Brothers in Arms DS

Brothers in Arms DS
Developer(s)	Gameloft
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Engine	Gameloft Handheld Game Engine(GHGE)
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Release	June 8, 2007 (EU)[1] June 19, 2007(US)
Genre(s)	Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer

Brothers in Arms DS is a game for the Nintendo DS, developed by Gameloft after a Gearbox Software license, and published by Ubisoft. It is part of the Brothers in Arms series established by Gearbox's Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30.

The game is the series' first outing on a Nintendo system alongside Brothers in Arms: Double Time for the Wii. In the game, the player takes the role of an anonymous United States soldier (but his name may be mentioned in level 1.2) and must face the Germans, also referred to as Krauts.

Overview

Brothers in Arms DS is a third-person shooter set in World War II. It features 16 missions across 3 campaigns set in Tunisia, Normandy and the Ardennes. The game features stylus-based controls and support for WiFi multiplayer. The game adapts to the DS easily by allowing auto-cover when the player gets near cover, and aiming with the stylus.

Weapons

• M1A1 Thompson submachine gun: Standard weapon in the game, the player always starts out with it. It has short to medium range, and can do small wonders in infantry in close quarters combat. It carries 32 45 ACP rounds, but in reality, Thompsons carried 20-30 box magazines (With the exception of drum magazines on the M1928's, which had 50-100 drum magazines).

• M1903 Sniper Rifle: This weapon is the standard American bolt-action sniper rifle. It's good for long-range shooting and has medium range when the player is not using the scope.

• M9A1 Bazooka: An anti-tank weapon that is useful against tanks, halftracks, Kubelwagons, bunkers, and infantry alike.

• M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR): An unlockable light machine gun that can be unlocked after completing the game on either difficulties.

• M1 Garand with M7 grenade launcher: An unlockable version of the M1 Garand that fires rifle grenades.

• .30 Cal Machine Gun: Main machine gun for Allied tanks and Jeeps, along with halftracks.

• Frag grenades: Standard US grenades. Can be used to destroy tanks, halftracks, and Flak 88mm guns.

• MG42: A German machine gun that can be mounted at any time in the game if an allied soldier or a German isn't manning it already.

• Satchel charges: Demolition charges.

Plot

The player drives tanks or battles on foot fighting his way through Nazi soldiers.

Normandy

The player lands in a small village in Normandy, where he witnesses American paratroopers fighting Wehrmacht troops. The first few men are killed but soon the player's squad finds him, kills the Germans and destroys a Panzer IV. The player then proceeds through the village, and then into a French village with Sergeant McLain, Lieutenant Roberts, and Corporal Barney. The player and the squad are attacked by Panzergrenadiers who are protecting an MG42. The player destroys the MG42, and then clears out a church where the Germans put up their last stand.

The next mission has the player and the 101st supporting Baker Company in a frontal assault on a German V-2 facility. The player ambushes a convoy, destroys a V-2, and meets his squad in a barn. The squad's sharpshooter, Jenkins, gets wounded and the player takes his M1 Garand. After sniping two German snipers, the facility is attacked by a group of Sherman tanks. The Germans prepare to launch a counterattack, and McLain orders the player to shoot the satchel charges on the V-2's. Then the base is secured by another group of Shermans.

The final mission has the player paratrooping into a French town. The squad is quickly discovered by some Panzergrenadiers, and the player has to kill them, also witnessing the crash of a C-47. After eliminating them, the player advances towards the town's church, being chased by a Panzer IV the entire way. After sniping German snipers in the church tower, the 101st prepares to attack a bridge held by the German soldiers that survived the initial assault. The player, Roberts, Barney, McLain and the remaining paratroopers from the crashed C-47's assault the bridge and plant satchel charges on it. A squad of Panzergrenadiers charge down the bridge, and the player has to hold them off. They retreat after the player kills the Panzergrenadier trying to defuse the charge. The campaign is then complete.

Tunisia (Tunis)

The second campaign is set in Tunisia where the 101st must initially liberate a town with the help of a group of Shermans. The player and Sgt. McLain clear the rooftop of a building of Panzerfaust-wielding Afrika Korps soldiers, and destroy some Flak 88mm guns. After Roberts finds a damaged Panzer IV, the squad ambushes it and destroys it. The player then flanks around a building, clearing MG42 positions. After a small battle with the remaining German garrison, the town is secured. The player then attacks the Mareth Line, where an entire division of the Afrika Korps are waiting for the player. Upon destroying German bunkers, an officer orders the player to leave his Sherman and attack a group of Flak 88mm's on foot. Then the player will find himself in a Sherman again, attacking and destroying a German radar station and destroying more Panzers. After dismounting, Lt. Roberts gets chased by two Panzers, but one is successfully disabled by his Sherman. You and Barney take the Panzer and attack the German headquarters. After supporting another company, the mission is complete.

The next mission has the player on a patrol in a Willys Jeep. Upon arriving back at a fort a US mechanized division has occupied, the fort is attacked by a division of Afrika Korps soldiers, along with their Panzers. The player does multiple drive-by's destroying Kubelwagons, and taking out Germans. Then, the player parks at the base to get repairs, and are then sent to a small house to do some sniping with an M1 Garand. The player shoots the gunners on Flak 88mm guns, and then return to the base, where Roberts gives the player orders to take M1 Bazooka ammo and aid a small squad of soldiers who are preparing to ambush a German convoy. After the player does more drive-by's while the rest of the men blow up Panzers with Bazookas, he returns to base for a last stand against the Germans. The base is successfully defended, and the mission is done.

The final mission has the player performing an SAS-style raid on a German airbase. The player cuts off communications to the base, and proceeds to chase a Stuka and successfully shoot it down in his Jeep. The player and the 101st destroy the remaining Stukas with satchel charges, and hold off a small attack by some Panzergrenadiers, accompanied by some Panzers. Upon accomplishing this, the base is yours.

Ardennes

The third and final campaign of the game has the player fighting Germans in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. The player attacks a German-occupied town with his men and a Sherman battalion, and upon securing it, the player sets up a camp near the town. Sergeant McLain tells the player that the mess hall has captured German food, but the base is attacked by artillery. Before he can receive his food, he has to take it out. He retreats to a bunker, but it is destroyed. The player then heads to the US defensive line, where he has to hold off Panzergrenadiers, Panzer IV's, halftracks, and Wehrmacht troops. After destroying some 88's, the player is pulled into the trenches to defend against another attack. The player finds some bunkers containing more 88's, and destroys them with grenades. He then discovers a large bunker that has more cannons in it. The player destroys the bunker with satchel charges, and then a squad of Panzergrenadiers and a halftrack show up. Once the player destroys the halftrack the mission is complete.

The next mission has the player and the 101st, with armored support from Shermans and halftracks, attacking a hill that is occupied by Fallschirmjäger and Panzergrenadier troops. The player snipes MG42 gunners with an M1 Garand, and destroys 88 guns with Lieutenant Roberts.

The very last mission has the player attacking soldiers that have set up defenses around the Rhine river.

After completing the game, an M1 Garand with an M7 grenade launcher and an M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle are unlocked. In levels where players will control a tank, they can change all the tanks in the levels into M10 Wolverine tank destroyers.

Reception

The game currently holds an average of 74 percent at gamerankings.com, an average of 8.1 at IGN and an average of 72 percent at meta-critic. Nintendo Power gave the game a 9.1. The reception ran from very positive to negative, but most were positive or mixed.

External links

• Official US site