Ever since 'Medal of Honor' the world has been flooded with World War II shooters. From the sublime 'Call of Duty' series to the terrible 'Hour of Victory', there have been numerous takes on the genre — with varying degrees of success.

'Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway' attempts to differentiate itself by adding a hint of strategy. It places a heavy emphasis on taking cover and directing various squads around the war zone. For the action gamer this might be quite a learning curve as the controls take a bit of getting used-to.

Fortunately, this system is efficient for the most part. One of the most satisfying moments to be had comes from directing a squad into the ideal position for an ambush and watching the unwitting enemy being cut down.

Another important element that this game excels in is the ability to lay suppressive fire down onto targets. This is represented by a red circle which gradually becomes grey as bullets rain down. This is a nifty innovation that is implemented very well.

The squad control system does have its share of niggles though. Soldiers often take the most dangerous route when directed, exposing themselves to enemy fire. This has long been a haunt of squad-based shooters and 'Hell's Highway' is no different.

The cover system is another feature that has become standard in many games and 'Hell's Highway' has a slightly different spin on it. It has a destructible cover system that forces you to keep moving in case the wooden fence you've been hiding behind gets shot to pieces — and you with it.

Graphically, 'Hell's Highway' is a game of contrasting parts.

The character models look great and are animated well. The excellent fire effects and character models are testament to this. The game also features realistic depth- of-field when aiming one's weapon.

The slow-mo action-camera moments are also extremely graphic; from headshots to the brutal dismemberment of a soldier following an explosion, it truly displays the gritty reality of war in an area that 'Medal of Honor' and 'Call of Duty' have feared to tread.

Unfortunately, the environments don't hold up as well, thanks to generic buildings and other bland structures populating levels, with very little variation in environments too.

The sound in 'Hell's Highway' is very immersive; from the click of the M1 when it runs out of ammunition to the dialogue during battles, everything is captured well. Speaking of dialogue, the compelling story of Baker and his men is deeply enhanced by the top-notch voice acting.

The story is another element that sets 'Brothers in Arms' apart from almost every other World War II shooter. One grows attached to the various squad mates in the game; far more so than in your usual shooter where they're merely cannon- fodder.

That's not to say that the artificial intelligence is brilliant. Your troops will often spray fire for lengthy periods of time at one enemy and still fail to kill him. The enemy AI, however, is quite competent — often seeking cover during ambushes. The problem with this is that the enemy seems to pop up at fixed points. This causes the game to degenerate into a waiting game.

Another problem is the lack of a melee attack button, which is especially irritating considering that other games in the genre all have it. One could argue that this was sacrificed in order to encourage more gunplay, but it does not justify having to spray and pray when an enemy comes in very close.

While 'Hell's Highway' has good multiplayer value, the lack of co-op play is a shot in the foot — you're better off playing 'Call of Duty' in that respect.

All taken together, 'Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway' makes a fairly respectable debut on next-generation consoles. Its gripping story and strategic gameplay merge into an appealing package for the action gamer, especially for those seeking something slightly different in the bloated WWII-shooter genre.

7.9/10