Operation Market Garden remains one of the most dramatic episodes of World War 2, often overlooked because the main objective was missed and the strategic impact was minimal, but the heroism of the troops involved should never be forgotten."Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway" focuses on presenting the dreadful events and tells a true story of those days by recreating the tense atmosphere and the personal turmoil that grows steadily in the hearts of the soldiers drawn in the bloody conflict.

It would be unfair to say that the narration is everything in "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway", as there are many other wonderful elements in this PC game, but it is definitely a story-driven title. There are a lot of cut-scenes that you can't skip, but it's a huge mistake to regard them as time consuming or useless content. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and there is no better way to get fully immersed in the grim atmosphere of war than experiencing those moments through the eyes and conscience of those involved. Following the entire story step by step is in my opinion paramount for those unfamiliar with this military operation, while those aware of the historical truth will be pleasantly surprised to discover many iconic moments included in these short movies.

You play as Sergeant Matt Baker of the 101st Airborne Division who desperately tries to lead his squad and fulfill each task assigned to him by superiors, virtually in every step of the military campaign that started on September 17th 1944. The largest airborne invasion in history was planned by Field Marshal Montgomery with the intention of ending the war by Christmas and bringing the boys back home, but the design was flawed from the beginning and the result was tragic. Over 17000 allied soldiers lost their lives worthless, more than in the entire Normandy landing and ironically the outcome was the exact opposite of the initial purpose: the Allied forces sustained heavy losses and were forced to postpone the offensive, so the war carried on until May 1945.

As leader of a squad, Matt is supposed to overcome adversity and hit specific targets despite being constantly outnumbered by German forces, and that's where teamwork becomes crucial for the success of the mission. Compared to other shooters, in "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway" both you and the soldiers under your command are rather fragile and very vulnerable when assaulting enemy strongholds so the right strategy will ultimately make the difference between victory and defeat. While your trained soldiers can perform the basic moves fairly well and react in the appropriate way to the enemy's actions, more elaborate tactics such as suppressing fire and flanking require precise coordination.

Thanks to the way the story is told, with sensitivity and compassion for both the feelings and fate of each soldier, it's virtually impossible not to develop an attachment to the characters. This further complicates each assignment since you can't be indifferent to the wellbeing of your squad, which is in fact a great accomplishment because this must have been the natural reaction for those involved as well. After all the title speaks for itself, "Brothers in Arms" representing much more than sending your squad ahead ignoring enemy fire just to complete a mission with total disregard for the consequences. The problem is that once a soldier under your command is severely injured of even killed, he'll become instantly available after reaching a checkpoint which is both unrealistic and has a deterring effect by ruining the frame of mind.