|
Review: wow! What can I say? Brothers in Arms: Road To Hill 30 knocks the socks off previous war games like Call of Duty. That was a great game - but this one goes further. For those who have played it, Call of Duty was an excelent First Person Shooter, don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed it. BUT BiA:RtH30 goes further! It is more like a Band of Brothers - where you take the main leading role, playing Sgt Baker's character - and are in charge of a small squad of men. There are references to other war movies in the game (I'll let you spot them). I rarely finish games - and rarely play them so intensely that I complete them in 4 days wanting to restart th game on a higher difficulty level!! The story is broken down into 18 individual chapters, with mini-save 'checkpoints' throughout each (thank gawd!). There is no need to consult a walkthrough - just enjoy the adrenaline fuelled ride!! The cuts scenes that litter the game make it very cinematic. There are some excellent and well thought out missions to go on. Learning how to flank, use cover and simply knowing when to CHARGE and, hell, go for it, are all part of the game! BUT I GUESS: How does this game differ from Call of Duty - the detail! What makes it stand out from the rest? SHOULD I BUY IT? Well - apart from the gret graphics and cut scenes, there are 2 aspects of this game which makes it a MUST BUY/RENT AND PLAY game (rent it if you have 4 whole days off doing nothing else!) a) SQUAD LEADER role
This brings a new strategy dimension to the game-genre. In the game you will start off on your own - having parachuted behind enemy lines in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. You hav to find your squad. When you find them you then have 2-3 soldiers to work with and later you get another squad - an assault team. In some missions you get to order tanks about too! All those under your command follow your orders. They shoot at x under your command and charge towards the enemy on your orders. You are responsible for bring them back! Your job is to a) keep your men alive and b) win the war! Of course, they also have great AI and will defend themselves, find cover and shoot at any enemy they see! b) STRATEGY MAP
There is the real-life view - in real time - and then you can cut to a strategy map view - which comes into its own in fire-fights (combat) - where you can look at the geography of the combat zone, zoom in and pan around individual combatants (allies and enemies) -to help plan where to run for cover, who should attack whom, how can I flank x...... and gives you a breather from the frenetic action in real-time!! CONCLUSION
If you like WWII stories, like First-Person Shooters, and strategy games, try this baby out. A mixture of strategy and shooting skills! The enemy AI is good - and getting shot at hurts! Guns produce recoil and the whole game has that shaky camera feel of Saving Private Ryan when you fire a machine gun. If you get hit in an explosion (and don't die) you roll slowly to the ground and everything goes quiet and fuzzy - as in the SPR movie special effects. Lots of attention to detail. The costumes, accents and locations are all done very well. The whole combat experience is a mixture of 'fun' and realism. However, if you want an open story and more options - forget it! This game is linear - but if you accept that and enjoy the ride, then you'll love it! Best game for a while. Next up: Jade Empire & Resident Evil 4! | 
PC & Video Games
