Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30
Encyclopedia
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter
video game created by Gearbox Software
for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 2
, Xbox
and Mac OS X
. It is the first game in the Brothers in Arms series
. It is published by Ubisoft
and was released in early 2005. The game takes place during World War II
and focuses on realistic team strategy and tactics rather than the faster paced run and gun gameplay of the Medal of Honor
series. It was ported to the Wii
in 2008, as part of the Brothers in Arms: Double Time
compilation.
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was also used to recreate scenarios in a 2005 History Channel special, also titled Brothers in Arms.
who were dropped behind German Lines on D-Day. The game is based on the historical Mission Albany
, in which the player has to complete true-to-life missions of the 101st.
The sequel Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
is also based on the last missions of the 101st, such as link up with 82nd Airborne Division and capture of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
(which historically did not involve the 101st A/B as a whole, but some members volunteered to assist the undermanned 82nd Division). The player takes the role of Sergeant Matthew Baker, a paratrooper
(based on Harrison C. Summers
and various other people) and leader of an airborne
squad from Fox Company. The missions range from dropping into France
on June 6 to the final defense of Hill 30 eight days later. Baker must lead his men through troubled times and make decisions that may result in the death of a paratrooper, which causes him much heartache.
. Joe "Red" Hartsock, Cpl. Sam Corrion, Pfc. Jack Courtland, Pfc
. Stephan "Obi" Obrieski, Pvt.
Larry Allen, Pvt. Johnny Rivas, Pvt. Michael Desola, Pvt. David Muzza, Pfc. Thomas "Zano" Zanovich, Pvt. Michael Garnett and Pvt. Dale "Kid" McCreary. The Radioman is Pfc. Kevin Benjamin "Legs" Leggett. The squad is one of three under Platoon Sgt. Greg "Mac" Hassay. "Mac" served under Sgt. Baker's father, whom he had much respect for, in the First World War
and has promised to himself to make Sgt. Baker into a good soldier. 7 men of the 13-man squad are killed during the Normandy campaign. The men of Baker's squad who die are Allen, Garnett, Desola, Rivas, Obrieski, Muzza,and Leggett. By the end of the Normandy campaign only 6 members of the original 13-man squad are alive; Hartsock, Corrion, Courtland, Zanovich, McCreary and Baker himself.
The game has been highly praised for this gritty,violent,uncensored and realistic portrayal of the sacrifice made by servicemen during World War II, Gameratings.com announced that Brothers in Arms is "The Highest Rated WWII Action Franchise of All Time", the series also has been fully endorsed by the V.F.W. (Veterans of Foreign Wars
), the National D-Day Museum, The Patton Museum Foundation, The National Ordnance Museum, and was even introduced and played at West Point Military Academy. In December 2005, the History Channel acknowledged Brothers in Arms and released a 2 hour documentary about the untold story of the 502nd PIR, it was hosted by Ron Livingston
(who starred in Band of Brothers as Lewis Nixon) and featured in-game graphics, and interviews with veterans and historians.
Another character included is Sgt. Baker's best friend, Tank Commander Sgt. George Risner, with whom he spent his childhood. He commands a M5 Light Tank. George follows Sgt. Baker into a small French town outside Saint Côme-du-Mont where his tank is hit by a panzerfaust
. He soon dies while firing back at the Germans with Baker's Colt .45
pistol. Also included are real life personalities General Dwight D. Eisenhower
, the Supreme Allied Commander
of the Allied Expeditionary Force and Lieutenant Colonel
Robert G. Cole
, who was awarded the Medal of Honor
for leading a charge against a German position outside Carentan
early on June 11 1944. Another real-life character is Col. S.L.A. Marshall, who interviewed hundreds of Allied soldiers after their fighting in Normandy, Lt. Col. Patrick Cassidy is also featured in the series, he is the Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 502nd PIR. Also Col. Howard R. Johnson
(The Commander of the 501st PIR) is featured in the series.
Additionally, some levels provide the player with a tank
in lieu of a team, providing players with heavy firepower and mobile cover. The player can also man the pintle-mounted on the tank for additional suppression.
Brothers in Arms is notable for its intuitive command system. Teams and tanks can be ordered to move, lay suppressive fire, rally, find cover, and charge the enemy. The game stresses at multiple points the effectiveness of fire and maneuver tactics, known as the Four Fs actually used by the military during World War II, expressed in the game tutorial as "Find, Fix, Flank, Finish" describing the steps in suppressing and flanking an enemy.
The focus on team command is emphasized by providing the player with a highly unstable firing capability. Instead of having almost perfect accuracy with weapons in games like Call of Duty
, Brothers in Arms models weapons with erratic accuracy, and enemy fire can heavily interfere with a player's aim to simulate the effects of suppressive fire. The relative lack of accuracy is designed to simulate the difficulty in hitting targets in a combat situation as well as forcing the player to use team members to engage enemy units and provide better tactical opportunities.
