Brothers in Arms (Game Series)

PlayStation 2: February 15, 2005 March 18, 2005 Xbox: March 1, 2005 March 18, 2005 Microsoft Windows, macOS: March 15, 2005 March 18, 2005

platform

Microsoft Windows , macOS , Xbox , PlayStation 2

Game engine

Unreal Engine 2

genre

First person shooter , tactical shooter

Game mode

control

Mouse and keyboard , gamepad

system advantages
preconditions

Windows 2000 or newer, 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 32 MB RAM graphics card with DirectX 8.0 and Pixel Shader 1.0, 3 GB storage space

medium

DVD-ROM , download

language

German

Current version

1.11 (November 1, 2006)

Age rating

USK

PEGI

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was released on March 1, 2005 for Xbox and on March 15 for PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows . Authenticity was particularly important to the developer Gearbox Software. To ensure this, military advisors were integrated into the development process. As a result, the game is more tactical than its genre competitors. The game was not approved for young people by the USK and may therefore only be sold to people over the age of 18.

In Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 you control Sergeant Matthew Baker, who serves in the 502nd Paratrooper Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during D-Day in World War II and commands a unit of Fox Company .

There are two teams in the game: the attack team and the fire team. The teams are designed to cover the opponents with the fire team with barrage so that the attack team can then attack the opponents over the flanks. Each team consists of up to three AI- controlled comrades or one tank.

The player as well as the opponents and allies have various US and German weapons at their disposal, from pistols to submachine guns such as the Thompson or the MP 40 to grenades. In addition, tanks , self-propelled guns and anti-tank guns appear in some missions . There are various enemy units, such as poorly trained and equipped conscripts and well trained and equipped paratroopers.

Reviews in gaming magazines

PC PowerPlay 04/05: 81%
PC Games 05/05: 81%
PC Action 05/05: 82%
GameStar 05/05: 81%

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

Microsoft Windows, macOS, Xbox: October 4th, 2005 October 7th, 2005 PlayStation 2: October 27th, 2005 October 28th, 2005

platform

Microsoft Windows , macOS , Xbox , PlayStation 2

Game engine

Unreal Engine 2

genre

First person shooter , tactical shooter

Game mode

control

Mouse and keyboard , gamepad

system advantages
preconditions

Windows 2000 or newer, 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 32 MB graphics card with DirectX 8.0 and Pixel Shader 1.0, 5 GB storage space

medium

DVD-ROM , download

language

German

Current version

1.03 (April 19, 2006)

Age rating

USK

PEGI

The follow-up, Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood , was released just seven months later, in October 2005, by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. It gave the player greater tactical freedom than its predecessor as the maps became larger and the paths more numerous.

A new game mode, Skirmish Mode , has also been added. Various orders have to be carried out on both the Allied and the German side.

The game follows the story of Corporal Joe "Red" Hartsock, who lands in Normandy as one of thousands of paratroopers on D-Day . Cpl. Hartsock appeared in Road to Hill 30 , where he was a member of Sergeant Baker's group and could be commanded by the player.

While the game engine remained relatively unchanged compared to its predecessor, the artificial intelligence has been greatly improved.

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood can also run on Microsoft Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 for Vista . Microsoft Windows 7 is not officially supported, therefore the functionality cannot be guaranteed.

Reviews of game testers

GameStar : 82%
4players : 85%
PC Games : 80%
Games world: 85%
game tips : 83%

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

Playstation 3, Xbox 360: September 23, 2008 September 26, 2008 Microsoft Windows: October 7, 2008 October 10, 2008

platform

Microsoft Windows , Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3

Game mode

control

Mouse and keyboard , gamepad

system advantages
preconditions

Windows XP (SP3) or newer, PentiumD processor 2.66 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 128 MB 3D graphics card with Pixel Shader 3.0 and DirectX 9.0c, 8 GB free hard disk space

medium

DVD-ROM , Download , Blu-ray Disc

information

German version censored. Unabridged version indexed.

The third part of the Brothers in Arms series was released on October 7, 2008 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 . The game continues the story of Sgt. Matt Baker and Sgt. Hartsock. So you can u. a. re- enact Operation Market Garden , in which you have to pass the infamous Hell's Highway . The graphics have been adapted to the current level and the game has been supplemented with some improvements. The Windows version of the program therefore requires a graphics card with pixel shader 3.0 and now optionally uses the PhysX - physics engine , which also supports the corresponding physics accelerators . Unlike in the two predecessors, you are now able to take cover and then continue playing in the third person view . The teammates' AI has been improved and added some new behaviors (e.g. patrolling or camouflaging). You can also command other units, e.g. B. Machine gun or bazooka troops .

In contrast to the English version of the game, some cuts were made in the German version. Among other things, any representation of blood, but also a slow-motion view of headshots and explosions that appears sporadically in the international version, has been removed. Some video sequences have also been changed and certain elements in the environment, for example a woman hanged in a barn, have been removed from the German version. In addition, the sometimes very bloody splatter elements are missing in the German version.

Reviews of game testers

GameStar : 87
GamePro : 75%
GamersPLUS : 84%
Games current : 8/10
PC Action : 83%
play³ : 81%

Offshoot

Brothers in Arms DS

June 8, 2007 June 21, 2007

Touch screen / buttons

German

In mid-2007 a Brothers in Arms game for the Nintendo DS was released. “Brothers in Arms DS” is just like the story of “Brothers in Arms: D-Day” for the PSP. Only here was the control completely different. The buttons are hardly pressed. Reloading and throwing grenades, everything is controlled via the touchscreen. The game is also one of the first first-person shooters for the Nintendo DS. The USK and PEGI both approved it with a rating of 16+. "Brothers in Arms DS" was rated 71% by Spieletipps. Still, it sold over 800,000 times.

Brothers in Arms: Double Time

October 2, 2008

Game mode

German

The Wii version was released on October 2, 2008. Here the player first slips into the role of Sergeant Baker and then into Joe Hartsocks. The Wii title thus combines the stories of the first two Brother in Arms parts. This version comes up with over 30 missions, the aim of which is to find, fixate and finally flank your opponents. Here the player takes over the command of his own units and immediately gives them the targets to be eliminated.

Apparently this version was technically not implemented in the usual way. The player has to be satisfied with a fluctuating, sometimes very low frame rate, sluggish controls, blurred contours and dropouts in the AI. There was no multiplayer or online mode.

The good sound effects as well as the historical authenticity and the level design should be positively mentioned.

The following game testers gave a corresponding verdict:

Reviews of game testers

Wii Magazine 07/08: 50%
N-Zone 12/08: 38%
GBase 05/05: 4 out of 10 points
M! Games 12/08: 65%
NintendoWiiX 11/08: 6.7 out of 10 points

Brothers in Arms: D-Day

December 5, 2006 December 8, 2006

Game mode