Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is a 2008 first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The game is the third installment in the Brothers in Arms series. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway follows the men of the 101st Airborne Division (502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment) in the later stages of World War II, during Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, with the player returning to the role of Staff Sergeant Matt Baker (based on Harrison C. Summers) from the previous titles in the Brothers in Arms series.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Developer(s)Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)Jeramy Cooke
Producer(s)Mike Wardell
Programmer(s)Neil Johnson
Writer(s)Mike Neumann
Composer(s)Ed Lima
Duncan Watt
SeriesBrothers in Arms
EngineUnreal Engine 3
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
ReleasePlayStation 3 & Xbox 360
  • NA: September 23, 2008
  • AU: September 25, 2008
  • EU: September 26, 2008
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: October 7, 2008
  • AU: October 9, 2008
  • EU: October 10, 2008
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is a World War II-themed tactical shooter played from both first person and third person perspectives. The object of Hell's Highway is to guide player character Staff Sgt. Matthew Baker and the squads under his command as they complete objectives during Operation Market Garden.[1] In campaign mode, players must complete a series of levels that encompass Hell's Highway's storyline.[1] The player can select from three levels of difficulty: Casual, Veteran, and Authentic. Completing the campaign grants players access to Authentic difficulty, which increases the enemy's accuracy and disables the heads-up display (HUD), as well as the player's crosshairs.[2]

Combat in Hell's Highway is squad-based and retains much of the gameplay from its predecessors.[3] The player has direct control of Baker while the squad members are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence.[3] As players progress throughout the storyline, a maximum of three squads may accompany them into the battlefield. Three squad variations are available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses; for example, fire teams are proficient in suppressing the enemy, while assault teams are preferred for flanking maneuvers.[3] The player may issue commands to the squads, such as sending them to take cover or focus their fire on an enemy position. A red circle above enemies shows when they are a threat. When the player issues an order for suppressive fire, the circle turns grey, indicating an opportunity for the player or squad to move to an improved flanking position.[4]

The game features a cover system, which allows players to strategically hide behind objects while fighting enemies, and alternates the player's view to an over the shoulder perspective, similar to a third-person shooter.[4] Hell's Highway features a destructible cover system, allowing objects such as wooden fences and sandbags to be destroyed by gunfire or explosives.[4][5] Unlike the previous entries in the series, a regenerating health system is present, justified as representing a character's exposure to "threat" rather than resilience to damage: when the player's character is exposed to enemy fire, the screen turns red and blurry. If he remains under fire, he will eventually be hit and killed. Remaining safe from enemy fire will quickly remove "threat." [4] Gamplay also introduces the "action camera" feature which sometimes momentarily slows down time when a player kills an enemy with a headshot or grenade.[4]

Plot

Release
Promotion at E3 2006

The game was officially released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 23, 2008 in North America, and was in stores on September 20, 2008. The Microsoft Windows version was released two weeks later, on October 7, 2008. It was made available on Steam on October 8, 2008.[6]

Gearbox officially announced a special, limited edition version of the game which included a 6-inch Sergeant Matt Baker figure with 13 accessories, a blister pack holding the figure and accessories, a 32-page Brothers in Arms First Edition comic book, a full-color map of Operation Market Garden, special packaging, and 2 more playable multiplayer characters.[7]

Novelization

On July 29, 2008, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway was published by Presidio Press as a companion novel for the video game by the video game's historical director, Colonel John Antal, who served in the United States Army and retired after 30 years.[8]

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS3Xbox 360
Edge6/10[9]6/10[9]6/10[9]
EurogamerN/AN/A7/10[10]
Game InformerN/A7.75/10[11]7.75/10[11]
GameProN/AN/A[12]
GameRevolutionN/AC+[13]C+[13]
GameSpot8.5/10[14]8.5/10[15]8.5/10[16]
GameSpyN/AN/A[17]
GameTrailersN/AN/A8.3/10[18]
GameZone8/10[19]8/10[20]8.2/10[21]
Giant BombN/A[22][22]
IGN7.9/10[23]7.6/10[24]7.6/10[24]
OXM (US)N/AN/A9/10[25]
PC Gamer (US)93%[26]N/AN/A
PSMN/A[27]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic79/100[28]76/100[29]76/100[30]

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[28][29][30]

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gollark: People can mute your pings or just leave.
gollark: It does not get attention.

References
  1. Thomsen, Michael (September 24, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Head-to-Head". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  2. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway [Xbox 360 manual]" (PDF). Ubisoft. September 23, 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  3. Haynes, Jeff (October 7, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition Review". IGN. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  4. Watters, Chris (April 18, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Hands On". GameSpot. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  5. Donlan, Christopher (August 9, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  6. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway™ on Steam". Steam. October 8, 2008. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  7. Plunkett, Luke (July 28, 2008). "Brothers In Arms Delayed. Again". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  8. "Hell's Highway (Brothers in Arms): Amazon.co.uk: John Antal: Books". Amazon. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  9. Edge staff (November 2008). "Review: Brothers in Arms Hell['s] Highway". Edge (194): 93. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  10. Reed, Kristan (September 23, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (X360)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  11. Bertz, Matt (November 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PS3, X360)". Game Informer (187). Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  12. Dyer, Mitchell (October 6, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (X360)". GamePro. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  13. Costantino, Jesse (October 3, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review (PS3, X360)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  14. Watters, Chris (October 15, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review (PC)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  15. Watters, Chris (September 25, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  16. Watters, Chris (September 25, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  17. Tuttle, Will (September 24, 2008). "GameSpy: Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (X360)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  18. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, Review (X360)". GameTrailers. October 3, 2008. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  19. Hopper, Steven (October 21, 2008). "Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway Review - PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  20. Sandoval, Angelina (September 29, 2008). "Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway Review - PlayStation 3". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  21. Zacarias, Eduardo (September 28, 2008). "Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  22. Davis, Ryan (September 30, 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review (PS3, X360)". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  23. Haynes, Jeff (October 7, 2008). "Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway Review (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  24. Haynes, Jeff (September 23, 2008). "Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  25. Curthoys, Paul (November 2008). "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway". Official Xbox Magazine: 62. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  26. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway". PC Gamer: 70. December 25, 2008.
  27. "Review: Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway". PlayStation: The Official Magazine: 74. December 2008.
  28. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  29. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  30. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
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