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Not for Children

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: December 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you are looking for a brainless shooter with the typical scripted missions then buy something else or get CoD for your kids. The Brothers In Arms series represents one of the better games in the evolving squad based games out there where you are not only responsible for shooting bots, but also managing your squad in intense firefights. If you are into infantry tactics then this is the game for you.

Don't Be Hatin'

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 27
Date: November 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I really don't get what all the negative hype is about. I have played Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood and enjoyed both games tremendously.

I personally didn't experience any problems with the 3rd party security software.

The key to this game is obviously its squad based game play. I don't think it is fair to say that EIB is the same as RTH30 simply because it picks up where RTH30 left off.

If you own more than one WW2 FPS then chances are that you are something of a WW2 history buff, so what exactly do you expect to change at a strategic level between RTH30 and EIB given that the you are fighting within the same time frame and in the same theater?

Do you want to break out the light sabers? Or perhaps you want to call a fire strike from the Death Star? Maybe you would prefer to hop aboard a Hewey Gun Ship and massacre the Weirmacht with vollies from your Vulcan machine gun?

It isn't going to happen. This is WW2, and you are supporting the Normandy invasion.

If you really think this game is the same as RTH30 then you should probably have stuck to Doom or Quake or something similar because the sheer effort in illustrating/programming/researching this WW2 epic with the level of accuracy and detail that this games delivers is obviously wasted on you.

I have all of the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor releases, and as much as I love playing and replaying these games, they just don't achieve the same level of story immersion and strategic game play as RTH30 or EIB.

I don't accept that players of RTH30 didn't notice the counter flanking maneuvers to your flanking attacks in EIB. I thought the AI in EIB was definitely more of a challenge.

EIB differs in its ability to tell a story. The period immersion and attention to period detail puts this game way ahead of the competition as far as I'm concerned.

Sure, there are improvements I would like to see. My squad command wish list would require a whole new review, but this is not the time or place for that.

I think the essence of what this game captures is its ability to make you feel that you are fighting as a part of a squad. In MoH or CoD you fight alongside squad members but you have no control over what they do. You can't tell them to move to a better firing position in order to provide cover for an advance or opportunity that you can see. You are still very much on your own, and it is this fact that makes those games fun to play but unrealistic at a basic level.

You are simply not going to win the war on your own.

The basic strategy of EIB is of course the 4 F's: Find the enemy; Fix (pin/suppress); Flank; Finish.

Air strikes will not be available to your squad. Those familiar with WW2 history may be aware that airpower will be reserved for destroying all of the main roads/highways/bridges that the Germans will want to use to mobilize a counter strike.

There are no smart bombs; no laser guided missiles. You are not John Wayne and will not kill 27 Germans with one shot from your Colt or Carbine.

I think BIA EIB is a great game that will appeal to any true WW2 enthusiast and FPS players in general.

If you are used to playing non-cooperative based games then you might get sick of having to think of your squads' safety first, but I think this fact adds a dimension that is lacking in other WW2 FPS's.

If that is the case, then stick to playing Doom or Quake you loser.

BROTHERS IN ARMS EARNED IN BLOOD

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: November 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

THIS GAME IS NOT WORTH THE FIFTY DOLLARS I SPENT ON IT. THE ACTION IS JERKY, SIGHTS ARE WAY OFF, INFO BOX'S POP UP AT THE WORST TIMES,ND IT TAKES SEVEN TO TEN ROUNDS TO KILL ONE GERMAN SOLDER. THE CARBINE IS USELESS AND THE YOU NEED A BAR OR MACHINE GUN TO STAND A CHANCE TO GET A HIT.

A review on the MULTIPLAYER aspect.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm not going to bother reviewing the single player aspect of this game since so many already have. And as far as all the cautions about the anti-piracy issues, etc... all I can say is I read someone mentioned it works fine if you have a CD-ROM (or DVD-ROM) only device, which I happen to have and I have not had any issues.

