Metacritic Games

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (Playstation 2)

Created by Texas-based Gearbox Software, Brothers in Arms is the most realistic and authentic WWII shooter ever. While other WWII games have sugarcoated the war experience, Brothers in Arms is based on a true story and will immerse gamers into the gritty, uncensored and emotionally-charged side of war. The game puts you in the shoes of Sgt. Matt Baker, a D-Day paratrooper squad leader, and asks you to lead the squad as you balance their lives with the success of the mission. The true stories and historical events you experience on your perilous journey take you through real battlefields meticulously recreated from aerial reconnaissance images, US Army Signal Corps photos and eye-witness accounts of war-torn Normandy. Players of allskill levels can battle their way through this intense experience because of Brothers in Arms innovative and accessible command and control system. [Ubisoft]

Ubisoft
First-Person Shooter, Action
Players: 4
M (Mature)
Developer: Gearbox Software
Released March 15, 2005

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

82 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 Yahoo! Games
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.
97 Warcry
There’s a sense of respect in the game, a sort of homage to the past, that isn’t available in other WWII shooters. Couple that with a truly magnificent presentation.
93 Next Level Gaming
The game has something that many games are missing these days, and that is emotion.
90 Cheat Code Central
No two games play alike thanks to the incredible AI who act like real human enemies. They also die like real humans, meaning that they aren't given an unfair advantage. This is war.
90 Total Video Games
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.
90 GameSpy
Just about every aspect of the production is top-notch, from the stunning graphics to the realistic, graphic dialogue.
90 PSM Magazine
Easily the most enjoyable and innovative WWII experience out there. Period. [May 2005, p.72]
89 Gaming Horizon
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.
88 Electronic Gaming Monthly
What makes this game such a wonderful and hellacious journey into the heart of warfare is its ability to let chaos reign. [May 2005, p.122]
87 GamingTrend
If you can get the Xbox or PC version, I would highly recommend that version over the PS2 version. If the PS2 version is your only option, then you won’t be disappointed.
86 IGN
Unfortunately, not all of the features that make this a great game on the PC and the Xbox have made it to the PS2. There are some small changes -- like the lack of a clear indicator for fire commands or the absence of several presentation options -- that make the PS2 version less impressive than the other two.
86 Gamers' Temple
A very nice combination of squad-based strategy and all out first-person shooter action. Not as good as the Xbox version if you have the choice, but still a solid WWII game.
85 GameZone
While the PS2 version is noticeably inferior to the Xbox and PC versions from a technical standpoint, its still a very worthy title if the PS2 is the only platform you can play it on.
85 Game Informer
Although Brothers in Arms is not light years from your average military title, it institutes important gameplay changes that invigorate the player and influence the way the title is played. [Apr 2005, p.124]
85 Game Over Online
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.
85 Play Magazine
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]
82 TotalGames.net
We don't dislike Brothers In Arms - far from it - but can only be disappointed that we expected a classic war game and instead Ubisoft merely delivered a very good one.
80 Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
An addictive take on both WW2 and squad-based shooters. [Jan 2007, p.106]
80 Sydney Morning Herald
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.
80 G4 TV
It’s a WWII shooter that will teach you about what your grandpappy went through with the same gritty verve as "Band of Brothers" and "Saving Private Ryan." This is the kind of game that proves war is truly hell.
80 Maxim Online
Gamers with short attention spans will likely find all the squad management tedious, but we think it adds a much-needed dimension to a very stale genre. Plus it includes the best video game quote so far this year: "If you see something, shoot it; if it screams in German, shoot it again."
80 Worth Playing
A uniquely immersive game, clearly crafted by a development team that was fed up with the path of every other WWII console release out there. For once in my life, I'm going to tell gamers everywhere to buy a WWII game for the Playstation 2, and I feel proud to say so.
76 GameSpot
The PlayStation 2 version of Brothers in Arms doesn't quite measure up to the PC and Xbox versions. The game feels noticeably unpolished across the board, with muddier graphics, tinny sound effects, and, most egregiously, problems with the game balance.
74 PSX Extreme
For others who appreciate a little strategy to go with their shooting, Brothers in Arms delivers a rather intense war-playing experience that goes along with a fascinating story told from the perspective of the soldiers who lived it.
70 games(TM)
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]
70 Gamenikki
A good game... but just barely.
70 Gamestyle
You're actively encouraged to exploit one manoeuvre: trying to suppress and outflank your opponents. While it pretty much becomes de rigueur throughout the game (and extremely important when commanding large numbers of men), its appeal is shortlived - utilising the same tactic can become tiresome.
70 Computer and Video Games
There's a lot to like about Brothers in Arms, and the tactical element is much more than just a tacked-on gimmick. But with below-par visuals and unbalanced gameplay, we're left with a somewhat sticky and unappealing shooter with a lot of unfulfilled potential. [PSW]
70 Edge Magazine
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]
60 Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
When the strategic squad combat works, it's neat... The strategic squad combat rarely works. [May 2005, p.106]

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