The game is not MOH: Frontline. That part is simple enough. While Frontline presented a big leap forward in graphics and attention to detail, Rising Sun makes only modest steps in the right direction. One reason for this may be the terrible rendering of trees and other fauna when viewed closely. While horizon-distance and even mid-range trees, plants, people, and buildings are quite realistic, many plants appear choppy or even two-dimensional when viewed up close. The close-up view of soldiers/people is just as poor; they appear fake or even grotesque (Uncanny Valley, I suppose).
The story line of the Campaign modes is also less intricate than the MOH: Frontline plot. Whereas Frontline allowed players to choose their plan of attack, Rising Sun drags the player in the right direction, like it or not, by setting each scene with few opportunities to deviate from the intended action. Example: sniper shoots at you, kill the sniper… now soldiers are running at you with bayonets, shoot the soldiers… etc. Your intended plan of attack usually must follow the only available plan of attack.
However, MOH: Rising Sun is worth its full price for the Multiplayer Mode alone. PlayStation did not offer two (or more) player modes in Frontline (although Nintendo GameCube did) and the addition is much appreciated. You can fight in Free for All or a Team mode that allows you to set up teams featuring live and computer (bot) players. You may also wage a team campaign, but I didn’t find that as interesting as the Multiplayer arena mode.
Its parts are not the top in their areas of game play, but MOH: Rising Sun is a worthwhile choice as a sum of its parts.