. It was first sold on September 23, 2008.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game created by Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. It is the first game in the Brothers in Arms series
Brothers in Arms (series)
Brothers in Arms is a video game series consisting of three main games and seven spin-off games.-Main series:Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is...
. It is published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
and was released in early 2005. The game takes place during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and focuses on realistic team strategy and tactics rather than the faster paced run and gun gameplay of the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor (series)
Medal of Honor is the name of a series of first-person shooter games set in World War II, with an October 2010 reboot based on the conflicts of present day Afghanistan. The first game was developed by DreamWorks Interactive and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for the PlayStation game console...
series. It was ported to the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2008, as part of the Brothers in Arms: Double Time
Brothers in Arms: Double Time
Brothers in Arms: Double Time is a first-person shooter video game compilation for the Wii and Mac OS X platforms. The title is a compilation of the first two Brothers in Arms games, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood and was developed by Gearbox Software and...
compilation.
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 was also used to recreate scenarios in a 2005 History Channel special, also titled Brothers in Arms.
Story
Brothers in Arms is based on the true story of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the famed 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
who were dropped behind German Lines on D-Day. The game is based on the historical Mission Albany
Mission Albany
Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. It was the opening step of Operation Neptune, the assault portion of the Allied invasion of France, Operation Overlord...
, in which the player has to complete true-to-life missions of the 101st.
The sequel Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
Brothers In Arms: Earned in Blood
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a video game and sequel to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and the second game in the Brothers in Arms series, developed by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox...
is also based on the last missions of the 101st, such as link up with 82nd Airborne Division and capture of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.It is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula near Valognes in the Manche département.Population : 2,242 .-History:...
(which historically did not involve the 101st A/B as a whole, but some members volunteered to assist the undermanned 82nd Division). The player takes the role of Sergeant Matthew Baker, a paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
(based on Harrison C. Summers
Harrison C. Summers
Harrison C. Summers was a United States Army soldier and a decorated war veteran. He served with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II.-Early life:...
and various other people) and leader of an airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
squad from Fox Company. The missions range from dropping into France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on June 6 to the final defense of Hill 30 eight days later. Baker must lead his men through troubled times and make decisions that may result in the death of a paratrooper, which causes him much heartache.
Characters
Baker's squad consists of CplCorporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
. Joe "Red" Hartsock, Cpl. Sam Corrion, Pfc. Jack Courtland, Pfc
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
. Stephan "Obi" Obrieski, Pvt.
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
Larry Allen, Pvt. Johnny Rivas, Pvt. Michael Desola, Pvt. David Muzza, Pfc. Thomas "Zano" Zanovich, Pvt. Michael Garnett and Pvt. Dale "Kid" McCreary. The Radioman is Pfc. Kevin Benjamin "Legs" Leggett. The squad is one of three under Platoon Sgt. Greg "Mac" Hassay. "Mac" served under Sgt. Baker's father, whom he had much respect for, in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and has promised to himself to make Sgt. Baker into a good soldier. 7 men of the 13-man squad are killed during the Normandy campaign. The men of Baker's squad who die are Allen, Garnett, Desola, Rivas, Obrieski, Muzza,and Leggett. By the end of the Normandy campaign only 6 members of the original 13-man squad are alive; Hartsock, Corrion, Courtland, Zanovich, McCreary and Baker himself.
The game has been highly praised for this gritty,violent,uncensored and realistic portrayal of the sacrifice made by servicemen during World War II, Gameratings.com announced that Brothers in Arms is "The Highest Rated WWII Action Franchise of All Time", the series also has been fully endorsed by the V.F.W. (Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
), the National D-Day Museum, The Patton Museum Foundation, The National Ordnance Museum, and was even introduced and played at West Point Military Academy. In December 2005, the History Channel acknowledged Brothers in Arms and released a 2 hour documentary about the untold story of the 502nd PIR, it was hosted by Ron Livingston
Ron Livingston
Ronald Joseph "Ron" Livingston is an American film and television actor. His roles include a disaffected corporate employee in the film Office Space, a sardonic writer in a short-term relationship with Carrie Bradshaw in the TV show Sex and the City, and Captain Lewis Nixon in the miniseries...
(who starred in Band of Brothers as Lewis Nixon) and featured in-game graphics, and interviews with veterans and historians.
Another character included is Sgt. Baker's best friend, Tank Commander Sgt. George Risner, with whom he spent his childhood. He commands a M5 Light Tank. George follows Sgt. Baker into a small French town outside Saint Côme-du-Mont where his tank is hit by a panzerfaust
Panzerfaust
The Panzerfaust was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier...
. He soon dies while firing back at the Germans with Baker's Colt .45
Colt Single Action Army
The Colt Single Action Army is a single action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six metallic cartridges. It was designed for the U.S...
pistol. Also included are real life personalities General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, the Supreme Allied Commander
Supreme Allied Commander
Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances. It originated as a term used by the Western Allies during World War II, and is currently used only within NATO. Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary...
of the Allied Expeditionary Force and Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Robert G. Cole
Robert G. Cole
Lieutenant Colonel Robert George Cole was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the days following the D-Day Normandy invasion of World War II.-Early U.S. Army career:...
