Brothers In Arms on the PS2 leaves us with a stripped down version of the fantastic game. Basically, SPR edited for TV.
I was caught up in the hype for this game, especially after seeing screenshots of it, video game footage, etc. I had done WW2 reenactments and living history before, so from what I could tell, the game looked authentic. With another version, this might be so. What bothers me, is that for some reason, the PS2 version has been stripped down. I expected the graphics to be worse, but I think they could've squeezed a little more out of it than they did. For example, Red Hartsock, distinguished by his Red hair, appears in the PS2 version to have jet black hair, along with wickedly huge sideburns. The character models are choppy, every 101st infantryman has the exact same gear, not matching the weapons they are carrying. The Germans are decent, with the Fallschirmjager's uniform being notably good, but the game suffers from a slow framerate.
Next let me speak about the weapons. We have our M1 Garands, our M1A1 Carbines, M1A1 Thompsons, BAR's, MP40's, Mauser K98's with the sight protectors on the forward apeture sight, 1911 Colt .45s, etc. Now my biggest complaint is this: there are no empty cartridges being ejected from each firearm. Now I'm not really sure how that would affect the framerate, but I think they should have definently kept it in there. The only time any form of a cartridge is seen being ejected is when you use the sight for the Garand. Otherwise there is nothing. Some weapons aren't even in the single player experience. Notably the Walther P38 and the Scoped K98. These are in the instruction manual, but make no appearance in the single player game. There are Saving Private Ryan moments, especially with how the enemy falls after getting hit. Or your "brothers". It looks fantastically real, with a puff of smoke and blood from the entry of a round. When your hit, blood splashes up on the screen, dirt kicks up in your face from mortar round explosions or bullets wipping up the dirt. Shellshock is fantastic with you dropping to the ground, hearing the ringing in your ears, getting up, getting hit again, hearing more ringing, and so on.
Sound is good, somewhat muffled on explosions, firearms, and when your "brothers" in arms speak. During cutscenes, some statements said by characters seem cut into the story, as in they'll talk in one tone, then speak real loud, then talk low again. This tells me it's merely been placed in the dialogue, telling me little work was taken into making this game the best for PS2. The dialogue in the PS2 version makes it appear like every character is a schizophrenic. Gameplay is... good. Kinda. You suppress the enemy with your squad and then you flank. It becomes rudimentary throughout the game, gradually getting easier. The enemy makes little to no effort in manuevering around you, making it a turkey shoot. The enemy AI is surprisingly accurate, unlike your fellow comrads, who for some reason can't hit a target out in mid open, because he's "technically" behind cover. That results in you exterminating about every single opposition you face, making your buddies little use. I'd personally like to throw a grenade at them and watch them blow up into little pieces, having a Shellshock: Nam 67 type moment, when blowing up Charlie. Unfortunately, you can't do that.
This version of Brothers In Arms was good enough for me to want to get an Xbox. I enjoyed the game from what I played of it, so I wanted to get the real deal. If you have an Xbox or a good PC, then get this game for that. If you only have a PS2, this is still a good game, just know that this version is really stripped down.