The Modern Warfare series’ has seen some competition, but judging by the millions who downloaded the recently released map packs for Modern Warfare 2, it’s obvious that players still can’t get enough of Activision’s cash cow. But come October, the Modern Warfare series’ online dominance will be challenged by an unlikely contender: Medal of Honor. The series, which had gone dormant following the release of Medal of Honor: Airborne, is getting a reboot courtesy of EA Los Angeles and DICE. Despite Modern Warfare’s dominance, we’ve walked away convinced that this game has the stuff to become the next best thing in first-person shooting.

Before you start groaning, this isn’t another Medal of Honor game trapped in World War II. Medal of Honor is set in modern times, with players taking on the role of coalition soldiers as the battle in Afghanistan. So far, not too much has been revealed on the game’s single player campaign and our time with the game has so far been spent exclusively in the multiplayer mode, which DICE is handling while EA Los Angeles focuses on single-player.

In multiplayer, players can take the role of coalition soldier or insurgent, with three combat roles to take on: rifleman, special ops and sniper, with each class offering its own skill tree to climb. Naturally, as players progress through matches they’re awarded points for their actions that then unlock upgrades. Linking together kills and support action allows the player to then trigger bonuses that help the team, from special ammo to mortar strikes on enemy strongholds. Playing well is satisfyingly rewarded.

Loading up the beta, we’re given two play modes to choose from. Combat Mission is an objective-driven mode challenging coalition forces to secure areas on the map while insurgents defend. It plays like tug-of-war with guns. This mode very effectively corrals the action neatly into small areas and creates an organic team-play experience without sacrificing opportunities for multiple attack options. Though we’re only offered one map for the beta, Helmand Valley, it provides a great experience, complete with all of the blown-out buildings and rough terrain that you’d expect from a game set in Afghanistan.

The map is paced brilliantly, offering a variety of terrain types. In one section of that map, while assaulting an enemy fortification, we’re forced to move through a low-lying valley as enemies rain bullets down from the hills above. As the mission progresses, assuming the coalition troops are making progress, you’ll soon work your way into a small village, raiding houses as you try to take out an anti-aircraft gun. On one end of the spectrum, it’s a fantastic segment, really challenging players on both sides to use the environment to their advantage. On the other, it seems like such an accurate recreation of the conflict that you can’t help but be reminded of the fact that people are doing this and dying in real life.

The alternate mode, Team Assault, plays much more like classic team deathmatch. Players pick a side and then battle on the streets of Kabul, earning points for every kill. The map itself provides many great spots for snipers and mortars blister the street. Perhaps my biggest complaint with this map is that while Helmand Valley had a very authentic feel, the Kabul City Ruins seems a lot like a lot of other blown out cities that I’ve traversed in lots of other games. That said, when 24 players take to the map it becomes a truly chaotic experience.

But that chaos rarely affects the team play aspects of the game. Though there are no communication options in the beta (buyer beware, the chat window loads but you can’t type or dismiss it), the level design and objectives really force team play. Lone wolves still exist, of course, but players tend to travel in packs without much prompting. This injects a healthy shot of realism into the game and makes the experience much more enjoyable, particularly for new players. I really appreciated being able to work together with others to make up for my novice skill level when it comes to multiplayer shooters.

Medal of Honor looks very similar to Bad Company 2, with fantastic draw distance and great environmental degradation. When you’re being shelled by a tank and the trees around you that you’re using for cover are falling on top of you, you can’t help but get caught up in the experience. While most of the game seems to run fine, it crashes like crazy. A twenty minute match for me and several other people that I spoke to generally resulted in 2 to 5 crashes to the desktop. This is obviously extremely frustrating and led to more than a few expletives, as it generally seemed to happen when I had my reticule on an opponents head. There also seems to be team balancing issues. I’d often find that the game pitted twelve novice players against twelve skilled players instead of averaging the skill levels out to account for each individual player’s skill level. I also participated in a match for more than three rounds where I was the only player on team (against five others). These issues obviously need to be worked out before the game is released.

If you’re looking for a team-oriented online first-person shooter this fall, Medal of Honor seems poised to deliver. The team at DICE has an excellent track record, having delivered quality online multiplayer for nearly a decade. I found the experience extremely addictive and checked my clock with frequent awe at how much time had passed. Combined with what will hopefully be an excellent single-player campaign from an inspired EA Los Angeles, Medal of Honor seems capable of becoming the must have for first-person shooter fans this holiday season.