Brothers In Arms: Earned in Blood
Encyclopedia
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is a video game and sequel to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
and the second game in the Brothers in Arms series
, developed by Gearbox Software
for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 2
, and Xbox
. It was ported to the Wii
in 2008 as a part of the Brothers in Arms: Double Time
compilation.
Earned in Blood continues the Brothers In Arms saga as newly-promoted Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock (Hartsock was the Corporal
of Baker's Fire Team), who was part of the historic Normandy invasion in the previous game. Earned in Blood includes several new multiplayer missions, weapons and vehicles, plus a new co-op skirmish mode. The AI
of enemies has also been improved considerably in this game, while level designs are more open-ended than the original.
S.L.A. Marshall is interviewing paratroopers 15+ days after D-Day. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the game is recollection of Hartsock's time in Sergeant Matt Baker's squad during the initial D-Day invasion. The second part picks up when he takes command of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon during the liberation and defense of Carentan
, and the eventual link up between 82nd and 101st Airborne Division
at the town of Baupte
. The final part will take place in and around Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
. Although the first part takes place under Baker's command, every mission is one not included in Road to Hill 30. The player commands Desola, Allen, and Garnett from 3rd Squad, and some soldiers from 2nd Squad at first. Then the game switches the player to command the entire 2nd Squad after the Battle of Bloody Gulch (Hill 30).
Hartsock's squad consists of the remains of the original 2nd Squad (Cpl. Franklin Paddock, Pvt. Dean "Friar" Winchell, and Pfc. James Marsh) and the remnants of 1st Squad (Cpl. Jacob Campbell, Pvt. Will Paige, and Pvt. Derrick McConnell). In addition, the player will also be in command of Corporal (later promoted to Sergeant) Seamus Doyle of the 82nd Airborne during the initial D-Day invasion in early parts of the game.
One huge difference between Earned in Blood and its predecessor's gameplay is the improvement in enemy AI
. In Road to 30, the enemy usually will not move under fire even when the player's flanking action has been detected. In Earned in Blood, the enemy will constantly reposition himself according to the player's action, regardless of danger. This change makes stealth and distraction important considerations when the player is attempting to flank the enemy. At the same time, new tactics such as forcing the enemy into kill zones is possible with the new AI system.
The new enemy AI
allows the player to be attacked more frequently than in Road to Hill 30.
84%, Xbox
84.88%, PlayStation 2
74.41%, Mobile
78.40% of Gameranking.
Although the game has been praised for continuing the gameplay and engrossing story of Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 by adding better enemy AI and more open-ended level design, the game is under some criticism for being fairly similar to the original, while the extra features and content perhaps more worthy of a proper expansion pack. Earned in Blood has been released as a nearly fully priced sequel with little new content. On top of this, a main criticism among most squad-based shooter games is the occasionally questionable squad A.I., which has been considered to be worse than its predecessor.
DRM which may interfere with some CD/DVD burners, burning software and disk mounting software.
Purchasing the game on Valve's Steam does not include StarForce.
released "Brothers in Arms 3D", a mobile adaptation to "Earned in Blood." It featured entirely polygonal
3D graphics, and was praised for its console-like gameplay. The game allowed players to control one soldier, as well as a tank, in eight total missions in Normandy
and Tunis
.
Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Mac OS X. It is the first game in the Brothers in Arms series. It is published by Ubisoft and was released in early 2005...
and the second game in the Brothers in Arms series
Brothers in Arms (series)
Brothers in Arms is a video game series consisting of three main games and seven spin-off games.-Main series:Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is a first-person shooter video game created by Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is...
, developed by Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Plano, Texas.-History:Gearbox Software was founded in January 1999 by five members of the content team from the defunct developer Rebel Boat Rocker: Randy Pitchford, Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery, and Rob...
for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. It was ported to the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2008 as a part of the Brothers in Arms: Double Time
Brothers in Arms: Double Time
Brothers in Arms: Double Time is a first-person shooter video game compilation for the Wii and Mac OS X platforms. The title is a compilation of the first two Brothers in Arms games, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood and was developed by Gearbox Software and...
compilation.
Earned in Blood continues the Brothers In Arms saga as newly-promoted Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock (Hartsock was the Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
of Baker's Fire Team), who was part of the historic Normandy invasion in the previous game. Earned in Blood includes several new multiplayer missions, weapons and vehicles, plus a new co-op skirmish mode. The AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
of enemies has also been improved considerably in this game, while level designs are more open-ended than the original.
Story
The story is essentially told as a "reflection" on the events that took place earlier, as Army historian ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
S.L.A. Marshall is interviewing paratroopers 15+ days after D-Day. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the game is recollection of Hartsock's time in Sergeant Matt Baker's squad during the initial D-Day invasion. The second part picks up when he takes command of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon during the liberation and defense of Carentan
Battle of Carentan
The Battle of Carentan was an engagement in World War II between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy. The battle took place between 10 and 15 June 1944, on the approaches to and within the city of Carentan, France.The objective of the...
