The Brothers In Arms series has finally made its way on to the current generation of consoles with Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway. Much like the previous iterations of the series this title is also set in World War 2. For those unfamiliar with the series Brothers In Arms is a tactical first person shooter. In addition to yourself you are also responsible for other squads on the battlefield. You can order one team to take cover and suppress the enemy fire while another team takes out a sniper with a bazooka that you otherwise couldn’t reach. Controlling your squads is simple as you can alternate which squad you are controlling simply by hitting the “B” button. Then you simply hold the left trigger button to either tell them where to go or to tell them to suppress enemies up ahead. You can also press down on the d-pad to call your squad back if you want to regroup. This is not a game where you can run forward with your guns blazing and expect to survive. You are provided with a tactical map that will help you plan out your route and will help you to flank any enemies that might be busy dealing with your allies. The A.I. in this title is also very smart. If you try to get your guys to stand in the open they will automatically find some cover if there is any around. The enemy A.I. will make you work for your kills as well. If you sneak up on an enemy and start firing but don’t kill them, they will either try to take you out or quickly get to some different cover and then try to take out your squad.

The story is presented in a uniquely cinematic way throughout the game. As soon as you start a new game you will hear “Previously on Brothers In Arms” as if it was a television show and then they will show you some highlights from some of the earlier titles. After that you are immediately thrust into the action as you trying to escape a building that is under attack. Some of cinematic sequences are abnormally long for a first person shooter, however, they do a great job in telling the story and getting you to actually care about what is happening. They also do a great job of progressing the story and portraying the type of situation that they are facing. There are a lot of characters in this game and it can be interesting seeing what a bunch of them are going through as well as who they get along with.

There is of course multiplayer in this title as well. You get to pick from either a “player” match or a “ranked” match. Once that is selected if you pick a custom match then you are presented with the option of setting the maximum number of players in a game, whether you want voice chat on, off, for everyone or only for those players who are still alive. You also have the option to turn friendly fire on and off or simply have it reduced. While playing a game it seemed to run really well with no lag at all. Before the game starts you get a chance to see the map you are playing so you can quickly get accustomed to the area. If you happen to get taken out during the game you will then enter spectator mode where you can watch your teammates until the next round.

Overall I have really enjoyed my time with this title. Everyone is aware of the numerous delays this title faced prior to release, however, the wait seems to have been worth it. The only complaint I have about the game is the frame rate seems to dip briefly at times. It doesn’t happen a whole lot and it only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it is noticeable. With this type of game it would have also been amazing if we could have gone through the campaign with friends over Xbox Live. If you are a shooter fan and you don’t mind going through World War II again be sure to definitely give this game a try. Even if you have grown tired of World War II be sure to give this game a try as the whole squad mentality does tend to change things up a bit. It is an enjoyable title that every fan of the genre should experience.

Score: 9/10

Originally posted on Totally Gaming Network