Up in Arms, Grounded in Reality
Friday, January 20, 2006; Page WE54
War games these days mostly fall into one of two categories. The first has you running around alone taking on an army of Nazis, zombies, space aliens or whoever is the villain flavor of the month. The second has you in command of your forces high above it all, like a god moving your men around a giant board trying to put together the inevitable tank rush.
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood brings something new to the table: a gritty, historic realism and the actual responsibility of command.
  In Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, you must rely on your squad members. (Ubisoft/ign.com) |
The game follows a group of 101st Airborne troops through D-Day and the operations shortly thereafter. Each member of the team is based on a real person, and the game's narrative is told by Col. (and later famous author) S.L.A. Marshall, who interviewed hundreds of airborne troops that fought in Normandy. You play Sgt. Joe "Red" Hartsock, a reluctant squad leader. Most of the men in your unit have back stories that can be unlocked as you play.
Although the game is played in a first-person interface, that is where most similarities to other titles end. You can't go rushing in guns blazing and expect to live more than a few seconds. And like in real life, there are no health packs lying around the street ready to instantly heal all wounds.
To survive, you have to rely on the men in your squad and your own tactical acumen. You can command them to take cover in good positions or to lay down suppressing fire on your opponents. As the Germans become suppressed they keep their heads down and mostly stay behind cover. That is when you or another part of your team can rush in and flank them, killing them from behind or from a side their cover does not protect.
It sounds easy enough, but it's not. The artificial intelligence for the German troops you are facing is very smart. If they are taking too much fire, they will retreat to a new position or even try to flank you. Thankfully your men are trained soldiers as well and won't stand around in the open or stick to a position that offers no cover, even without your input.
If you are used to being a one-man death machine in games, you probably won't like Brothers in Arms. But if you want a taste of reality, then this is the title for you. Just be warned that real war is harsh, and you are as likely to taste dust as victory.
-- John Breeden II
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Mature, Windows 2000 or XP ($50) Ubisoft
