaign as it felt like an altogether more substantial – albeit short – package; the graphics appear better and the story is robust and enjoyable. Online, the learning curve seems fairly steep and the maps are limited and slightly repetitive – although the new DLC (“Clean Sweep” and “Hot Zone”) help to make this less of an issue.

Overall, Medal of Honor is a robust effort and well worth shelling out for. The modern-day setting is welcome and the game is rewarding. Sadly, the timing of its release puts it almost head to head with the latest edition of Activision’s popular shooter and no matter what the merits of Medal of Honor, it’s going to have a tough time convincing the Call of Duty crowd to defect. Perhaps this is one to try before you buy. If you still fancy replaying the short campaign and get into your groove in the multiplayer, it’s then a top purchase!