Recently we previewed Cold Fear, and in that preview we discussed how games that fly under the radar have a better chance of surprising a journalist, and this game -- Brothers in Arms (BIA) – is another shinning example of that. Not a lot of hype has surrounded BIA, and as both a gamer and reviewer, that lack of hype has helped the wow factor.
First and foremost what you’ll notice is the level of violence and ‘adult speech’ used in the game. Brothers in Arms shouldn’t be played by kids, and quite frankly a game which tries to pass itself off as a realistic World War II (WWII) shooter is probably better off not targeting the young’ens.
The thing about Brothers in Arms which makes it stand out in this genre is its realism, and attention to detail. A painstaking amount of work has gone into re-creating what happened to the men of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. The missions are lifted from actual events. What happens during each mission is lifted from actual events. The locations are lifted from actual events. (we think you get the point now).
Although most gamers will never appreciate the level of detail that’s gone into Brothers in Arms, we can unequivocally tell you that this game is very true to what you would have seen during WWII. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Gearbox, and watch as they showed environments of their game placed overtop of pictures taken during WWII. Not only did they match up, they matched up to a degree that would impress a veteran of actual events.
The realism extends beyond its look and goes well into Brothers in Arms gameplay. Without actually making the game totally linear, you’ll find that your success in BIA will come much easier if you do things as the original soldiers did them in WWII. You character, and the 3 squad mates battling with you might as well be real considering the way you’ll have to treat them while you’re playing the game. They are not tanks -- you cannot take any of them out into the open, and expect them to live long. The same applies to your character (Sgt Matt Baker). It doesn’t matter how good you are at First Person Shooting (FPS) games, you better find cover, and you better play like one bullet to the chest can kill you – because it will.
On the lower difficulty settings you’ll probably get away with playing Brothers in Arms with a more action feel to it. On the lower settings, you’ll be able to tell when your enemy is suppressed (allowing you to all but run up to them), or when you’re about to get shot – all from in-game hints. However at the higher difficulties that all goes out the window and death will come quickly and easily to Sgt Matt Baker.
The difficulty doesn’t just come from the fact you’re playing as a ‘real’ human; it comes from the enemy Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well. Enemies re-act to what you’re doing in different ways, and in many instances they’ll re-act differently even if you perform the same action over and over to try and kill them. Enemies do not have set patterns that can easily be discerned, and you’ll discover that nugget of wisdom through your own death, and attempt to re-play missions.
The AI isn’t just there to cripple you though. The Artificial Intelligence of the 3 squad members at your control is also very intuitive. Brothers in Arms is a squad based game that puts you in control of not only your character but also 3 other men. However, you don’t micro manage every detail of each member of your squad. Instead you have limited options in terms of telling them what to do. Thankfully the AI in Brothers in Arms is smart enough to keep your fellow troopers alive, as well as make them very good teammates. We're not entirely sure whether the limited control over the rest of your squad is a draw-back or a plus to gamers, but one would have to believe it only adds to the realism. We’ve never been in real combat, but we assume those in command aren’t telling each soldier where to stand, and who to fire at during battle.
If you’re a fan of World War II games and you own an Xbox, Brothers in Arms is a title you want in your possession. Simply put it’s the best game in this genre on the Xbox. These types of games aren’t for everywhere however, so casual gamers might want to rent before buying.
