“Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway (Ubisoft)”

The Brothers in Arms World War II shooter/action series continues with Hell’s Highway. This fantastic first-person shooter (FPS)/action game features an eclectic group of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, part of largest paratrooper operation in World War II and the Nazis last major victory in the war. Lead by D-Day vet Sgt. Matt Baker and Sgt. Joe “Red” Hartsock lead the troops in Operation Market Garden, a real Allied offensive that didn’t exactly play out as planned. Developers focus about ten main character story arcs in an involving story though sometimes it’s hard to distinguish some soldiers by their facial features without a closer look, especially when they’re wearing their helmets. Developers even add some humor, interesting side stories (like Baker’s “cursed” pistol) and hidden history information in levels to give players more background into the actual events.

The squad-based gameplay satisfies especially when players watch their mates making intelligent, individual decisions that don’t ruin the mission. A great control scheme and immediate AI reactions enhance the decision making action. Leading this largely reconnaissance squad well takes a minimal learning curve and intuitive map reading. Most of the time players must “find, fix, flank and finish” the enemy with their squad. No need for much stealth here, but strategy is still important. Solo missions are sparse while developers add historic “Kilroy” (“First one in, last one out”) points, which are basically bragging rights where players make their mark in the environments they overtake from the enemy.

The well directed cut scenes include some harrowing slow motion close ups and events to galvanize a deep story so players have a more emotional, vested interest in the game. Players can choose between casual and veteran difficulty levels in the beginning, then pick authentic once completing this visceral game. In authentic, the heads up display (HUD) is gone and the enemy’s abilities are increased. Veterans may seek the authentic challenge quicker since effective squad commands and tactics can quickly overcome increasing amounts of enemies. Beginners can go at their own pace soaking in the environments and authentic weapons, including a M9 bazooka, BAR and Thompson, come with stable aiming capabilities.

Good use of the map and general observations allow players to flank the enemy – a highly successful tactic while sneaking up behind the enemy as the squad diverts attention away from you is the icing on the cake. Blow apart cover…and the enemies too as developers ramp up the physics and gore departments for a more realistic experience.

Suppression (using the fire order) and recovery icons over the enemy can also help with battlefield observations. Players get realistic cover and scenarios as they disperse the squad the best way possible. Players also recover health in cover prompting players to master this essential action. Players can battle with up to 20 other online including a 10 vs. 10 mode. HUD differences and coordinating with other players are the major adjustments in the multiplayer mode compared to the single player mode. Highly recommended FPS for the meaningful action and strategy elements, which challenge players to do more than just mindlessly rip through the enemy. PS3 gamers need about 2 GB of hard disk space for this quality title. Also available in limited edition.

(***1/2, rated M, available on PC, Playstation 3 and XBox 360)

“Guitar Praise (Digital Praise)”

This computer guitar music game cranks up the concert content with more than 50 tracks total including music artists Skillet, Jennifer Knapp, Newsboys, Petra, Casting Crowns, Reliant K, Pillar, 12 Stones, tobyMac and Stellar Kart.

The four difficulty levels (based on five colored buttons on the guitar controller) , ranging from easy to expert, challenge gaming guitarists work to unlock more songs and guitar types while boosting scores. Essential profiles help players gain ground quicker as well as keep bragging rights in the statistic department. The record keeping on each track boosts the replay value to a very high level.

The reaction time on the guitar controller is decent. The controller (included with the game) favors early reaction time on the fret buttons and is cordless by using a wireless USB adapter/receiver (in the storage compartment of the guitar controller, near the four bay AA battery compartment). The guitar controller has the standard strum bar and a whammy bar plus volume control buttons right at the player’s fingertips.

Other game guitar controllers won’t work on this game, so players will need to invest in a second controller for the strong two player game modes. Players can complement each other by playing bass and lead guitar or both play lead guitar in two player mode. Players can also tilt their guitar up sharply to get more bonuses or razzle their opponent in power dual mode. Special bonuses and multipliers increase the points quickly as high talent points tallies yield new onscreen guitars with richer sounds and different effects.

The game design in basic and the colors, borders and font are distinct enough to avoid any confusion or frustration during gameplay. The gameplay screens are pretty self explanatory…hold the note on colored streamed then make a well time release for high points…hit the right combination when the colored cues are spinning yield bonuses. Lyrics appear on the right on one player then move to the center in the two player mode. The lyrics can also be turned off in the options if they get too distracting.

Developers need to boost the audio quality in the likely future expansion packs. Setup challenges are partially alleviated by widescreen options (if optional on your computer screen) for players who don’t have a projection/laptop related setup for viewing. A strong all ages game with endless hours of challenge and free flowing fun.

(***1/2, PC/Mac)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 11:25 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Video games.
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