To be honest the first 2 nights of playing Earned in Blood on line were rather disappointing. At first, after playing games like Battlefield 2, Day of Defeat, etc., I am used to finding over a thousand servers to play... the UBI engine only lists on the average about 3 servers, 8 at the most that I've seen. I also got very frustrated with how I would get beat so quickly (being a 'noob' and all). So why did I give this game such a high rating? Read on.

After a few days of playing I got more used to how the strategies of flanking work, and how you can even use an overhead 'birds-eye' view to check on enemy movements... though you are vulnerable while scanning the overhead, it can be very helpful. It also took time to get used to firing the weapons WITHOUT any virtual crosshairs. I love games that are realistic, and having no floating arcade-like crosshair to target your opponents makes the action seem very real... you actually need to use your gun site to help, OR you can just fire with the gun at your side at random. There is a Half-Life mod called "Hostile Intent" which is similar in realism. The grenades are also realistic, with a nice, powerful explosion that does significant damage. Whenever bullets wizz by you or a grenade blast is close pieces of dirt fly onto your screen which adds a realistic element of debris and confusion. It would be nice if they added the drowsy, blur and hollow sound effect that many action shooters now incorporate, but nevertheless, this game still has a lot of bonus points for realism. When you kill someone there is no floating text showing who shot who, you just have to LOOK and SEE if they've dropped or not. Love it.

Commanding a small squad to run at your side, or flank, etc. is such a great experience! I wasn't sure how to use these fellas at first, but once you get the hang of it, any other shooter may make you feel rather isolated or just plain useless. It's hard to believe that the on line multiplayer games are only 4 people playing total, since there are so many more troops in sight. The Germans speak German, the Americans speak English, so you can actually hear the enemy approaching if they happen to issue a command. Should you die, you can instantly chose to be another person who is left in your squad... if you are the last one, you have a choice to call for reinforcements so you don't sacrifice your position. This truly is a perfect blend of tactical combat and good action. There are the typical objectives (plant bomb, deliver documents, etc.), in a certain amount of time which adds an extra edge to the rounds. Some people run servers as 'deathmatch' only, which I don't care for. The on line community, though rather small, is very friendly... you join a server and instantly you get "hi" "where you from" "let's go" etc.... If you don't wish to play this game on line, another added bonus is in addition to solo missions you can play a quick skirmish. Skirmishes are always a great add-on to a game if you just want a quick action scenario.... in the skirmishes you also command a squad and have an objective.

What started out to be a slightly difficult game has become one of my favorite WWII shooters. I'm not giving it 5 stars because certainly there's always room for improvement in any game. I would start by adding a heavier sound to the Axis rifle (the game has a cheesy 'pop' sound - just a little bass would help), plus there are so few servers running... I don't know why, but if you buy the game and get on line, there will be even MORE people to play! Caution to parents: the soldiers use profanity in both the missions and even in multiplayer.

The most realistc of all games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

A lot of people say this game is bad and you can't aim and the germans won't die and etc. Which is not accurate.

The reason why people "can't aim" is because most people are used to Call of Duty or Medal of Honor where the gun is completely still and the sights are lined up perfectly. Which is unrealistic because in BIR they make the gun move a little on purpose because it's impossible in real life to hold a gun completely still without resting it on a stump, branch, or tri-pod. I know this because I target shoot, the game creators are making the game as realistic as possible.

And as far as the squad mates goes, well that can be true as far as they not listening to you but it doesn't happen that often.

Have you ever shot a real M1-Garand? Or a K98? Because a lot of times in war one side will have better weapons than the other side, where in Call of Duty it's all fair for both sides. This game has gotten awards from organizations (I can't name any at the moment) on how realistic this game is.

And when people say the Germans won't die it's because they think they have the sights lined up but they probably don't. When I go target shooting with my .22 with iron sights I think I have the sights lined up on the bulls eye but I find out after the shot that I didn't. This game is only for people who want to be as close to realism as possible, where as Call of Duty and Medal of Honor are for people who just want to play a un-realistic game thats too easy. Everyone has their own opinions and this is mine.

