Why Brothers in Arms rules the WW2 genre
If you've been turned off by the somewhat mediocre reviews, trust me. You won't be disappointed. I had extremely high expectations, saw it was most likely a let down, tried it out without expecting anything... it's probably one of my favourite shooters of this year.
The story is brilliant. A lot of people wonder why they would set a game based on a losing operation, but the story is really about the outfit in this situation. It's even closer to the epicness that was Band of Brothers this time around. There are some pretty cool moments in the game (which are story driven) that I had to shake my head in awe at. Don't want to give anything away, but Hell's Highway is definitely darker than the last two games. The characters definitely have more of a personality than the last games, and it's just become a more cinematic experience overall.
Gameplay is more of the same, but shooting plays a much bigger part (remember in Road to Hill 30? It was nearly impossible to pull off a headshot on guys dug-in, and the sights were moving all over the place). It's generally better for more people, but that just means a lot of the game is easier than before. The addition of the bazooka team is pure bliss, making some of the firefights THAT much more intense.
The graphics do the job. The only texture pop-ins on PC are from the environment, not the character models, but it lasts only a full second or less. They're not stunning in any way, but its never been Gearbox's strong suit. From Earned in Blood to Hell's Highway, I'd say that's an accomplishment in itself. The only thing that bothers me really is the animation. The lip-syncing is much better now, but there's a lot that looks really stiff when characters move around, take cover... you know. I think Gearbox just needs to concentrate on that for the next game, as I was satisfied with everything else.
People say they hate the voice acting, and I personally thought the delivery could be a little better for SOME lines (the conversation seems a little cut together and you can tell it was done in a booth) but it's enough for you to enjoy the story.
A for story and gameplay. B+ for graphics, detail on characters are pretty amazing, clipping (during movies) and animation (during gameplay) are the biggest issues, but I'm not overly picky. I haven't played multiplayer, so for a single player game, it's more than competent. I wish we had the game from when it was first shown in 2006, but I'm still happy with it now.
Definitely recommended.