Medal of Honor will return in 2010 and for the first time in it's 10 year history will leave the WWII battleground in favour of a modern theatre of war, Afghanistan.

Trailing behind similar games in it's genre in recent years (especially Call of Duty), the Medal of Honor series is hoping to reinvigorate itself by releasing a “best in class” single player campaign as well as world class multiplayer.

The single player campaign will follow the operations of today's elite forces, referencing the will, mindset and professionalism required by today's highest calibre soldiers.  Known as a Tier 1 Operator, you will take on missions no one else can handle under the direct control of the National Command Authority.  The development team has been working closely with US Special forces at all stages of the game's construction to ensure maximum realism and will be basing as much of the game as possible on real events.

Executive Producer Greg Goodrich said: “When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.  We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.”

“EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.”

You can catch the world premier first look at Medal of Honor at the Spike TV’s 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8pm PST.

With a hand-picked team developing the Single Player and Multiplayer I think most FPS players will be waiting fairly eagerly to see how this one pans out. While some of it does admittedly sound like just another FPS set in the modern/'near future', the Medal of Honor series is a big and reputable franchise and it's going to be interesting to see what they come up with.  We are all of course watching, and waiting, with high expectations.