This is a hugely unambitious game, which is ironic because when Brothers In Arms first appeared on the Xbox it was refreshingly different to other WWII shooters.
Hell's Highway is more or less identical to what I can remember of the previous games (not that this is necessary a bad thing ... I enjoyed them three years ago), apart from a poorly implemented 'dig in' system.
The much-trumpeted destructible cover really has zero effect on the series' standard find/fix/flank/finish mechanics. Graphics don't really make much of an impression one way or another. AI is lacking - the German squads are generally rooted to the spot and on the very first level I had control of a team I had to restart from a checkpoint after one of my men got stuck in a fence
The multiplayer is pretty astonishing
It's just plain ugly, with nasty lag, clunky controls and one uninspiring game mode - I can now see why they were keeping pre-release details so quiet. At least previous game Earned In Blood offered a decent co-operative experience - something this doesn't have.
The cutscenes are numerous, ponderous and very heavy-handed, while the story is clichéd and uninvolving. The vehicle sections are pointless and unrealistic, while I think the slow-motion gore shots are at odds with the serious subject matter. Immersion is hurt by regenerating team members and frequent checkpoints, that combine to take any tension from proceedings (even on Veteran).
This isn't terrible, but I'm glad I only paid £15 after trading Facebreaker and using some Game points. I finished the offline in a week (I don't get much time on the 360, but the singleplayer is also very short), then traded it. On the whole, pretty disappointing and very average, hence 5/10.
Teddy