World War II buffs, strategy gamers, and FPS fans, take notice. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (published by Ubisoft) is an action-packed squad-based FPS that's going to (or at least should) take up some of your time.
Following in the steps of Band of Brothers (the HBO mini-series), BIA follows paratroopers into the action and drama of World War II's European theatre. The troops of the 101st Airborne are dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day, and you'll fight alongside them through eight days of battle.
From the moment your feet touch French soil, you'll be eased into the tactical game play that BIA focuses on. Slowly you'll gain troops to command. The command system itself is very easy to handle. Pull the left trigger, and an icon will appear on screen. Move the icon to where you want your troops, and release the trigger. Your troops are fully trained, and will use cover and engage the enemy without having to be ordered to do so. They can also be ordered to use suppressing fire, so that you can suppress an enemy (or group of enemies) and make it easier to perform flanking maneuvers. Simply press the white button to switch between the fire team and the assault team. The D-pad is also used to select squads or issue commands to your squads. With a minimal number of orders, managing your squads is fun, instead of a burden.
The weapon load and controls handle like Halo, which is definitely something that the developer did right. The placement of the squad command on the trigger makes sense, as you use it more than you’ll be lobbing grenades (which is done with the black button). You can carry two weapons at once, and can switch them out for any that you find along your way. Gun emplacements are found throughout the game, and once you capture them, you can turn them on the enemy. While you have a jump button, there isn’t too much to jump over.
The developers of the game focused on the four F’s of military strategy: Find ‘em, fix ‘em, flank ‘em, finish ‘em. You’ll constantly be confronted with enemies in fortified positions, and you’ll need to maneuver your teams to take them down. There’s often more than one way to accomplish your objective. This let’s you replay a level without using the same strategy twice.
The enemy AI of BIA is excellent. They’ll recognize your flanking maneuver (if they see it coming) and shift their own positions to try to gain the advantage. They’ll utilize machine gun nests so well you’ll throw your controller. Your fire team and assault team are both equally as smart. However, there are times that you’ll wish that you could tell them which direction to face. Normally, at least of the troops will face away from the enemy, watching your back. That’s well and good, unless you’re engaged from the front.
The graphics are the best of any war game that I have played on the Xbox. Ubisoft took great pains to recreate the battlefields from the actual events of WWII. Not only did they visit Normandy and the surrounding areas, they used aerial photographs taken during the war to rebuild the towns and fields you play in. Some of the textures and environments can look a bit repetitive and it can be hard to distinguish one town from the next. Their attempt to recreate hedgerows is amiable, but it’s a difficult task to master. The player/character details are fantastic. The eyes of your troops will follow you when you walk in front of them. Each character has a unique appearance, from the face to the details of their uniform.
The game supports Dolby Digital sound, and it sounds fantastic. You feel right in the middle of the action, with realist weapon reports, explosions, and environmental sounds. There are tanks in the game that sound incredibly intimidating with their rumbling motors and metal treads.
The multiplayer of BIA can be played via split-screen (2 players) or online (2-4 players). The game is based on the axis vs. allies theme, and each side is made up of two squads of four. A two-player game places one player on each side, controlling both fire teams using the same command scheme as in single player. A four-player game places two players per side, each with one fire team. You can command your squad as usual, but have to communicate with your teammate to utilize the other squad. Including NPC’s, there are 16 people in a multiplayer match.
The multiplayer games are mission based. Capture this point, defend/destroy the bridge, etc. Each side has an objective that counters the other. Visually, it can be hard to see enemies, as it was in Ghost Recon. Your squad will sometimes start firing, and you'll have to figure out where the fire-fight is. You'll also need to determine if a flank is coming, and from where. Communication and teamwork play a large roll in this game.
If you die, you can "promote" one of your soldiers to take your place, and continue playing as that new team leader. Each side has a limited number of reinforcements (a.k.a. lives, that translates into an additional squad), though the reinforcements element was confusing. I have only played a few games and the reinforcements weren't a part of each game, as I didn't always need them. I don't know if they're always available, or if it depends on the mission. I just haven't played enough to tell you exactly how it works. The game lacks a co-op mode online (or even offline), which I think would be a strong and incredibly enjoyable online experience.
