In a nutshell:
While most WWII games seem to be based on flimsy Hollywood history, Brothers in Arms is the real "proper history" deal, making your trail of wanton destruction all the more satisfying. A mixture of first person shoot ???em-up and squad-based strategy, the game features totally authentic locations, weapons and tactics.

The lowdown: Since the first Brothers in Arms game only appeared in March, the first question to ask is: what was the rush, folks? There???s no obvious answer. Earned in Blood hardly marks a paradigm shift, but still has a number of cool new features: enemy artificial intelligence is now far more realistic, and the graphics have been noticeably improved, with a lot more urban environments. The all new skirmish mode offers shorter, more abstract, missions for greater longevity than the first game and also a great excuse to team-up with a friend for some co-op action. Most exciting moment: Using a flimsy barn for cover while your men carefully outflank a machinegun nest, allowing you to dash out and blow everything away. Since you ask: All of the battles in the game are based on real WWII events. Official photos, maps, after-action reports and eyewitness accounts were consulted. The bottom line: Still the best WWII game around . Harrison Dent

Admire the scenery... and then shoot people Has accidentally just shot a puppy If nothing else, it was a nice day for it Seminal WWII weapon "the blurry gun" makes an appearance

Earned in blood is most definetly the most realistic, and most enjoyable ww2 game ever created. I have played medal of honour rising sun, and frontline. I have played call of duty 3 also. They are, admittidly, both decent games, but neither comes close to Earned in blood.
The realism is incredibe. Blood spurts from enemies in a beleivable manner, and when you are hit, blood will spray across the screen from the direction of the shot. Mortar fire that doesn't kill you can knock you down, cue a 'ringing in the ears sound'.
The german AI is perfect.The enemy squads move to counteract your moves. They are intelligent and agressive, but not unbeatable. You will have to use a sreies of tactics to eradicate them.
You must:
Find them- carefully move into enemy terrotory, avoiding any open spaces where you are voulnerable. Then, after locating them, get you and your squads behind cover.

Fix them- The handy supression indicators, which can be turned off and on, show you how well you are supressing your enemy. If you use your self, and your squads, and put enough fire on the enemy, they will be unable to return fire.

Flank them- with your assult squad, move around the enemies postition, and move in to fnish them.
The skirmish mode is also a welcome and very fun alternative to playing the story missions. You can choose to play objective, ie- do a mission, or defence, where you have to hold out against hoardes of enemies. Splitscreen i also fantastic, boh co-op, and versus.
The weapons and weapon sounds are very Authentic, both for American nd German. The missions are detailed, and the Charctor are origianal and likeable. The main charactor, Joe Hartsock, i very interesting, with a great personality, which is unveiled in the stunning cutscenes that form an incredible story, and a PHENOMENAL game. A must buy, especially at these prices. Buy it- you will not regret it, or forget it when you eventually complete it.
P.S- if you found my reveiw helpful, plese recognise it by choosing yes when it says- did you find this reveiw helpful? Ta- ta.

Great, great, great, fantastic, awesome, spectacular and great. All these words describe this game.
Some complain because it isn't much different from Road to Hill 30. That is RIDICULOUS. RTH30 was fantastic, how could you not want more of the same? The enemies are also significantly more mobile, making the game even more realistic and forcing you to a think through your tactics a lot more than in the first game.
The difficulty people are having with headshots is probably up to being frustrated at missing, but sometimes enemies move just before you pull the trigger, and sometimes there may be the odd bug.
LOOK AT THE PRICE! BUY NOW!

The first thing you have to understand about this game is that it's no fast paced shooter like halo. Realism is the order of the day - but that doesn't necessarily mean you don't feel immersed. On the contrary, this game(with the original large controller) is easily as engaging as halo.
The realism just sucks you in...from the hyper-accurate weapon sounds(made from live recordings of the original weapons) to the fact that you have to shoulder the weapon to get more accuracy. Just pointing the cross hairs on a target doesn't mean a kill with every weapon.

So much is taken into account when firing a weapon - the stopping power of the ammunition you use, whether the weapon is heavy and therefore is more prone to breathing wobble(kneeling here helps), to how rapid your rate of fire is (especially on semi-auto weapons). Even the'dispergence' of each weapon is taken into account. This is why some reviewers here are complaining about not being able to kill enemies, when in reality it's the natural variance in accuracy of the different weapon types. Plus the fact you may be hitting them just not killing them (as is evidenced by the cries of 'I'm hit' by GI's when you play a german).
In fact, all you need to do to be adept at this game is just think how a weapon/situation would really be like in real life. Do this and you'll find the game responds in the same way. (for example,waiting for your breathing to subside when firing the M1 garand, or only tapping out short bursts with the thompson M1 sub machine gun).

My only caveats are that you have to get hold of one of the original large controllers. They add so much to the experience and realism that even with my eyes closed and no volume, I can tell which weapon I'm firing.
Also the frame rate is noticable sometimes....which is a consequence of this game pushing the limits of the original xbox.

If you ever watched and enjoyed spielbergs 'band of brothers' series on tv, then you'll love this game.

I was really looking forward to tearing this disc out of its box and getting chin deep in some action for a weekend. Wifes out, Doors locked Pizza menu by my side and curtains shut.......perfect!

The sound ang Graphics imerge you in the mind of the creator when this game was being designed, you can almost smell the dank uniform you have on! Ambient sounds give you the impression your there and you do feel fear with every turn of a corner.

Then there they are...the Germans, they havent seen you...you take aim through your scope......bang! ahem!......bang! "it was a head shot and a chest shot!" Now they know where you are, you are firing and no ones getting killed.

Time to look around at your fellow soldiers and look for the one that swapped your live rounds for blanks. You can stand in a good place, have a great shot, and empty 5 clips on the same guy and still he keeps bobing up and firing at you.....AND HITTING YOU! what in gods name were they thinking when they wrote that in..."Lets make the Germans bullet proof"?

A game with so much potential and floored by this one teeny thing. If you have enjoyed the Medal of honour games......don't buy this you will be truely upset that you cannot enjoy the game, sound and graphics to it fullest.

This game is awful because
1 you are submited to hours of unnessisary cut scenes.
2 the graphics are appalling.
3 the tactics sstem is undeveloped and only slows down the pace of the game rather than adding depth.
4 no head shots- you can shoot the same guy in the head 3 times with a rifle and he still doesn't die its ridiculas.