Why is it that we, as gamers, have grown tired of Nazis and World War II, yet we still can’t enough of aliens and outer space, goblins and the fantasy realm, or zombies and the netherworld? Are zombies that much more likeable than Nazis? Ok, maybe they are. And speaking of creatures that go bump in the night, there’s a level in this game that takes place in an abandoned hospital and all I could think of as I slowly made my way through was Gearbox needs to start working on a survival horror game. The atmosphere in this place was scary tense. If they can capture that atmosphere in their upcoming Aliens shooter, look out. But let’s get back to the topic at hand, Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, because it would be wrong to dismiss this game as just another World War II shooter.

Hell’s Highway picks up immediately following the events of the original Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and its expansion, Earned in Blood, as players again don the combat boots of Sgt. Matt Baker, a fictional member of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden. Knowing it’s been three years since Earned in Blood was released, Gearbox was thoughtful enough to include a “Previously on Brothers in Arms” opening segment to help players catch up on the story, though newcomers to the series are sure to feel as though they’ve just started watching an episode of Band of Brothers midway through. It doesn’t help that the developing story includes flashbacks and hallucinations, as Sgt. Baker deals with his inner demons while leading his squad of men in a bid to destroy Nazi Germany, but while the narrative pacing can be a little uneven at times, it’s a dramatic and engrossing plot that pays great respect to the source material.

Brothers in Arms isn’t your typical shooter. Unlike the Call of Duty or Medal of Honor franchise, you won’t be able to run and gun your way through Hitler’s army. Try and you will fail, miserably. Instead, Brothers in Arms is a shooter that focuses on squad-based tactics, flanking in particular. Throughout the campaign you’ll regularly command up to three squads, including Base Fire, Machine Gun, Bazooka and Assault teams. The idea, when you encounter a group of enemies, is to order one of your squads to suppress them. Each Nazi soldier or group of soldiers, that you have a line of sight on, will have a circular suppression indicator over their position. When the indicator is red the enemy is prepared to engage you in combat, but when you suppress the enemy with enough fire the indicator will turn gray, noting that the enemy has been completely suppressed. It’s at this point you can safely command a second squad to move around to the enemies’ flank for the kill.

This flanking mechanic makes Brothers in Arms equal parts strategy and shooter. Each combat scenario presented is like a puzzle, and it’s up to the player to come up with a plan of attack to suppress and ultimately expose the enemy to deadly fire. This style of gameplay permeates the entire campaign but it rarely becomes repetitive. Gearbox mixes things up nicely with a combination of solid level design, challenging AI, and varied objectives and mission types. There are a couple of sections where you’ll get split up from your squad and have to progress on your own, a scene where you’ll take on the role of sniper, and a few missions where you’ll get to drive a tank. None of these are as engaging as the squad-based combat mind you, but they help keep the experience fresh.

Veterans of the Brothers in Arms franchise will notice a few new additions to Hell’s Highway, like the cover system. Similar to that found in Rainbow Six Vegas or Gears of War, you can “dig” into all kinds of objects and surfaces. When in cover, the camera pulls out to a third-person perspective, which allows you to continue ordering your squads around the battlefield. For the most part the cover system works well, though there are a couple of nagging issues. First is the inability to blind fire. The second is the inability to fire in a direction other than immediately over or around the object or surface you’re taking cover behind. In other words, you can’t fire directly behind your position while in cover, so if an enemy rushes past you while you’re “dug” in you’re as good as dead.

Hand in hand with the cover system is the presence of destructible cover. Wooden structures, like fences, can be made quick work of with machine gun fire and sandbag bunkers can be destroyed too with explosives. So if you run into a group of enemies taking refuge behind either types of cover, you can move your Machine Gun and/or Bazooka teams into position to take them out. On the flipside, you have to be mindful of the cover available to you and your squad, especially if certain enemy units like tanks and those with heavy weapons are found in the area.

The third and perhaps most controversial addition to Hell’s Highway is the action camera. Kicking into gear whenever you land a head shot, throw a grenade into a group of enemies, or order your Bazooka team to blast a bunker, the action camera presents a gratuitous, zoomed-in, slow motion shot of the grizzly outcome. Blood will spurt, limbs will fly, and while it certainly packs a visceral punch to the reality of war, it’s certainly not something you’d want a younger gamer to see. If that’s the case, the action camera can be disabled.

Hell’s Highway was built using the Unreal Engine and while there are definite visual highlights, a lack of polish is also evident. Let’s start off with the good. The character models are amazing, distinct not only in look but also personality thanks to some great voiceover work. The weapon effects are spot on, the indoor and outdoor environments are varied and well detailed, the cutscenes are wonderfully directed, and the orchestral score sets the mood perfectly throughout the game. As for the bad, slowdown is a common occurrence during large-scale battles and textures have a tendency to pop in and out at various times, alongside other minor glitches.

There is multiplayer support, though it’s not the strength of this title. The lone mode is a competitive Capture the Flag-style match pitting Americans against Germans with each side consisting of a squad leader and three, 3-man fire teams, for a total of up to 20 players. However, unless you’re playing solely with your friends, you’re bound to run into more than a few Rambo types on both teams that simply aren’t receptive to following orders, counteracting the squad-based concept altogether. While multiplayer is a bit of a letdown, the single player campaign is quite lengthy and an “Authentic” difficult setting, unlocked upon completion of the game, adds replay incentive beyond a single play through.

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway is more than just a first-person shooter. With an emphasis on squad-based tactics, it’s equally a strategy game. It’s a little rough around the edges and multiplayer is generally forgettable, but with a poignant story, believable characters, and intense and varied battle scenes, it’s a single player experience well worth enlisting in, even if you think you’ve had enough of World War II.