Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30

 PC
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
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  1. Yahoo!
    100
    It's not just its uncompromising realism or its emotive theme, it's the whole package -- great looks, fantastic sound, and a gameplay and plot structure that promotes bonding with the men under your command. Wrap that up with a slick control method and, for once, some tactical depth, and you're left with a very special recipe.
  2. Worth Playing
    95
    What impresses me the most about BIA more so than any other shooter about WW2 is that BIA treats WW2 much more in the same vane of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers."
  3. Next Level Gaming
    94
    The game has something that many games are missing these days, and that is emotion.
  5. Gamezilla!
    94
    Without a doubt, even with a few minor problems, this is one of my favorite titles of this year.
  6. Pelit (Finland)
    93
    An excellent game. It is superbly written and researched. The situations and characters simply feel real. [Apr. 05]
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  7. IGN
    91
    Offering up engaging, squad-based battles and presenting it all in an authentic yet undeniably cinematic setting, Brothers in Arms is a game that, to borrow a phrase from General Patton, "grabs you by the nose and kicks you in the ass."
  8. PC Gamer
    91
    It temporarily wrests the verisimilitude crown away from "Call of Duty" and - amazingly - revives Normandy's "dead horse." [May 2005, p.56]
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  9. Game Revolution
    91
    The realistic squad based action is handled well and provides a satisfying journey through the nightmare of war.
  10. Total Video Games
    90
    Quite honestly the first realistic shooter I’ve found myself completely enthralled within. It’s cross between Medal of Honor/Call of Duty and Full Spectrum Warrior gameplay creates an experience that is fresh and compelling, while the multiplayer mode should make this one of the most popular titles around.
  11. GameSpot
    90
    The campaign is varied and lengthy enough to keep players thrilled from beginning to end. There's even good incentive to play through again at higher difficulties.
  12. GameSpy
    90
    The squad-based combat is handled elegantly, from the simple control scheme to the ability to switch out to a birds-eye view to strategize, and injects some life into a genre we thought had been milked for good.
  13. CPUGamer
    90
    One of the best World War II shooters I've ever played, and certainly one of the better shooters of recent years.
  14. GamingTrend
    90
    This is a labor of love by Gearbox and if you’re at all into historical stuff, this game is for you.
  15. Eurogamer
    90
    The beauty of it is the ability to play it however you want, either going for all out rushes or a more strategic squad-based approach.
  16. Game Over Online
    90
    In the end, crisp visuals, superb sound and an engrossing solo campaign all help Brothers in Arms stand out from an overcrowded crop of World War II shooters.
  17. Computer Gaming World
    90
    This is one shooter in which your tactical skills are rewarded more than your ability to line up targets. [June 2005, p.76]
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  18. Computer Games Online RO
    89
    Can you forget "Medal of Honor" and "Call of Duty" by playing this game? Of course not, but Brothers in Arms marks a new beginning for the Second World War shooters. It's an extraordinary game, one that will change the history of war shooters forever.
  19. Gaming Horizon
    89
    Not only does it have everything that all of the other first person shooter games have had, but it also has a feature that adds just enough strategy to the game that separates it from the rest.
  20. PC Format
    88
    This is the point where the populist WW2 first-person shooter gets the long awaited reinforcements: New Ideas. [Apr 2005, p.98]
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  21. Computer and Video Games
    87
    Luckily, it's dead simple. When it comes to squad-level infantry manoeuvres, tactics have changed little in the last 2,000 years (so we're told), and they're almost insultingly basic. [PC Zone]
  22. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    87
    The effect that all this adds to the game is more a sense of realism than a sense of camaraderie. The harrowing, dangerous nature of war is shown here in its truest form in a video game.
  23. GameZone
    85
    Unfortunately, with the limited MP games and buggy code, this game could still use some fine tuning.
  24. Play Magazine
    85
    With more of an emphasis on the intimate perils of war, the game feels fresh enough, but staggers in an attempt to draw us in to the characters. [May 2005, p.50]
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  25. My Gamer
    84
    So, even if you are weary of the WWII theme, don’t be so disillusioned by the overabundance of WWII games that you let this one elude you.
  26. ActionTrip
    83
    In a nutshell, when its 'gears' are clicking, Brothers in Arms manages to deepen the shooter genre with the addition of some great tactical gameplay and relatively realistic depiction of infantry warfare... [but] sadly lacked somewhat in the execution department, making it not as good as the reigning king of the genre.
  27. PC Gameworld
    80
    An average World War II shooter, with elements of strategy implemented somewhat successfully. However, the game is also available on consoles, and I can't help but think the game would have been so much better had it been developed solely for PC.
  28. Pelaaja (Finland)
    80
    Brothers in Arms is a good start for Ubisoft WWII franchise. The drama of the story, frantic fire fights and well implemented squad command system makes other WWII shooters feel, well, just like your average shooters. Brothers in Arms is more of an authentic WWII combat experience. [May 2005, p.66]
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  29. The Sydney Morning Herald
    80
    First-person shooter fans might struggle initially with the demanding targeting system, plus a selection of weapons that take into account the accuracy and range of their real-world counterparts.