, who was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for leading a charge against a German position outside Carentan
Carentan
Carentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
early on June 11 1944. Another real-life character is Col. S.L.A. Marshall, who interviewed hundreds of Allied soldiers after their fighting in Normandy, Lt. Col. Patrick Cassidy is also featured in the series, he is the Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 502nd PIR. Also Col. Howard R. Johnson
Howard R. Johnson
Howard R. Johnson was the commander of the U.S. Army's 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment during the Second World War.- Early career :...
(The Commander of the 501st PIR) is featured in the series.
Graphics
Brothers in Arms uses the Unreal Engine 2.0, including a modified version of the Unreal Engine 2.0, with significant improvements such as the use of pixel shaders. The enhanced engine also uses a form of Soft Lighting bloom effect.Gameplay
In most levels of Brothers in Arms, the player is in command of one or two separate 1-3 man teams, with the exception of several sections in which the player is not in command of any unit. There are two types of teams, which are automatically provided before each mission:- Fire team: Made up of soldiers with the M1 GarandM1 GarandThe M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...
and the Browning Automatic Rifle and should be used for fixing the enemy with suppressive fireSuppressive fireIn military science, suppressive fire is a fire that degrades the performance of a target below the level needed to fulfill its mission. Suppression is usually only effective for the duration of the fire. Suppressive fire is not always a direct form of fire towards targets; it can be an effective...
. Sometimes M1A1 CarbineM1 CarbineThe M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
or Thompson submachine gunThompson submachine gunThe Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
.
- Assault team: Made up of soldiers usually with the M1A1 Carbine and the Thompson submachine gunThompson submachine gunThe Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
and is good for flankingFlanking maneuverIn military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
the enemy while they are pinned down by the players fire team. Sometimes M1 Garand.
Additionally, some levels provide the player with a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
in lieu of a team, providing players with heavy firepower and mobile cover. The player can also man the pintle-mounted on the tank for additional suppression.
Brothers in Arms is notable for its intuitive command system. Teams and tanks can be ordered to move, lay suppressive fire, rally, find cover, and charge the enemy. The game stresses at multiple points the effectiveness of fire and maneuver tactics, known as the Four Fs actually used by the military during World War II, expressed in the game tutorial as "Find, Fix, Flank, Finish" describing the steps in suppressing and flanking an enemy.
The focus on team command is emphasized by providing the player with a highly unstable firing capability. Instead of having almost perfect accuracy with weapons in games like Call of Duty
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
, Brothers in Arms models weapons with erratic accuracy, and enemy fire can heavily interfere with a player's aim to simulate the effects of suppressive fire. The relative lack of accuracy is designed to simulate the difficulty in hitting targets in a combat situation as well as forcing the player to use team members to engage enemy units and provide better tactical opportunities.
Reception
Road to Hill 30 was met with positive reception among game critics. The game currently holds an aggregate 88.17% at both Gamerankings and Metacritic- GameDaily: 9/10
- GameSpot: 9/10
- AtomicGamer: 92/100
- Xbox World Australia: 91/100
- Gametrailers: 9/10
- Gamer 2.0: 9.1/10
- NTUC uk: 6/10
- Game Chronicles: 9.7/10
Double Time
This game, along with its sequel (Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood), were remade for the Nintendo Wii and sold in a package called Brothers in Arms: Double TimeBrothers in Arms: Double Time
Brothers in Arms: Double Time is a first-person shooter video game compilation for the Wii and Mac OS X platforms. The title is a compilation of the first two Brothers in Arms games, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood and was developed by Gearbox Software and...
. It was first sold on September 23, 2008.
See also
- Staff Sergeant Harrison C. SummersHarrison C. SummersHarrison C. Summers was a United States Army soldier and a decorated war veteran. He served with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in World War II.-Early life:...
- Battle of Bloody Gulch
- Battle of CarentanBattle of CarentanThe Battle of Carentan was an engagement in World War II between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy. The battle took place between 10 and 15 June 1944, on the approaches to and within the city of Carentan, France.The objective of the...
- Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
- Medal of Honor (series)Medal of Honor (series)Medal of Honor is the name of a series of first-person shooter games set in World War II, with an October 2010 reboot based on the conflicts of present day Afghanistan. The first game was developed by DreamWorks Interactive and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for the PlayStation game console...
- Ost battalionOstlegionenOstlegionen or Osttruppen were conscripts and volunteers from the occupied eastern territories recruited into the German Army of the Third Reich during the Second World War....
External links
- Brothers in Arms official website, brothersinarmsgame.com
- Brothers in Arms SDK download, brothersinarms2.filefront.com
- Mods for Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 at ModDB
- Mods for Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 at StrategyInformer