Gearbox Software built a tactical shooter around a single idea: that a soldier’s real weapon is the squad beside him. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 landed in 2005 on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC, with Mac and Wii versions following. It is the first game in the Brothers in Arms series, and it remains the only first-person tactical shooter set in World War II.
Trailer, via GameTrailersMedia.
Sergeant Matt Baker and the 101st Airborne
The game follows the 101st Airborne’s jump before the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. Sergeant Matt Baker is thrown from his plane after anti-aircraft fire kills Private David Muzza, and lands separated from his squad. He regroups with Staff Sergeant “Mac” Hassey, Private First Class Kevin Leggett and Lieutenant Colonel Cole, then works through eight days of the invasion. By morning Corporal Joseph “Red” Hartsock joins him to clear a road to Utah Beach. The two link with Privates Larry Allen and Micheal Garnett and hold off a counterattack, opening an exit for the 4th Infantry Division.
Fire Teams, Assault Teams and the Four Fs
Command is the whole game. Most levels hand the player one or two 1–3 man teams, each with a job:
- Fire team: M1 Garand and Browning Automatic Rifle, built to fix the enemy with suppressive fire.
- Assault team: M1A1 Carbine and Thompson submachine gun, built to flank once the enemy is pinned.
- Tanks: some levels swap the squad for armor, with a pintle-mounted M1919 Browning for extra suppression.
Teams and tanks can be ordered to move, lay suppressive fire, rally, find cover or charge. The tutorial names the method “Find, Fix, Flank, Finish” — the Four Fs the military actually used. Gearbox makes the point by giving the player bad aim on purpose. Weapons fire erratically, enemy fire throws off your shot, and you cannot win by marksmanship alone.
A Timeline of the Eight Days
| Day | Objective |
|---|---|
| June 6, pre-dawn | Airdrop; Baker separated from squad |
| June 6, morning | Destroy Flak 38 guns; clear road to Utah Beach |
| June 6, day | Defend against counterattack; secure 4th Infantry exit |
| June 6, later | Clear “Objective XYZ” barracks; secure glider landing field |
| D-Day+1 | Clear Vierville with Sergeant George Risner’s M5 Stuart |
| After Vierville | Repel armored counterattack; secure crossroad near Saint-Côme-du-Mont |
Risner, Baker’s best friend, is immobilized by a Panzerfaust at that crossroad and dies covering the squad’s retreat.
What Gearbox Got Right
The authenticity holds up. Gearbox rebuilt battlefields, equipment and events from Army Signal Corps photos, aerial reconnaissance imagery and eyewitness accounts, and the History Channel used the game to recreate scenarios in a 2005 special. The cast runs past 20 characters, each with a distinct personality and look. The AI on both sides runs fire and maneuver, flanking rather than charging. Multiplayer lets players command three-man AI teams.
The command system is the reason to play this instead of any other WWII shooter of its era. It is intuitive enough for a mainstream player and deep enough that the tactics matter more than reflexes. The deliberate inaccuracy is a design choice some players will fight, but it forces the correct behavior: use your men. The Wii port in the 2008 Double Time compilation is the weakest way to meet the game, and the tank sections trade the squad dynamic for firepower. Neither flaw touches the core.
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