Boyd Travers is part of the 82d Airborne Division, tasked with completing several missions in Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. He fights alongside AI colleagues to free Europe from enemy occupation. In Medal of Honor , players control Boyd as he embarks on a series of missions that begin with a parachute jump out of an airplane after a briefing. The player can choose their initial weapon loadout, and some areas offer bonus rewards for successful landings. Missions involve destroying enemy anti-aircraft defenses, rescuing comrades, and taking out tanks using bazookas. The game features a unique upgrade system, where players earn benefits for performing extraordinary feats of bravery and marksmanship. Upgrades include enhanced equipment, such as bigger magazine capacity or improved accuracy with certain guns.
The health system is also notable, with Boyd having four beads of health that regenerate over time unless hit by an enemy projectile that doesn't empty a bead. Players must collect health packs to regain lost health.
Alongside the single-player campaign, Medal of Honor features three multiplayer modes: Team Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch Airborne, and Objective. These modes support up to 12 players and feature teams of Axis and Allied forces in competitive gameplay.