, and the eventual link up between 82nd and 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division (United States)
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
at the town of Baupte
Baupte
Baupte is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France....
. The final part will take place in and around Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.It is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula near Valognes in the Manche département.Population : 2,242 .-History:...
. Although the first part takes place under Baker's command, every mission is one not included in Road to Hill 30. The player commands Desola, Allen, and Garnett from 3rd Squad, and some soldiers from 2nd Squad at first. Then the game switches the player to command the entire 2nd Squad after the Battle of Bloody Gulch (Hill 30).
Hartsock's squad consists of the remains of the original 2nd Squad (Cpl. Franklin Paddock, Pvt. Dean "Friar" Winchell, and Pfc. James Marsh) and the remnants of 1st Squad (Cpl. Jacob Campbell, Pvt. Will Paige, and Pvt. Derrick McConnell). In addition, the player will also be in command of Corporal (later promoted to Sergeant) Seamus Doyle of the 82nd Airborne during the initial D-Day invasion in early parts of the game.
Graphics
The games uses the same graphic engine as Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, which is based on the Unreal Engine 2.0Characters
- Sgt. Joe "Red" Hartsock
- Sgt. Seamus Doyle (KIA)
- Cpl. Franklin Paddock
- Cpl. Jacob Campbell
- Pvt. Will Paige (KIA)
- Pvt. Derrick McConnell
- Pvt. Dean "Friar" Winchell
- Pfc. James Marsh
Gameplay
The gameplay in Earned in Blood is similar, if not identical, to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. The player usually assumes command of two teams of paratroopers to use the Four Fs--Find, Fix, Flank, and Finish--tactic against the enemy. The game discourages the use of solo run 'n' gun tactic by limiting the player's ability to aim, by decreasing the player's health, and by placing large numbers of enemies behind cover. To successfully complete a mission, the player has to study the layout of the battlefield, fix/suppress the enemy with overwhelming suppressive fire with one team (usually the fire team), and direct another team (usually the assault team) to flank the enemy by sneaking to the side or rear of the enemy to finish them off.One huge difference between Earned in Blood and its predecessor's gameplay is the improvement in enemy AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. In Road to 30, the enemy usually will not move under fire even when the player's flanking action has been detected. In Earned in Blood, the enemy will constantly reposition himself according to the player's action, regardless of danger. This change makes stealth and distraction important considerations when the player is attempting to flank the enemy. At the same time, new tactics such as forcing the enemy into kill zones is possible with the new AI system.
The new enemy AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
allows the player to be attacked more frequently than in Road to Hill 30.
Reception
Brother In Arms: Earned in Blood was generally well reviewed from critics. It has earned a rating of PCPersonal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
84%, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
84.88%, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
74.41%, Mobile
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
78.40% of Gameranking.
- X-PlayX-PlayX-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
: 4/5 - GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
: 8.5/10 - GameDaily: 7/10
- Game Chronicles: 9.1/10
- Xbox World Australia: 80/100
- Game Master UK: 87/100
- Edge Magazine UK: 8/10
- Gamecell: 9/10
- VideoGamer: 8/10
Although the game has been praised for continuing the gameplay and engrossing story of Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 by adding better enemy AI and more open-ended level design, the game is under some criticism for being fairly similar to the original, while the extra features and content perhaps more worthy of a proper expansion pack. Earned in Blood has been released as a nearly fully priced sequel with little new content. On top of this, a main criticism among most squad-based shooter games is the occasionally questionable squad A.I., which has been considered to be worse than its predecessor.
Copy protection
The PC version of the game contains the controversial StarForceStarForce
StarForce is a software copy protection mechanism developed by Protection Technology, which claims that products protected with StarForce are difficult to reverse engineer.- Product families :Currently known official versions of StarForce include:...
DRM which may interfere with some CD/DVD burners, burning software and disk mounting software.
Purchasing the game on Valve's Steam does not include StarForce.
Mobile Edition
On April 13, 2006, GameloftGameloft
Gameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....
released "Brothers in Arms 3D", a mobile adaptation to "Earned in Blood." It featured entirely polygonal
Polygon (computer graphics)
Polygons are used in computer graphics to compose images that are three-dimensional in appearance. Usually triangular, polygons arise when an object's surface is modeled, vertices are selected, and the object is rendered in a wire frame model. This is quicker to display than a shaded model; thus...
3D graphics, and was praised for its console-like gameplay. The game allowed players to control one soldier, as well as a tank, in eight total missions in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
.