Playstation 2 Game Review: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
By: mflintjer


Firstly, let me say it has been a LOOOOOOOOOONG while since I have done a review. In fact, the last review I did was for Gran Turismo 4 last year in March or April (shortly after it came out in the US). Secondly, let me say that it has also been a long while since I have had a chance to play anything. I have been in some tight straights and am now back on my feet.

I was shopping in Wal-Mart the other week, and happened to pass the Video Games area. Out of sheer curiosity (and we all know what happens then) I wanted to check the price on this game. I don’t know if it was sheer luck or not, but they had this game listed at $20.00, and I jumped at it. I had read some earlier reviews of this game being the best in its class (1st person shooters that is) and finally got the chance to try it for myself.

I peeled the (why the hell do they make it so hard to get into) plastic covering and box seals off, and loaded it into my ever aging, yet still VERY reliable, PS2. At first, I was a little confused as to what was happening. To this day I guess I can only explain it as, you are watching a piece of the game, yet thinking you are actually playing it right then and there!! VERY WEIRD. I suppose, if anyone reading this is/was in the military, he/she would understand what I mean about being confused during your first week of boot camp. Not knowing what is happening next OR not even knowing what the hell it was you had for breakfast that morning for that matter.

Anyway, after a bit, I started to get my bearings again, and figured out what was coming next. I got to choose my level of play, of which there are 4. They are listed below:

1. Easy
2. Normal – I chose this one to start
3. Hard
&
4. AUTHENTIC!!

And then proceeded to start my new game.

Going into battle for the first time, can be a bit unnerving (as it is in real-life) in this game. You are given an objective, and you must carry it out with the help of up to 3 other soldiers (they have names, but I really don’t have a clue as to what they are – mere trivia at this point). Most times, you are given an M1 Garand (Army issue rifle during WWII) and a pistol or a Thompson sub-machine gun, and maybe a few hand grenades. You can only carry 2 rifles at ANY one time. So you had better make sure you keep an eye on your ammunition level. When you find yourself running low on ammo, look around and grab a dead enemy’s rifle or something. There are missions where you are given a Springfield 03 Sniper rifle, and these were my favorite missions :spiteful: .

Getting back to the levels, I have to say that they aren’t levels so much as they are just sections of each day. All-in-all, there are about 16 or 18 sections. If at any point you sustain damage to the point where you are killed, you can retry that section. If you die enough times, you may/may not (I don’t know for sure as I have not played the other difficulty levels yet) be given the option to get healed then restart the section. I am NOT going to say that I did each section the very first time around – that would be a bold-faced lie!! As a matter of fact, it took me almost 12 restarts on one section in particular!! And THAT was on the “Normal” difficulty level!! :omg:

Onto weapons. As for realism, this game has it!! I have had the chance to use some of the weapons, used in the game, in real life. In particular, the M1 Garand (M14 to layman), Springfield 03 Sniper rifle, and the 1918 .45 cal. Pistol. During game play, these weapons are without a doubt, the most realistic acting rifles I have ever used in a game!! If I have lost you, I mean to say, that the game versions of those rifles and pistol act VERY, VERY…..VERY close to the real thing (minus the real-life, bone-jarring, eye-spinning KICK of the weapons). Don’t get me wrong, the game does simulate the kicking motion when shooting, you just don’t feel the REAL THING!! As far as the grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons, I can only imagine that the game offers up the “real-deal” – just based on the realism of the rifles and pistol.

While in battle, as you are being shot at – the screen does a funny thing. If the bullet is close to you, the screen flashes a thin “grayish/white” line on the side of the screen the bullet is coming from. If the bullet is actually hitting you, the screen flashes a RED line on the side of the screen the bullet is coming from. I don’t know if this happens during the harder difficulty levels or not, but this screen flash can help you avoid being shot or even killed. However, if you get 1 too many bullets that missed you in the beginning – never fear, the enemy WILL get you eventually. Maybe not with the 2nd or 3rd shot but VERY SOON AFTER!!

At this point, I am going to let you go out and rent/buy the game to try for yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Thus far, it has lived up to my expectations and to the previous reviews put out by other gamers. It really is the hardest 1st Person Shooter game that I have played to date. Good Luck