World War II shooters are about as plentiful as Football games these days. It seems to be every game designer’s fantasy to live out the lives of their grandfathers in Normandy and the gaming public seems more than willing to follow. What started as a fad on the PS1 with the Medal of Honor series is now a firmly carved niche on all consoles with multiple varieties of game types dedicated to this period in history. So it was with no small amount of trepidation that we looked at the first Brothers in Arms: The Road to Hill 30. We needed another WWII shooter like we needed the rebirth of Nazi Germany. However, much to our surprise, we found an incredibly put together game that had strategy closer to its heart than GoldenEye.



When Gearbox announced a sequel to this great game so soon after the first, we again had visions of a poor game about to cross our paths. And again, we have been proven wrong. Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a worthy game that has taken what was great in the first game and given it a level of polish that sets it further apart as a stand out in the genre.

The first thing you notice is how well the game is presented. From the music to the moody visuals, you get the immediate feeling that you’re in another world and about to witness an important piece of history. You got that with the first Brothers in Arms as well. But what you notice as different is the graphical polish that has been applied. Far from being an ugly game to begin with, this Brothers in Arms is looking better than ever. More detail in the faces, more readable expressions and better motion capture for animations helps add realism and depth to the experience. The levels as well are all much larger and modeled in more detail. This helps keep the game from having the “on rails” feeling of Road to Hill 30 and pulls you into the world in a much more complete way.



While the visuals help set the tone, it’s the game play that keeps you in your seat. As with the first game, the whole idea is to pin your enemies down with an assault team and then circle the other members of your squad for a flanking maneuver. If you played the first game, then this stuff is simply routine and drilled into your head. The game play mechanics are still there and they still work great. The control is just as spot on as it was in the first game and it all feels as intuitive as ever. What makes Earned in Blood different is in the amped up level of enemy AI. No longer content to sit in one spot and get flanked, the enemies now move to more advantageous cover when attacked. While making the game harder, it more accurately depicts battle as you feel you’re actually attacking smart troops bent on survival, not just targets for Allied guns. As well, for those with a hankering for more firepower, the ability to command tanks in certain sections of the game has been added.

One of Brothers in Arms best features is the Situational View, which pauses the action and pulls back for a more strategic view. Used to great extent in the first game, you find yourself using it more and more in Earned in Blood as the enemies move around on you. It takes much more planning this time around to make your way through the levels with your squad intact.

Another interesting feature of this game is that you play the character of Joe “Red” Hartstock. You may remember him from the Road to Hill 30 as an NPC you met. Now, you get to control him and take him through his journey through Europe. This gives you a neat sense of seeing the WWII story from another perspective. At one point, you actually see your character, Sgt. Matt Baker, from the first Brothers in Arms game as an NPC. Seeing the same battle from another perspective gives you a sense that you’re exploring a grand story from another angle, much like the Half Life expansions did. While some may deride the idea of playing the same level over again, it felt more like a fleshing out of the world rather than a cheap gimmick.



While all of this is good, it’s really not enough truly warrant a purchase. What does, however, are the new modes that Gearbox has added to the game. Co-operative Multiplayer is the shining gem in Earned in Blood. Now you can take on the many missions through Europe with a friend. Something fans had been asking for has been delivered and it works great. Whether via System Link or Xbox Live, your multiplayer needs are well met in this game. In addition to the normal levels, you also have the new Skirmish Mode that add more multiplayer to your WWII plate. Playing as either the Allied Forces or the Nazi Army, you can participate in various battle scenarios. Some of these are also historically accurate and allow you to retrace some actual WWII battles. The modes have various objectives to from which to choose as well as customizable settings. All in all, this attention to online multiplayer is a welcome addition to the series and one which gives it a ton of replay value.








Article By: Hilden