With all the hype surrounding the 60th anniversary celebration in Moscow of the end of the second world war on May 9, perhaps it is apt that someone has decided to cash in on the party. The Xbox game Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 attempts to do just that and accomplishes not much else. Developed by Texas-based Gearbox Software and published by Ubisoft Entertainment, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is an attempt to take the classic first-person shooter genre into new territory on several fronts. As a shooter video game, it offers a steep learning curve to players. One quickly realises that the artificial intelligence of Wermacht soldiers is superb. They take cover and respond well to attacks, either by shifting positions or lobbing grenades at the shooter. When the game's 'innovations' start intruding on how one plays then it became less enjoyable than it should have been. Unlike the best games in this genre, such as SOCOM US Navy Seals for PS2, a player can only order two squads to perform very basic actions - including follow, fire on a designated target, attack a target outright or take cover. The game developers have tried to integrate a multimedia history lesson with Brothers in Arms. Unfortunately, neither the technology nor mindset exists to make this work. A few online sessions show that too few players are available on Xbox live game. Also, four players is just not nearly as much fun as 16 players who can gather for a Halo II or Call of Duty bloodfest. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is an entertaining game that will keep one's fingers on the controller for the duration of the single-player scenario. But beyond that, this game would simply take up shelf space. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 Specifications Price: $299 Pros: Shooter-player is challenged to overcome the superior artificial intelligence of enemy forces Cons: History lesson bogs down the action
