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Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Raw, frenzied action and deep thoughts about the nature of leadership don’t seem like natural bedfellows, but in Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, they join forces to deliver both gripping drama and riveting gameplay. Like the heroes it portrays, the game itself is an imperfect experience, but its better qualities are so compelling that surrender won’t be an option.
Brilliantly, the game opens with a “Previously…in Brothers in Arms” sequence that we welcomed as a much-needed refresher on the events of Gearbox’s first two Brothers games, which both came out on original Xbox in 2005. Idiotically, the artsy cinematic that followed did little to reintroduce us to the characters and left us still trying to sort out which white dude in an American uniform was which. But stick with it. Once you’ve played the game for a couple of hours and can tell Paddock from Corrion again, return to the main menu and re-watch the cinematics. There’s a subtle, rich story being told here that mixes a moving drama with a twisty mystery, and it’s well worth the effort. Besides, it’s hardly punishment to take a second look at the game’s fantastic cinematics, which expertly blend creative, arresting camerawork with clever dialogue and some very human moments.
But if you’re not here for the deep-thoughts portion of the festivities, Brothers in Arms’ intense, brutal combat is just as engrossing. As with the first two games, expect just a smattering of one-man-army heroics and a heavy focus on find-fix-flank-finish squad tactics. In the worst missions, you’re sent on solo assaults — like a trek through a derelict hospital in search of an AWOL comrade — that’d count as pretty good stuff in your average Medal of Honor game. But Brothers’ genius hits its full wattage when it crafts a convincing illusion of a wide-open battlefield and turns you loose as the commander of two to three squads. Of course, you can’t go anywhere you see, but the game does a great job of making it look like you can — artillery rounds detonate terrifyingly close in nearby pastures, friendly tanks roll past on parallel tracks, and so on. The aura of authenticity is as superb as always with this series, and you’ll be utterly convinced that you’re just one small unit in the huge Operation Market Garden invasion.
We couldn’t get enough of those wide-open missions, particularly the game’s final level. You’ll approach, for example, a farm, and as you sprint to take cover, German units will pop up in a dizzying array around you. Get cocky about standing around in the open, and you’ll get your brain matter all over the guy next to you. But if you dig in, study the much-improved tactical map, and get your guys laying down suppressing fire on the MG nest and the assault team, it’s nail-biting fun to loop around on a flanking run and take out the Nazis yourself…or panic them into fleeing so your boys can finish them.
New squad types — bazooka and MG teams — both ratchet up the carnage and make things feel more realistic. After all, this war was not won with the M1 Garand alone, especially when the Allies had tanks and bunkers to eliminate. The new destructible-cover system also makes these battles more authentic, as you can mow down Nazis behind wooden cover…or get dropped yourself if you tuck into the wrong spot.
The A.I. enemies seem more evolved, too, repositioning in response to your actions and generally not sitting around like target-practice dummies — most of the time. Sadly, we did drop some motionless Germans who might as well have been holding up a “Shoot Here” sign. But even worse were the times our bazooka squad fired anywhere but where we told them. Once, we’d successfully snuck up on an 88 emplacement. Giddy with anticipation, we ordered the bazooka team to fire the first shot at the 88…and they unloaded on a brick wall two feet in front of them. Sob. A reload and a repositioning of that squad resolved it, but we didn’t expect to see these kinds of mishaps in a game that’d been in development for three years.
The same could be said for the infuriating lack of save-anywhere (checkpoints are so not okay, especially when their spacing is this erratic), the too-sticky Dig In button that refuses to let you out of cover at very inconvenient times, and the total absence of co-op. The new multiplayer fares better, offering 10-on-10 all-human deathmatches in well-designed maps. In this Call of Duty 4 day and age, though, it does little to stand out from the herd, but it’s there and it’s reasonably fun if you want it.
So sure, given our love for this series, we’d definitely hoped to be able to give Hell’s Highway a higher score. But the successes massively outweigh the mistakes here — which, strangely enough, is exactly how we’d describe Matt Baker, the games’ troubled hero. Props to Brothers in Arms for showing us how war can be hell…and fun, too.
On Xbox 360
+ Intense squad combat that spins a good story.
+ Fantastic graphics and realism.
- Weird A.I. glitches; too-sticky cover system.
? Who among you thinks checkpoint saves are a good idea? [Crickets…]
9.0
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nikifrost8
October 12, 2009 at 7:33am
I got this game when it first came out. Although the graphics are little outdated now, the gameplay is INTENSE-especially when you stick it on the hardest setting! Whooh!
greddogh
May 23, 2009 at 8:03pm
I need the Bac.-Com. software for" Bros. in Arms"Earned in Blood"....