  30. Computer Games Magazine
    80
    Significantly more elaborate than any of the other [current tactical shooters]. [July 2005, p.49]
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  31. Gamer's Hell
    75
    While it offers a unique, new experience to the platform, it is nothing that is groundbreaking but can still be fun to play through once just for the historical novelty.
  32. Edge Magazine
    70
    Plenty of games have flourished around the slaughter, scale and destruction of war, but few have managed to realise a soldier’s role and worth - disposable, vulnerable, pivotal - as well as this. [Apr 2005, p.100]
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  33. games(TM)
    70
    Gearbox should be applauded for taking the first-person genre in a bold new direction, but during the bulk of the game, players must be willing to sit back and let the developer tell the story. [Apr 2005, p.104]
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PC Game of 2005
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
40
#40 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 218 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 129 out of 218
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 218
  3. Negative: 31 out of 218
  1. OwenT.
    May 5, 2007
    6
    This game is based on the hype around band of brothers, saving private ryan and like movies. Not that this is bad, but you need to add This game is based on the hype around band of brothers, saving private ryan and like movies. Not that this is bad, but you need to add something original to stand out and not get boring. The developers did not try. they slavishy put everything what is part of the band of brothers trade in it: the melancholic overvoice, the dramatic music(stings!!! more strings!!!) and the reluctant hero(s). What is a pity is that you can't skip these ramblings of fantasy and you are forced to sit through them all. And then what is it? The game can best be described as a simple squad based shooter. It is basic because they stripped the shooter part to it's bare minimum: you can''t run, lean, lie down and aim properly. And even when you get close to a german you notice that your weapons are underpowered. It takes a full clip to kill one. An strinking example of this weakness is the grenade. When it detonates, you need to be very close to get harmed, less than a meter, and then it does hardly any damage or fails to stun opponents. Of course this was done on purpose. If this was a call of duty with a team added to it, you might ditch the team and go on your own. Because you would do this because your teammates are to stupid to be left on their own and need constant watching. So to prevent you from dumping them and to force you to work with the team they make you weak. But amazingly enough, the team tactics are very basic too: you can't command indvidual members nor assign members to groups, or arm them as you want them and you can only give them a few basic commands. In addition the game is very scripted. As in a shooter you run along one path. In this game however the path has somewhat been widened to allow you to 'Flank the enemy'. Because that is what the developer hit upon. Each and everytime the germans conveniently appear in small groups consisting of 2 to 4 men, take up position behind some cover where they stay until you have killed them. You assign one team to pin them, and you or another team move in from the flank. Luckily the german will fall for this same tactic each and every time. Germans won't attack you except in scripted moments or pin your team even if you are under fire from a mg, they leave their positions open to flanking fire and rear attacks, won't shift their positions,leave strongpoints open to the rear and won't cover the approaches or each others positions, and setup mg's and guns only to shoot out to one direction and finally: germans seldom use grenades(but we know why now). Brothers in Arms therefore quickly becomes boring. If you want proper based squad based game I would advise to try out SWAT IV or Rainbow Six.… Full Review »
  2. AndrewW.
    Apr 13, 2005
    4
    If you are expecting to find good AI and multiplayer co-op, you will be disappointed. This is just another scripted shooter like COD and MOH, If you are expecting to find good AI and multiplayer co-op, you will be disappointed. This is just another scripted shooter like COD and MOH, with multiplay tacked on half finished and poorly implemented. When playing over a LAN with two players, you cannot both choose the same side v the computer. The bots are too dumb and need a human to lead them around. You cannot manually enter an IP address for the server and there is no dedicated server or mission/map editor. The maps are small and there is no random respawning. It gets boring and predictable very quickly. Don't waste your money on buying this new, there will be a lot of used copies going cheaply on Ebay, mine included.… Full Review »
  3. LuisR.
    Mar 22, 2005
    10
    This is a greatest WW2 game. The A.I. is so much better than other WW2 games. The grapics are okay they have a Band of Brothers kind of feel This is a greatest WW2 game. The A.I. is so much better than other WW2 games. The grapics are okay they have a Band of Brothers kind of feel to them. The sound is outstanding. There is never a quite moment in the game and feels like you are in a thick fire fight. Soliders yell and bullets fly over your head with dirt land on your screen, when a near by explosion ocurrs. The game runs great on my PC and i have a 1.3 GHz, with 512 Rdram, a ATI Radeon 9800 128 MB video crad and it runs great. Load times arn't even an issue they are not long at all. Some hard core Call of Duty players might be turned of by the game because they are a super solider. Give it a chance because if you compared the 2 games you feel a little scared of this one, the reason being that you die fast in Brothers in Arms. So you might get fustrated for a while. Play the game, it's fun and different.… Full Review »
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