MaximumPC 2008 12

IN THE LAB^

REVIEWS OF THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

W

e’ve played plenty of World War II
shooters but have yet to fi nd one that
makes us care for its characters like
we did for Tom Hanks and Vin Diesel in Saving
Private Ryan. Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
comes close and rekindles our love of gritty
1940s warfare with its perfect combination of
nail-biting tactical shoot-outs and a gripping
character-driven story—an admirable feat in
modern fi rst-person shooters.
As Matt Baker, you’ve come a long way
since fi rst leading your squad in the original
game. Your men aren’t just nameless soldiers—
each squad member is brought to life with a
unique likeness and vocal personality. And
this time around, you have additional troops
at your command to relinquish the Nazis from
their hold on Holland. Deployable base-of-fi re,
assault, machine gun, and bazooka fi re teams
pin down enemies while you sneak around
adjacent hedgerows to fl ank, a reliable tactic
which off ers many rewarding strategic ap-
proaches on the battlefi eld.

In one par-

ticularly memorable

mission, we tried to

reclaim the city of

Eindhoven from Nazi

control. Firefi ghts

took place in farms,

churches, and grave-

yards, and on the

city streets, where every fence and building

corner became an opportunity to take cover.

We directed a machine gun team to suppress

a sandbag fortifi cation and instructed our

bazooka team to blow up a nearby steeple,

where a sniper was hiding. The diverse ar-

rangement of battlefi elds—both indoor and

outdoor—kept the action fresh.

Requisite sniping and tank-driving missions

are fun breaks from the tense tactical gameplay

but are a little too easy. The visuals and produc-

tion values are also impressive, with plenty of

cinematic details to enhance the drama. But

Hell’s Highway’s greatest asset is that it never

loses sight of its (oft en dark) story, and the

gameplay is better for it. –N O R M A N C H A N

VERDICT

$50, http://www.brothersinarmsgame.com, ESRB: M

9

Character-driven story,

intense tactical action,

and gorgeous cinematic

presentation.

Forgettable multiplay-

er mode and linear

tank missions.

COCONUT CLUSTERS

BROTHERS IN ARMS: HELL’S HIGHWAY

CLUSTER BOMBS

Brothers in Arms combines a compelling tale with verisimilitudinous graphics.

BIA: Hell’s Highway

Pick up a rifl e and join the family, soldier