World War II has never been relived in a game like it is here. I recommend this title for your own collection, or just as a rental. Either way you invest in it, you’ll get your money’s worth.
9.0/10
- Agonizing Gas
From the moment your feet touch French soil, you'll be eased into the tactical game play that BIA focuses on. Slowly you'll gain troops to command. The command system itself is very easy to handle. Pull the left trigger, and an icon will appear on screen. Move the icon to where you want your troops, and release the trigger. Your troops are fully trained, and will use cover and engage the enemy without having to be ordered to do so. They can also be ordered to use suppressing fire, so that you can suppress an enemy (or group of enemies) and make it easier to perform flanking maneuvers. Simply press the white button to switch between the fire team and the assault team. The D-pad is also used to select squads or issue commands to your squads. With a minimal number of orders, managing your squads is fun, instead of a burden.
The weapon load and controls handle like Halo, which is definitely something that the developer did right. The placement of the squad command on the trigger makes sense, as you use it more than you’ll be lobbing grenades (which is done with the black button). You can carry two weapons at once, and can switch them out for any that you find along your way. Gun emplacements are found throughout the game, and once you capture them, you can turn them on the enemy. While you have a jump button, there isn’t too much to jump over.
The developers of the game focused on the four F’s of military strategy: Find ‘em, fix ‘em, flank ‘em, finish ‘em. You’ll constantly be confronted with enemies in fortified positions, and you’ll need to maneuver your teams to take them down. There’s often more than one way to accomplish your objective. This let’s you replay a level without using the same strategy twice.
The enemy AI of BIA is excellent. They’ll recognize your flanking maneuver (if they see it coming) and shift their own positions to try to gain the advantage. They’ll utilize machine gun nests so well you’ll throw your controller. Your fire team and assault team are both equally as smart. However, there are times that you’ll wish that you could tell them which direction to face. Normally, at least of the troops will face away from the enemy, watching your back. That’s well and good, unless you’re engaged from the front.
The graphics are the best of any war game that I have played on the Xbox. Ubisoft took great pains to recreate the battlefields from the actual events of WWII. Not only did they visit Normandy and the surrounding areas, they used aerial photographs taken during the war to rebuild the towns and fields you play in. Some of the textures and environments can look a bit repetitive and it can be hard to distinguish one town from the next. Their attempt to recreate hedgerows is amiable, but it’s a difficult task to master. The player/character details are fantastic. The eyes of your troops will follow you when you walk in front of them. Each character has a unique appearance, from the face to the details of their uniform.
The game supports Dolby Digital sound, and it sounds fantastic. You feel right in the middle of the action, with realist weapon reports, explosions, and environmental sounds. There are tanks in the game that sound incredibly intimidating with their rumbling motors and metal treads.
The multiplayer of BIA can be played via split-screen (2 players) or online (2-4 players). The game is based on the axis vs. allies theme, and each side is made up of two squads of four. A two-player game places one player on each side, controlling both fire teams using the same command scheme as in single player. A four-player game places two players per side, each with one fire team. You can command your squad as usual, but have to communicate with your teammate to utilize the other squad. Including NPC’s, there are 16 people in a multiplayer match.
The multiplayer games are mission based. Capture this point, defend/destroy the bridge, etc. Each side has an objective that counters the other. Visually, it can be hard to see enemies, as it was in Ghost Recon. Your squad will sometimes start firing, and you'll have to figure out where the fire-fight is. You'll also need to determine if a flank is coming, and from where. Communication and teamwork play a large roll in this game.
If you die, you can "promote" one of your soldiers to take your place, and continue playing as that new team leader. Each side has a limited number of reinforcements (a.k.a. lives, that translates into an additional squad), though the reinforcements element was confusing. I have only played a few games and the reinforcements weren't a part of each game, as I didn't always need them. I don't know if they're always available, or if it depends on the mission. I just haven't played enough to tell you exactly how it works. The game lacks a co-op mode online (or even offline), which I think would be a strong and incredibly enjoyable online experience.
World War II has never been relived in a game like it is here. I recommend this title for your own collection, or just as a rental. Either way you invest in it, you’ll get your money’s worth.
9.0/10
- Agonizing Gas
