One of the BEST XBOX games EVER!!!
User Rating: 9.9 | Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 XBOX
I have always been a fan of the WWII genre ever since the first Medal of Honor came out for the original PlayStation. But there has never been that ultra-realistic WWII game until now. Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 delivers the most authentic, realistic and gritty material EVER seen in not only a WWII game, but the war genre itself. Gameplay: Brothers In Arms has an incredable true story that is based on the 101st Airborne Division in WWII. You play as Sgt. Matt Baker, a paratrooper in WWII leading his men through actual D-Day missions of WWII. Ubi Soft and Gearbox Software has spent many, many years to create this game as authentic as it could be. So they actually went to Normandy, France and went to the National Archives and looked at Arial Reconnisance Photos of WWII to give the player the most realistic mapping on any game! They got so detailed in the work, that every house, tree and wall is EXACTLY where it was supposed to be in Normandy during WWII. XBOX Live is also very fun by having four "actual" players with each player having a squad of three men. The gameplay is very tense and addicting online, too. The only thing about XBOX Live is that I would have liked to see more classic game modes such as: deathmatch, CTF, assult, etc. But since online it is already fun and single-player is one of the best I've played, no doubt it is one of the best games I've ever played. Graphics: The game has great visuals such as: particle effects sticking to the screen, realistic vegetation modeling, and a "dirty" type of camera filtering, that other war games don't have. The characters look outstanding by each person having a different face and expressions during different battles. And here is the freaky thing. If you stand in front of one of your fellow soldiers for a period of time, he will begin to stare at you and his eyes will meet yours which feels so real at times, it's scary! The enviornments also look great with open fields, nice draw distance and nice lighting and shadowing effects. The game is also pretty graphic. It is something that makes the game feel real. If you toss a grenade in front of a pack of Germans, limbs will be blown off, in a realistic factor. There is no "Soldier of Fortune" gore here. The only downside to the graphics is that, there are times where the framerate will drop, especially during some of the more action-paced missions. It can get pretty annoying at times. Sound: Sound is awesome! With great use of enviornmental effects such as: bullets whizzing past you, your men shouting orders, and use of NO music during battles makes this game sound so real. The voice-acting is great which makes this game feel cinematic yet real. Some voice-actors were also featured off of HBO's hit mini-series "Band of Brothers." Also, since this game is rated "M", there is strong language. So, this is not a kids game at all. To sum sound up, if you have 5.1 surround sound, it is AWESOME! Value: Worth every penny of $50!! The type of game I've been waiting for a long time! After beating single-player, no doubt you'll want to play it again on other difficulties! XBOX Live is also a blast to play! Overall: Brothers In Arms is one of the BEST XBOX games I've EVER played and could be an early contender for GOTY 2005. If you are looking for a realistic WWII shooter, Brothers In Arms has it all! You won't be disappointed! Now all Ubi Soft and Gearbox Software is to create a sequal for the next-gen systems! In reality, I give it a 10 out of 10, but the way the rating scale works, it receives a 9.9 out of 10. 
