The Elimination of Tyranny
By Hardcore
Anti-aircraft guns have forced your squad to deploy too soon, and now you've gone and parachuted into the free-fire zone we call the Hardcorner. This time out, I'm digging into the hardcore authenticity of Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30™. This shockingly realistic and immersive new World War II squad-shooter was developed by the strategy-lovin' folks at Ubisoft and the tactical geniuses at developer Gearbox. And, unlike Sgt. Matt Baker, Hardcore always wanted to be squad leader …
Hardcore? Yes. Smart? Well …
Making a bloody conflict that cost tens of millions human lives—that's an "m" with an "illions" after it, kids—into a gripping, intense, and most of all fun Xbox experience is a tricky proposition. If you go too far toward the literal "Army of One" mentality, you sacrifice the brutal realism of the war (and in a way, do a disservice to those that fought and died in the actual conflict). However, too far in the opposite direction can make a game virtually unplayable, expect for the most dedicated grognards in the room.
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 nicely finds a middle ground, placing you in first-person control of a capable, but in no way invulnerable Sergeant in command of A.I.-controlled squadmates. (The same goes for Xbox Live™ play: Each player controls a squad leader and an A.I. squad in two- and four-player matchups).
Good thing you brought grenades.
The Road to Hardcore
When you begin your first Brothers in Arms single-player game, you won't have access to my favorite difficulty level unlocked yet—the you-are-there Authentic mode. To get it, you're going to have to complete the entire game on Hard first. The Hard setting is good preparation, though you'll still be gifted with save points and the reticule option.
Suppression by semiautomatic.
First off, make sure your targeting reticule didn't accidentally get turned on by some silly person when you weren't looking. Without the reticule, you will have no choice but to target like any other soldier—down the barrel and through the sights. You should also do your best to pick off the Germans when you can, even if you haven't moved to flank yet (which, yes, is against every bit of strategic advice you're given in the manual and tutorial) because your aim is going to be your best weapon in the fight to survive Authentic mode.
No reticules allowed.
Purely Authentic
Once you've beaten the game on Hard, it's time for as close to the real deal as any half-sane person wants to get. There's no suppression meters to let you know whether the enemy is truly pinned down (or to let you cheat your way to spotting enemy positions from a distance). You'll need a very sharp eye to spot the German soldiers—though once spotted, you'll still have your trusty strategic view to plan your attack. (Even Hardcore ain't crazy enough not to usethat.) There are no saves and no checkpoints, so you're either going to carry out the mission or you're going to fail and start over.
The Road to Hill 30map—print, clip, and save!
As un-Hardcore as it might sound, "caution" is the watchword in Authentic mode. One slip at the end can make all your hard work for naught (though it means you just get another chance to try a different strategy). But, not to worry. You can still make the Authentic mode even more difficult with a few house rules:
Use the smallest weapon you've got.
If you can flank and pick off Germans with a .45 semiautomatic or an SMG, do it. Then, you've still got rifle ammo for …
Nail those well-timed headshots.
Even when suppressed, a German soldier will occasionally pop up his dumkopf to take a gander at the field. Any soldiers that you pick off before moving to flank are soldiers you won't have to take down when you do flank.
Don't use the strategic view.
Yeah, I know I just said that even Hardcore wouldn't miss out on using this, but for true authenticity, try using an old-fashioned paper map. We've prepared a printable map (it will cover multiple pages, so tape may be required) that you can use to track your movements and get an idea of what to expect. But, when the rounds start flying, you'll have to deal with it as any soldier on the ground would—as best as you can.
