Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

[pontifex]

Looks cool but I have read some reviews that said it wasn't all that great.

Anyone play it yet?

 

[Dorkenstein]

I'm digging the hell out of it, feels just as good to play as the first two, and fun enough that I don't mind getting my rear-end kicked in every mission. (I'm not that good a commander)

 

[pontifex]

never played any of the previous games so i have no reference to go on.
is there any replayability? do you know ho long it is supposed to be?

 

[Dorkenstein]

Replayability perhaps if you miss some of the secrets to unlock, and to do all the difficulties. As to game length, not sure but I'd guess at least 15-20 hours, probably more for me. If you're on the fence, maybe wait until the price drops, there's a boatload of other stuff coming out very soon anyway.

 

[pontifex]

i ended up getting it. got a $10 off coupon for D2D so that helped decide. It's not bad, but it's no CoD series game. Trying to control my squads is a bit difficult because I want to keep using certain keys for one thing which is bound to another. i'll just have to rebind some stuff i guess.

also, is there any way to heal guys that get hit? I had 2 guys fall on me and they are still alive but out of action.

 

[Jeeebus]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i ended up getting it. got a $10 off coupon for D2D so that helped decide. It's not bad, but it's no CoD series game. Trying to control my squads is a bit difficult because I want to keep using certain keys for one thing which is bound to another. i'll just have to rebind some stuff i guess.

also, is there any way to heal guys that get hit? I had 2 guys fall on me and they are still alive but out of action.

pretty sure you can't heal em. I just kept reloading my last checkpoint to keep everyone alive. ya, there are casualties in war, but I couldn't live with myself if someone went down lol.


POTENTIAL SPOILER BUT NOT REALLY

probably took me about 10 - 15 hours total to beat the game. engrossing throughout. the end was a little anti-climactic (the fighting, not the final cutscene), but definitely a very good, well-polished game.

 

[Oakenfold]

For those interested it's on special @ Gogamer right now $32.90

 

[Jules]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i ended up getting it. got a $10 off coupon for D2D so that helped decide. It's not bad, but it's no CoD series game. Trying to control my squads is a bit difficult because I want to keep using certain keys for one thing which is bound to another. i'll just have to rebind some stuff i guess.

also, is there any way to heal guys that get hit? I had 2 guys fall on me and they are still alive but out of action.

LoL.

 

[wahoyaho]

Lol indeed. Have you not played the other 2 BiA games?

 

[jtvang125]

Loaded up the first BiA again and played through a few of the missions. What bothered me the first time and this time around is the accuracy of the guns. Way too inaccurate even when aiming down the sights. Also the suppress and flank routine got a little repetitive after awhile.

I downloaded a few cheats that gave me huge amounts of ammo and made it a little more fun. More shooting and less ducking.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: wahoyaho
Lol indeed. Have you not played the other 2 BiA games?

No i haven't and if they are anything like this one, my comment still stands. The CoD1 and 2 were some of the best WWII SP games I have ever played. I think I even liked the last MoH more than Hell's Highway.

I still like Hell's Highway, I just don't find the gameplay as good/fun as CoD games.

 

[SPARTAN VI]

The problem I had with the last two BiA games was with the scale. These little engagements here and there never tricked me into thinking I was actually in WWII. There couldn't be any more than 5-10 krauts in any one engagement, then when armor rolled in, it was never more than 1 or 2 halftracks/panzer. Is this the same with Hell's Highway?

Also didn't dig how when your AI team mates fall in combat, they pop back up the next mission. I wish they explored the sense of consequence you get when your squadmates are actually KIA.

 

[QuadDamage2k]

The game is ok, i have a problem with Ati 8.9 Drivers it get gfx errors in game, i can't see subtitles or words, and the game cars and wall tend to blur out.

With the 8.10 it works fine but crashes the system to rebot, and it's only this game

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: SPARTAN VI
The problem I had with the last two BiA games was with the scale. These little engagements here and there never tricked me into thinking I was actually in WWII. There couldn't be any more than 5-10 krauts in any one engagement, then when armor rolled in, it was never more than 1 or 2 halftracks/panzer. Is this the say with Hell's Highway?

Also didn't dig how when your AI team mates fall in combat, they pop back up the next mission. I wish they explored the sense of consequence you get when your squadmates are actually KIA.

sounds pretty much exactly like hell's highway. move up a little, kill a few krauts, move up a little, kill a few krauts, move up a little, blow up a few krauts, move up a little blow up an 88, move up a little, kill some krauts.

they try to make it seem emotional but i honestly couldn't care about any of the characters.
a lot of people are saying the story is great. i don't really see it, although it seems like they are doing these games like a continuous thing, like events and characters in previous BIAs are brought up here. maybe not playing the other games is why i don't seem to care about anyone.

 

[sticks435]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: SPARTAN VI
The problem I had with the last two BiA games was with the scale. These little engagements here and there never tricked me into thinking I was actually in WWII. There couldn't be any more than 5-10 krauts in any one engagement, then when armor rolled in, it was never more than 1 or 2 halftracks/panzer. Is this the say with Hell's Highway?

Also didn't dig how when your AI team mates fall in combat, they pop back up the next mission. I wish they explored the sense of consequence you get when your squadmates are actually KIA.

sounds pretty much exactly like hell's highway. move up a little, kill a few krauts, move up a little, kill a few krauts, move up a little, blow up a few krauts, move up a little blow up an 88, move up a little, kill some krauts.

they try to make it seem emotional but i honestly couldn't care about any of the characters.
a lot of people are saying the story is great. i don't really see it, although it seems like they are doing these games like a continuous thing, like events and characters in previous BIAs are brought up here. maybe not playing the other games is why i don't seem to care about anyone.

