The single player campaign remains fun despite these teeth gnashing moments. The suppression and flanking mechanics are as solid as ever, thanks in no small part to a control scheme that makes commanding squads a cakewalk even in hectic situations and squad members who will smartly follow your orders and take cover. As you personally engage in combat occasionally you will be treated to an action shot moment where the game zooms in on the targeted enemy as a grenade blows them apart.

Sadly, multiplayer is a laggy, broken mess. Player characters often skip around a level rather than smoothly move which makes hitting them difficult, and when you finally do draw a bead there’s no telling if your shots will actually register. The cover system’s flaws are only expounded upon, and at one point despite plenty of effort otherwise the character decided he would rather vibrate in place than aim around a truck to fire at an enemy. There are no audio cues for important events such as if the enemy is taking a strategic point or even if you win or lose. Finally, the interface itself to switch teams or squads is incredibly clunky and counterintuitive.

Hell’s Highway is an absolute powerhouse in how it uses it engine. Character models are incredibly detailed both during gameplay and through cutscenes, as are the environments which range from once-idyllic villages to a city that is literally burning around you. Gore is prevalent, but realistically portrayed, with grenades and high explosives capable of blowing heads in half and limbs off. To match the visuals the game has a wonderful orchestral score befitting any big-budget war film and a large variety of voice work from members of your squads. The voice acting in the cutscenes nearly steals the show, making cinematics something to be savored nearly every time one is played.

Basically Hell’s Highway is a great example of a World War II shooter that isn’t just about running around and blasting Nazis. The squad command system makes for plenty of tactical thinking as you outmaneuver your enemy, and though the cover system has its flaws it still comes through in the end. Though the multiplayer is utterly forgettable the single player campaign makes up for it, making you the star in a quite epic tale of war and brotherhood.

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