For some, March 23 - the release date of the Playstation3 - will be the day the PS2 console effectively died. I say effectively because Sony have done the right thing and made the PS3 backwards compatible (yeah, don’t take all your favourites to E-bay just yet!). For sure, developers won’t continue to work on ‘past gen’ technology forever. Certainly for a little while we will see a handful of new PS2 games in the shops, but it is indeed inevitable that the time will come when development of games for this machine will cease.

Which brings us nicely to a time called ‘meanwhile’. Yes, until the aforementioned Judgement Day sees the game developers jump ship over to next-gen, we are allowed to forage on the last few sweet delights. Namely, EA’s latest title in the Medal Of Honour franchise; Vanguard.

EA have been touted as the pioneers of the WWII FPS genre since way back in 1999. From then it has encountered some remarkable competition, notably from the Call Of Duty series. Medal Of Honour (MoH) is known, nay, famous for bringing into our front rooms immensely authentic battlefield shenanigans, together with it’s often overly chaotic game play. MoH: Vanguard is no different, which is both a pro and a con; it’s missing a great deal of innovation but it’s also tried and tested, so it works. Get through the first mission and ignore the somewhat dated aesthetics and you’ll be gripped.

You play as Cpl Frank Keegan of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army, battling your way through four decisive operations (which in turn are split up into two or three missions) involved in the liberation of Europe. Right from the get-go you feel like his time in this esteemed corps will be short-lived. Parachuting behind enemy lines is certainly being thrown in at the deep end (I did say this reeks of that MoH bedlam!). Pre-release, EA indicated that we may have full control over the parachuting element; landing wherever you think will give you the best tactical advantage. This sadly is not the case (see MoH: Airborne on PS3) however the little control you do have lets you attempt to plant down near flared markers. Doing so will give you very handy weapon upgrades such as a scope for your rifle.

Once your on the ground the action comes thick and fast and I’m pleased to say that the enemies are much improved over previous entries in the series. The AI has been stepped up considerably. You will still see the odd German run to the exact spot where you just killed his team mate, but more often than not, they will cleverly use whatever cover is available. There’s also the usual torrent of German voices bellowing to one and other and indeed to you, no doubt telling you to ‘kindly’ go away. A nice addition in Vanguard is the shouting from your own squad members - predominantly telling you which way to go or what weapon will work best for the next section. This somewhat adds to the immersion and can be of real help rather than just battle cries and inaudible wailing.

Be warned - this game is linear. Very linear. Personally though, I don’t care. When are we ever likely to see a fully free-roaming WW2 FPS? Moreover, do we want one? There’s certainly nothing wrong with working your way from checkpoint to checkpoint via a series of set pieces. Not when it’s this much fun!

Graphically I feel that the game could look a little more polished; but to be honest the gritty, rough-around-the-edges look kind of suits the setting and doesn’t really detract from the action at all. That said, we know what the PS2 is capable of, graphically - take a peek at God Of War 2. So a little dust up here and there wouldn’t have hurt. Still, you get to see some impressive explosions, scenery and character animation throughout. There’s a nice selection of Allied and Axis weapons to get your mitts on, all of which feel solid and weighty and pack a good punch. The sound of war is equally as enthralling, yanking you into the scene further still. Voice acting is up to scratch and the usual bullet whistles and ricochets are nothing less that what we’ve come to expect.

Unfortunately Vanguard does let it’s beret slip at little when it comes down to the longevity stakes. Despite each level/mission being slightly longer than those found in previous MoH titles; they still seem short. This doesn’t detract from the story but is still a disappointment.

The four campaigns; Husky, Neptune, Market Garden and Varsity follow a respectful learning curve. Although in the thick of it from the off you don’t necessarily feel like the odds are stacked up against you. I have personally never shied way from a challenge so was delighted to test out the 4th PS2 title in the MoH series, aware of the infamous difficulty this franchise has displayed over the years.

But the last mission in Varsity is like hitting a brick wall head-on. To avoid spoiling the plot I’ll refrain from discussing all the details but be prepared for a change of pace. As I mentioned before, the toughness of this game is a steady climb but it ends up being unsympathetically gruelling. But as a reward, Vanguard incorporates a fantastic medal system recognising your valiant efforts. You can attain various medals and stars in Vanguard for executing certain actions, including a number of head-shots in one mission or completing a mission or operation without dying. Xbox360 users will appreciate this by it’s distinct similarities to the Achievement system.

Controlling Keegan couldn’t be simpler. The analogue sticks take care of movement and looking and feel responsive and accurate. As with previous titles, your stance (standing, crouching and prone) are managed with the Square button and using the Triangle button returns you to standing position and is used to jump. Other face buttons are for cycling through the weapons in your possession and performing context sensitive actions. The left and right first shoulder buttons have you aim down the sights of your gun for accuracy, and fire the weapon, respectively. You can also shoot from the hip if you feel lucky! L2 is used for a short burst sprint, great for running for cover. R2 has you ready a grenade which can be ‘cooked’ (Cross button), this lets you hold your grenade once you’ve pulled the pin; thus reducing the fuse time. If you’re using a scoped rifle, you can zoom in and out using the D-pad. Overall control feels very intuitive and easy to pick up if you’re new to MoH.

You can take MoH: Vanguard on-line - you’ll find this is the usual affair with it’s selection of Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes. However the new Scavenger Hunt mode does offer something new; essentially running around finding and picking up packages and delivering them until you reach your goal. Not ground-breaking but shows EA are still funnelling thought into what will be their last Medal of Honour for the PS2.

This is a great way to finish their time on the slowly disappearing console. The PS2 may be dying but it’s not dead yet. It’s just a shame that it’s taken until the last of it’s days for us to witness the best of EA’s WW2 series.