Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

THE GOOD:
- Improved Artifical Intelligence
- New and Some Returning Squad Mates
- Three New Weapons
- Two New Vehicles
- New Maps
- Skirmish Mode
- Storyline is SUPERB

THE BAD:
- Online Mode is Poor Quality
- Frame Rate Issues
- Lack of "Brotherhood"

SUMMARY:
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood continues where Road to Hill 30 left off. Colonel S.L.A. Marshall, a very famous author and soldier-interviewer, is asking Joe "Red" Hartsock questions about his adventures from D-Day to St. Savouer.

Joe, instead of finding himself in a "ditch full of water" is accompanied by a Corporal by the name of Seamus Doyle from the 82nd Airborne Division. He saves Red's life, and the two begin to clear multiple positions of Germans before meeting up with Private Paddock, a member from 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, F Company, 2nd Batallion, 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne Division, and the three continue to clear enemy positions before finding Lt. Col. Robert Cole.

Earned in Blood also revamps the artificial intelligence system. German and Axis troops are now more aggressive against your squad and you and can shift and counter-flank in a variety of different situations for each level. They also use the PzKfw armor to their advantage, relying on its 55 or 88mm cannon to bring down your squad, positioning themselves behind it for cover.

Some squadmates from previous the game also make their places known. Corporal Sam Corrion, Sergeant Matthew Baker and Staff Sergeant "Mac" Hassay guide and follow you through some of your D-Day missions, and even some after such as clearing a German chateau on D+2.

Furthermore, new weapons enter the war and will make their places known in EiB. The M3A1 Submachine Gun, commonly known as the "Grease Gun", the German FG-42 "Fallschirmjager" Assault Rifle, and the German Walther P.08 Luger, a valuable sidearm for Axis officers and NCOs. New vehicles such as the M-10 Wolverine Tank Destroyer and the German PzKfw VII Tiger tank will all be under command and supervision.

However, EiB does have some drawbacks, although they are few and far between. The online mode is poor quality, few people play it, framerate issues bog up some of the larger battles in the game, and the lack of brotherhood for some soldiers like McConnel and Marsh are missing. Don't get me wrong, I really bonded with the other characters; but the others really just seemed like figures on a battlefield, a characteristic in which the Gearbox team really aimed to eliminate.

Overall = 5/5
Grade: A+