The best FPS i have ever played!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 13
Date: December 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is indescribable! its has the best graphics, the AI is a lot smarter than usual, and its action packed! i highly reccomend this game, for it is a must get! COD 2 doesnt come even close! but if u r someone who likes to run in and kill all the bad guys while your men are getting slaughtered, DONT BUY THIS GAME! u need brains to play this! it doesnt take brains to rush in a room and MG every1 in sight!

Best FPS since the ORIGINAL Doom?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is incredible. It breathes new life into the WWII shooter by adding a new dimension. (The ability to COMMAND men and tanks in the field.) I realize this sounds like it would be a hastle to deal with, especially in this already intense genre, but it really is easy and becomes second nature very fast. (I'd say its on a par with learning how to aim down the sights the first time you played an FPS which used the feature.)
Thats really enough for me to buy the game but there is SO much more. Single player is really fun and feels far more realistic than any WWII game I've played. (When flanked enimies attempt to fall back to a new line of defense, rather then let you blow them away, and each level has a set number of enemies. They don't just keep comming until you set foot on a specific spot like the COD games.)Not to mention beating levels on harder difficulties unlocks "extras" which are pretty intresting, incouraging you to beat it on the hardest settings. (Believe it or not thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to replay value.)
The real fun is in multi-player. They're all objective based missions and with players controlling they're own squads both sides move and act like teams, rather than a run around free for all. And boy are there a LOT of missions. Almost overwhelming the first time you play online. (I never thought I'd be able to master every level.)
As if that wasn't enough, there are quite a few "skirmish levels" These can be played alone or with a friend and they basicly amount to an entire seperate single player campaign, or, you can play it as a co-op campaign. Not to mention each of these levels have adjustable objectives. (I.E. you can attack a level and then try your luck at defending it.) Truly amazing.

Side note. Some people have complained that the M1 Garand is not accurate enough in this game. I find this intresting because the M1 Garand is not IN this game. The M1A1 carbine is. It is the lighter weapon given to paratroopers. It fires ten rounds instead of eight, and can be re-loaded mid clip unlike the grarand. Most importantly though it is both less accurate and less powerful.

Critique

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: February 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you are a Call of Duty Player, this game will be quite a surprise for you. BiArms adds a lot of Realism to it's game. I have never quite seen a military game ever like this. As you might already know, this is a squad leader base game (Authenticy). I was a little disappointed with the inaccuracy of the weapons fire. If you are use to the common First Person Shooter games, you will be in for a change. One will have to utilize extreme skill in aiming on target. There are no Health-Packs. I experienced a real burn-out effect, as I could only play for so long. If you want an more authentic real life war on-the-battlefield war game, this might be for you.

Fun, but frustrating

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First off, the positives. The game has very good graphics, runs very smoothly, and is generally fun to play. Every mission seems somewhat similar to previous ones, but, at least for me, the game is realistic and nice enough to look at that it makes up for some of the monotony. The fact that this game is based upon real life makes it a little better too in my opinion.

The negatives: While I haven't had any trouble with the Starforce or whatever it's called, the game was tough to install because it wouldn't read the code the manufacturer supplied. Also, the Autorun feature is extremely slow to start. And as I stated above, the missions can get monotonous. You basically continuosly flank Germans and then when you flank one unit, another pops up. Thus, while the game is fun overall, it can be frustrating.

Good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

EIB is a very good game, in single player it nearly matches the feelings of immersion generated by Call of Duty. The missions are well-connected and challenging as well as being slightly non-linear. One of my few complaints about this game is that the design nearly makes the gun sights of human players pointless, it is nearly impossible to actually take aim and hit an enemy at any range, it is sometimes better just to blaze away. While the prior is something that I think could be improved upon, the focus of the game is tactics rather than shooting. In multiplayer this game surpasses Call of Duty in my opinion. I have only a 56k connection and so its nearly impossible for me to play any online games, and since COD does not have any type of cooperative play it is not as extendable as EIB proves to be. With several Coop modes available the gameplay potential of this game is realized more fully than most FPS's. While this game is not the best ever released it does provide some fun and, for people who enjoy WWII themes it provides another outlet for your entertainment and the tactical planning required to win, while fairly simple is also simply realistic.

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