The World War II train just keeps chugging along as Ubisoft prepares for the next installment in its popular Brothers in Arms series. This particular sequel is creating a good amount of buzz mainly because this franchise has yet to turn stale; both Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood were commercial and critical successes. We got a hands-on look to see the direction in which Hell’s Highway is headed.
Hell's Highway once again follows the perilous efforts of the 101st Airborne Division in their invasion of France. Chronicling the overzealous "Operation Market Garden" (of “A Bridge too Far” fame) in September of 1944, the game reprises you in the role of Sergeant Matt Baker and company. A full story-driven single player campaign sits at the heart of Hell's Highway, pitting you against legions of Nazi soldiers in the division's liberating push through the Dutch countryside. Multiplayer is promised, but our look at the game focused on the single player campaign and new gameplay mechanics.
Much of Hell's Highway mirrors previous installments in the series—keeping intact the real-time squad-based combat. What makes this version different is how it will utilize hardware for advanced features such as destructible cover, sophisticated enemy intelligence, more open space in each area, and naturally improved visuals thanks in part to the Unreal Engine 3. This certainly plays like an old Brothers in Arms game, just prettier and lot more interactive.
You'll control one character and issue commands to your squad by holding down the left trigger, which prompts a context-sensitive cursor. Move the cursor near a wall and your squad will automatically take cover behind it; similarly, place the cursor near a group of enemy soldiers and your team will open fire. This system has been employed in previous Brothers in Arms games, as well as the Full Spectrum Warrior titles, so it should prove familiar and easy to use.
More often than not, you need to keep your squad under cover; however, that won't be guaranteed defense against enemy fire. Hell's Highway features a brand new materials-based cover system that allows for destructible environments. Simply put, objects break realistically when hit with bullets or an explosion. Spraying a picket fence with a machine gun, for example, accurately results in splinters flying through the air as the wood is demolished. Other objects, such as windows, concrete barriers, wood walls, etc., will degrade in a manner corresponding to the material; in the case of a window, the glass will shatter.
Since it's possible to wipe out potential sources of cover, essentially no place is safe in Hell's Highway. Enemies react to your tactics, taking whatever cover might be available and engaging you when possible. As in previous installments, a pie icon above enemies lets you know their level of suppression; of course, you can always shoot out an enemy's cover. Col. Antal claims more tuning to enemy intelligence is needed, but from what we saw it was quite smart. Enemies move away from degrading cover and will engage your squad aggressively.
Fortunately, you'll have access to a wide range of authentic weapons with which to counter enemy attacks. Hell's Highway will feature weaponry accurate to the period ranging from machine guns to pistols to rifles to fragmentation grenades. Chucking grenades at Nazis should be particularly satisfying, as it triggers a gorgeous slow motion effect that lets you watch bodies and objects fly through the air.
