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.

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The leading abilities will be heavily tested as you progress with the campaign, beginning with the standard assault squad, sergeant Baker will be forced to take on difficult assignments that require even more teamwork. If the role of the assault and fire squads is very similar as their purpose is to deliver suppressing fire and then flank the enemy, leading the bazooka crew is a more challenging task. The problem becomes obvious in a mission where you are supposed to destroy some enemy Panzers using this specialized team. While your troops are doing a great job in firing bullets upon the armored vehicle, the soldier in charge of delivering the deadly bazooka blow doesn't act in time, and after a string of failures you'll discover that it's much easier to plant an explosive charge on the tank.

On the other hand we have a couple of scenarios where Matt Baker is forced to enter a building alone in search of a lost teammate or attempting to eliminate German soldiers who are hiding inside. These missions are by far the less exciting ones due to the rather linear maps; you are deprived of the ability to flank the enemy and the only challenge is to make each shot count. Thanks to the numerous checkpoints and the health restoring system, it's pretty easy to complete these assignments and return to the real action. Speaking of solo missions it would be unfair not to mention how much fun are those where you are supposed to drive a tank and blast your way through the German reinforced positions; without being a very intricate endeavor, it's a welcomed distraction after all those scenarios requiring a solid tactical approach.

The AI is not the strongest point in "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway", which is unfortunate because team play is vital and these drawbacks cripple an otherwise outstanding experience. Your teammates will occasionally miss the cover and instead of hiding behind natural or manmade obstacles would simply sit on the wrong side being completely exposed to enemy fire. Insubordination will never be an issue in this game as the soldiers under your command will rush to execute each order regardless of what they were doing at the moment, but the funny thing is that they sometimes they seem to develop a strange "blink" ability. Despite being a few meters behind they instantly reach their destination or even more disturbing a random zone close to the next check point, which will cause a great deal of confusion in the middle of the battle.

On the "bright" side the enemy troops will fall short of taking full advantage of the suicidal moves your squad occasionally performs, because they are equally stupid sometimes. If you are a skilled player it's much easier to try and deliver a head-shot blow, to take out the enemy and they seem to be asking for it, frequently sticking the heads out of cover or exposing a portion of the body. The sniping mission where you are supposed to keep a little Dutch boy alive while fending off incoming Germans is really a piece of cake, because the enemy fails to react in the appropriate way. Even when their teammates die just a few meters away while hiding behind the same cover, they fail to notice and take no action to minimize the risks, and changing the location doesn't seem to be a priority for the AI.

There is really not much to talk about regarding your arsenal, as there are just a couple of weapon models available, which is actually the right decision considering the fact the 101st Airborne Division soldiers were limited to the standard weapons. Of course there is the option of taking the gun from a dead German and the ammunition, as well as collecting some from parachuted supplies that are scattered around the countryside. Grenades can be deadly in the hands of an accomplished player but for the less skilled ones, they are nothing more than a nuisance, being too difficult to handle and inaccurate, not to mention the fact that it takes a lot of time until they blow off.

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Conclusion:

Unlike most of the shooters available these days, "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway" is a game that has a compelling story to tell and it brilliantly succeeds in extracting an astonishing amount out of it. While Arnhem remained a "bridge too far" for the allied troops, the dedication and relentless efforts of the soldiers involved in each mission that was supposed to converge to the ultimate goal outweighs the breakdown. Likewise, with all those drawbacks caused by the relatively weak AI, this title is definitely a new milestone for WW2 shooters and a worthy addition for the "Brothers in Arms" franchise.

Gameplay: 84

Without the boost of a consistent multiplayer mode, the campaign set is pretty much everything in "Hell's Highway" and luckily it compensates for the less exciting co-op mode. The entire game is being driven by a rock-solid storyline and firm game mechanics, so completing the single player missions and unlocking the authentic mode is very rewarding. Occasional AI issues have a deterring effect even on the more dedicated gamers but are not enough to ruin the mood or the genuine enthusiast that this shooter generates.

Graphics: 81

Overall the visual effects are above the average, and for those willing to take a better look at the big picture instead of focusing on details, the shortcomings are minimal and will be easily dismissed. The slow motion replays of a head shot or the devastating grenade explosions are quite impressive as well as the landscapes, while some textures and the grain filter are less inspiring. The characters' faces have unnatural colors and are more rugged than you'd expect even from a soldier that spends half of his time in the trenches.

Sounds: 85

The cut-scenes and the short movies that are plentiful in the campaign set would feel less charming and definitely less majestic without the enthralling music themes that punctuate the dramatic moments. While the comments and dialogues between soldiers are as good as in any story-driven game, the music is nothing less of astonishing, and the orchestral parts greatly enhance the gaming experience by helping the player get into the right mood.

Multiplayer: 73

"Capture the Flag" is the only multiplayer mode available and although it is possible for up to 20 players to join the fight, it feels rather boring and less exciting than a single player mission. There is of course a squad leader who can issue orders but it's pretty unlikely the others will obey them, especially when this mode is played over the internet between total strangers.

Hardware: 79

The frame rate drops frequently below the desired value even on the more powerful computers, but the game runs well and because tactics are the cornerstone of this shooter, not the fast-paced action, it's most likely there will be no reasons for complain.