MOH_Air
May 18, 2009 at 5:25pm
well no duh wickedclown95!!! COD4 is way newer,(i think) and evreone likes it!
strattnuttz
December 21, 2008 at 9:26pm
Once again another horrible review! Ubisoft makes the best military type shooters out there, and some of the best games as well, but this is horrible!!! It's not realistic at all. The enemies must be wearing IBA's (Interceptor Body Armor) or something with the esapi plates in them. I got a way's into it, and just had to stop the boredome. It doesn't look good. It isn't "fun", why isn't any of the Rainbow 6 games editors choice?!!! They are all way better then this. I think any fan of Ubi Soft games would tell you that! Finally Ubi Soft let me down. Heck even Call of Juarez should have gotten a better score then this game did!
wickedclowns95
November 17, 2008 at 12:22pm
I thought the graphics were terrible. I would definitely recommend Call of Duty 4, Call of Duty: World at War, or Battlefield: Bad Company over this title. ---------------------- Inhale the damage smoothly Paradise isn't lost It was hiding all along.
D.C.Happe
November 04, 2008 at 6:26pm
Great game! I think that it is much better than the previous titles in the series, but i do agree with the 9 on this one.
Zombie4ADay
October 06, 2008 at 4:18pm
Both Road to Hill 30 and Earned In Blood were phenomenal games. What I don't understand is WHY DID THEY SCRAP THE OLD MULTIPLAYER!!!! To be honest the new multiplayer system for Hell's Highway is garbage! I don't really care about 10 vs 10 or 25 vs 25. I want the old 2 vs 2 action back with the original situational awareness! Not some tactical map that looks like it was drawn by some little kid! Other than that, story mode was great and everything I expected. Maybe throw the jump button back in because let's face it, the vault button worked when it wanted to. Oh and also, What happened to the prone button that I've been seeing for the past 3 years?!
jorid
September 29, 2008 at 6:50pm
re: blindside80 maybe because the recent games dont deserve a 10. this one sure isnt.
Barabbas
September 29, 2008 at 3:02pm
When are the Dev's gonna answer to the weak Multi-Player."Why fix something when it aint broken".The single player is awsome (but very little re-play value)If they expect to make another game and actualy have it sell they need to put the Multi-player the way it was.
PlayerHaterz12
September 29, 2008 at 12:01pm
Is This game worth getting? Im trying to save my money up for Rock band 2 and COD:WAW, but with the 9.0 review it makes me want to get it, is it worth getting? Gamertag: PlayerHaterz
blindside80
September 26, 2008 at 6:16am
Yeah, where is co-op? Not even split screen like the others. That's probably why it didn't get a ten. Anybody else realize that ever since they gave out all those tens and caught flak for it, no game has gotten one since?
TB303Wpf1
September 24, 2008 at 11:46pm
WOW! No Co-op?? No online Co-op? What a bummer! When will game devs realize that co-op sells games. I was really looking forward to buying this game and getting down on some co-op with my friends. :( Oh well, gamefly here I come. Happy renting. . . .
AZNflaco
September 24, 2008 at 8:03am
Oh noes! I'm really disappointed they don't have coop. I was really planning to buy this game to play split screen like the last game (man we put a lot of hours in that). I guess I'll just rent it then. At least I'll have money to buy Left 4 dead for some coop action!
Greyman7
September 23, 2008 at 6:53pm
Wow. Huge disappointment that Gearbox didn't continue with the Skirmish mode from Road to Hill 30. That was one of my favorite Live co-op games. I've always loved the Brothers in Arms games for the tactical mixed with FPS gameplay that so many other series have gone away from (Ahem, Ghost Recon...). The lack of crosshairs was a great decision for the immersion factor, nothing like picking off Nazis at a distance with iron sights to give the illusion that you're a great shot. The stories of each have, amazingly, stuck with me for the most part. However, with no co-op and only half-baked multiplayer I think I'll just rent, or wait a few months and get it on sale. Now if somebody could start working on a next-gen Full Spectrum Warrior...
Tymiegie
September 23, 2008 at 5:46pm
Checkpoints don't bug me so much as long as they are relatively frequent, but having both checkpoints and save-anywhere is the best way to do it.
bahama mama
September 23, 2008 at 3:04pm
Kewl. BUT I dont care for WW2 games unless its made by Infinity Ward or VALVe. (Day of Defeat FTW!)
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