Yea, pretty much every review has brought this up. I have played the other 2, so I would understand a lot more of the story and issues.

 

[Zenoth]

It's ok, but it's a WWII-related FPS, and there's so many of them already that having a new one in one's stomach kind of makes you want to vomit. I have played it some with a friend but I just can't get into WWII games in general anymore, it's just overdone, and it still sells, that's the worst part (which is why of course it's still being made this much today). At least CoD4 took a different route, and it was more than about time, I still think that the original CoD is the best WWII FPS there is but I don't think we ever needed two others (CoD3 on the 360), but yes that's just me.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
It's ok, but it's a WWII-related FPS, and there's so many of them already that having a new one in one's stomach kind of makes you want to vomit. I have played it some with a friend but I just can't get into WWII games in general anymore, it's just overdone, and it still sells, that's the worst part (which is why of course it's still being made this much today). At least CoD4 took a different route, and it was more than about time, I still think that the original CoD is the best WWII FPS there is but I don't think we ever needed two others (CoD3 on the 360), but yes that's just me.

i don't find the overabundance of WWII shooters that big of a deal. might be because i'm really interested in that kind of stuff though. I like games with real world weapons, even if they are over 50 years old.

 

[TehMac]

I might pick this up when it gets cheaper.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: TehMac
I might pick this up when it gets cheaper.

if i could do it over again, i would. like i said, it's not bad but it's definitely not worth $50.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: TehMac
I might pick this up when it gets cheaper.

That's what I did with the first 2 BiA games. I liked them, but they were never good enough to warrant a second replay. I never touched the multiplayer either.

But to tell you the truth, combat get's a bit tedious with the shoot/cover crap. I mean it's realistic, but all the cover seems so contrived. It is so obvious that the map makers put those perfectly tailored walls for enemies to crouch behind, and that same dead tree stump from the last 20 levels so the play-style can be maintained. Maybe the destructible cover helps to mitigate this issue.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Imp

Originally posted by: TehMac
I might pick this up when it gets cheaper.

That's what I did with the first 2 BiA games. I liked them, but they were never good enough to warrant a second replay. I never touched the multiplayer either.

But to tell you the truth, combat get's a bit tedious with the shoot/cover crap. I mean it's realistic, but all the cover seems so contrived. It is so obvious that the map makers put those perfectly tailored walls for enemies to crouch behind, and that same dead tree stump from the last 20 levels so the play-style can be maintained. Maybe the destructible cover helps to mitigate this issue.

there is very little destructible cover from what i've seen. this game is a lot like the R6: Vegas games.

your squads are almost worthless. 99% of the time they only help provide cover fire but i'm sure i could play this game without them (except for the missions where you need the rocket team to blow up 88s and stuff like that). They aren't really that accurate and you can't really use them for anything else.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: pontifex


your squads are almost worthless. 99% of the time they only help provide cover fire but i'm sure i could play this game without them (except for the missions where you need the rocket team to blow up 88s and stuff like that). They aren't really that accurate and you can't really use them for anything else.

Well, what do you want pontifex, to have the job done by your squads? I find it normal for them to be "mind" limited somehow. They are there to cover you when you move and provide suppressing fire to keep the germans stuck in their place, so that you can flank them and kill them.

I don't expect to see my squads killing every german out there when I order them to do it and all that it's left for me, is to stand there and watch the show. If the squads were smarter, the game would be dull and probably not worth playing.

I like this BIA and I loved the other two. For me, it's a fantastic shooter with great story, feeling and gameplay. Of course, once you've finished it, you won't find any reason to play it again, but it's long and beautiful and feels like money well spent.

 

[Fistandantilis]

I played the first Brothers in Arms game and I never really like it, I decided to give this one a shot and I like it alot more than the other one I played.
I started playing this weekend and one cool thing about that is that the History channel played half of the Band of brothers series on saturday and the other half on sunday, it was kinda nice to be able to play market garden on Brothers in Arms and watch it on TV at the same time

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: error8

Originally posted by: pontifex


your squads are almost worthless. 99% of the time they only help provide cover fire but i'm sure i could play this game without them (except for the missions where you need the rocket team to blow up 88s and stuff like that). They aren't really that accurate and you can't really use them for anything else.

Well, what do you want pontifex, to have the job done by your squads? I find it normal for them to be "mind" limited somehow. They are there to cover you when you move and provide suppressing fire to keep the germans stuck in their place, so that you can flank them and kill them.

I don't expect to see my squads killing every german out there when I order them to do it and all that it's left for me, is to stand there and watch the show. If the squads were smarter, the game would be dull and probably not worth playing.

I like this BIA and I loved the other two. For me, it's a fantastic shooter with great story, feeling and gameplay. Of course, once you've finished it, you won't find any reason to play it again, but it's long and beautiful and feels like money well spent.

but that's the thing...the germans will stay put whether there is cover fire or not. all you have to do is keep ducking and sprint from cover to cover and you'll be fine. just pop up every now and then to take out a german.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Fistandantilis
I played the first Brothers in Arms game and I never really like it, I decided to give this one a shot and I like it alot more than the other one I played.
I started playing this weekend and one cool thing about that is that the History channel played half of the Band of brothers series on saturday and the other half on sunday, it was kinda nice to be able to play market garden on Brothers in Arms and watch it on TV at the same time

funny you say that because I watched some of it too, even though i have the dvd set. the part that really stuck out to me was Carentan and how it looked exactly like the map from the CoD games, piano in the street and all, lol.