How can I say it is different? It is still 1st person and it is still based on WWII. I do have to admit I was a bit coy knowing this is another game in the saturated market of WWII based games but it does have something new to offer and it differentiates itself from other games of this genre pretty well. FIrst off, Brothers in Arms (BIA) is one of the first (if not the first) to do player-controlled squad combat and the intelligence of your team is quite nimble. However, they are still lemmings..but just a tad bit smarter. One of the really nice touches in the game is the interface. Controlling your fire/assault team is alot of right mouse button clicking. I also like how the game identifies the status of enemy positions by using neat looking pie charts to show how much the enemy is suppressed. You'll find yourself doing alot of flanking and going around the enemy. Your typical style of play will involve setting up your guys somewhere safe to make shots but there will be occassions where they say they can't make shots because the enemy is not within their line of site . This is where it is important to give specific orders. Unfortunately, your buddies are not smart enough to know where their best positions is. They can only give you suggestions such as "I can't shoot from here sarge". There are no quick save games here, but there are a ton of save spots and checkpoints that are scattered between objectives and in some cases the game gives you the chance to heal you and your squad in case you go through the frustration of always getting shot with 1 point of health left. What I also really like are the conversations in the game. Even though to some it may be kind of lame you feel attached to your teammates. On the other hand, you maybe annoyed and you may feel the need to put their lives at risk by setting them up for a charging assault. Doing the good 'ol run 'n gun at the enemy is always fun. BIA also likes having characters curse alot. I'm not sure if this is part of the "true story" Matt Baker (the main character) has experienced but it is entertaining and sometimes compelling to watch. At other times, it can get annoying but most of the time (at least in my experience), it is alot of fun to listen to especially when they're under fire. The missions are extremely varied and you get a chance to really play with your satchel charges and grenades. Once you get the power to command your own little tank that is when things get more interesting. I still wish there was an easy way to get your fire team to separate and suppress fire from 3 different areas and directions but I guess making the interface easy to use had to come first. BIA has most of the missions on flat ground. You don't have many missions using hills or complicated areas and this is probably done this way intentionally to keep your AI squadmates less confused when they navigate the terrain. Graphics? Well...it's WWII, so I can't really say much. The pictures and movies tell a much better story than this review. Compared to Call Of Duty (CoD) and Metal Of Honor (MoH), BIA holds a bit better in terms of sheer WWII eye candy. The BIA team definitely went more for the substance than the flash. Artistically, it shows through the environments and the weapons. I really do like the blurring gun effect you see when your looking down your gun's crosshairs similar to real life. I also like how the explosions are not overkill. BIA sticks to a more realistic style of war and the pacing is quite unique when compared to similar games. BIA also has neat little 3rd person animations when you plant a satchel charge or drop a grenade in a tank's hatch. All nice touches. I do have to say that the sound and presentation is alot better than CoD and MoH. The game tries to give the player an intimate feel of the war by giving the main character a narrative. Maybe the fact that the box mentions it is a "true story" compels me to play more. Who knows. Anyway, despite all of the WWII stuff out there, BIA is a great game that is worth having in your library especially for the multiplayer. If anything, the multiplayer aspect is fun until you realize assaulting with your fire team is the trump card in winning games. If you're a WWII fanatic, then this is definitely for you. If you don't have many WWII games on your shelf, maybe you should consider getting this game. letmeplaybook.com
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Brothers in arms:Road to Hill 30 is a brilliant and unique blend of off-the-chart intensity,tactical combat,and history,which is a very rare blend. You assume the role of Sgt.Matthew Baker,a soldier in the 101'st air... Read Full Review
brother in arms is a grate game. This game is probably the most realistic games out there. the game is great and if they just made it longer it would be perfect. In a way it was worth the $50 and in a way it was a wast o... Read Full Review
