Xbox Hardware & Games

Video: 5
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 4

I have to be honest with you: I am not one for squad-based, first person shooters. I tried playing a couple of those Rainbow Six games, and I just couldn't get into them. Maybe I just suck at leading a team through tactical situations. I have never played the popular first Brothers in Arms game, Road to Hill 30, so I didn't know that this was also a squad-based game. However, the game takes the player through a tutorial, which you can select from the menu screen that covers all the basics of suppressing and flanking the enemy. I found that this helped a lot. Also, throughout the first objective of the game, little pop-ups will appear in order to help you along. Now, let's get on to more meaty issues.

This game spans 15 days after D-Day, and overlaps somewhat with the timeline from the first game. Players control Joe "Red" Hartsock and play out a story line that takes place in flashback fashion as Red explains the story of his journey to an officer named Marshall. The story line is well done—you play through the many different objectives in order to get that that all-important goal of meeting with Marshall. Red also meets many different personalities along the way and eventually takes control of a unit that consists of a fire team and an assault team.

The overall look of the game is fantastic. The environment is very crisp and looks like you are actually there in the middle of conflict. Nothing looks fake – the grass sways in the wind, each man's uniform is detailed so that you can even see the different layers, and looking at the stone walls makes you think you can reach out and grab them.

Game play is solid. The AI is excellent—enemies don't just stand there and wait for you to kill them. The enemy will actually try to flank your team to get the upper hand. Loading time, however, seems to take forever while the next chapter loads. The squad action is easier to learn in this game than in others but is still hard to get used too. Also, even on easy mode the game is still very difficult.

Sound is the ultimate reason for playing this game. Earned in Blood supports Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and it adds tremendously to the enjoyment. Bullets zip by, and you hear them hit a target behind your position. As team members speak, you are able to tell if they are behind or on either side of you. Eventually, you are able to discern whether an ally or enemy weapon is being fired because of the crisp, specific sound each makes. The soundtrack is just as good that of any Hollywood war movie.

Earned in Blood has a lasting appeal to any fan of war shooters. There are a large variety of game modes, and the intelligent AI makes the game nicely challenging. All in all, it's a fun, interesting, and well-put-together game.