Brothers in Arms marches onto DS
Tanks, blood, drama, stylus-aiming and emotional dialogue all promised
In entertainment terms, the Second World War made a comeback in the late 1990s thanks to the blitzkrieg of Stephen Spielberg's stormtroopers: they hit moviegoers with Saving Private Ryan, while the small screen got both barrels from Band of Brothers.
Game makers have continued the assault ever since, with the likes of PSP shooters such as Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. You sometimes wonder whether there are any Nazis left to pacify.
In contrast, the DS has been a relative oasis of peace and quiet. Okay, so there have been shooters, but the likes of Metroid Prime: Hunters and Bionicle Heroes were based in fantasy worlds and populated with strange alien forms.
Ubisoft wants to change this status quo however, and therefore we're now preparing for Brothers In Arms DS' muddy greens, and 'the unrivalled sense of drama' that will be created by the 'emotional dialogue' between the soldiers that's promised by developer Gearbox. Stop sniggering at the back.
The third-person action is spread through 16 missions and across three different campaigns – including Normandy, North Africa and the rolling hill country of the Ardennes – and we'll be able to get our hands on all manner of vehicles, such as recon cars, Sherman tanks and, as shown in the three released screenshots, heavy machinegun-wielding jeeps.
Another aspect of the game that Ubisoft is concentrating on are the touchscreen controls. For example, you'll be able to use your stylus to aim your weapons: everything from machine guns to bazookas, sniper rifles and grenades will be offered.
"Brothers In Arms really lends itself to the DS interface," reckons Randy Pitchford, Gearbox president. "Imagine aiming with the DS stylus from a covered position – that's what you can look forward to with Brothers In Arms DS."
The game will also make use of contextual movements (that is, movements that are based on your position in the game world), which will include automatically ducking for cover behind walls. There will be four-way multiplayer modes such as Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, too.
Brothers In Arms DS is due to be fighting them on the beaches and in the fields sometime this summer.
