Shooting game with changing point of view a mixed bag

The Brothers in Arms series, as well as other war-themed shooter franchises, have made an impact in North America recently.

The latest installment, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, dramatically portrays the hardships of a close group of American soldiers during World War II.

Unlike its predecessors, Hell's Highway doesn't feature enough powerful monologues to flesh out the main character.

The story sequences seem pointless, which is a shame since they take up so much game time.

Despite its shortcomings, Hell's Highway will undoubtedly be a hit amongst fans of the series because of its exciting combat engine.

Leading squads while manipulating the positions of the army infantry units to get through various obstacles feels like solving a puzzle.

Each skirmish must be conquered quickly, to avoid the seemingly endless hails of bullets from enemy forces.

Hell's Highway features a new cover mechanic, which makes solo battles much less of a chore than they were in the original.

Players now have the option to protect themselves from incoming enemy fire.

Hell's Highway also deserves props for doing such an excellent job at changing viewpoints, seamlessly shifting from first-person to third-person perspective.

Unfortunately, the graphics quality is something of a mixed bag, featuring gorgeous environments but surprisingly frequent texture pop-ins. Furthermore, the multiplayer mode is a dull capture-the-flag ordeal that sucks the tactics right out of the game.

Stick with the single-player mode and you're likely to be very pleased if you're a fan of tactical shooters set during World War II.