More than expected!
I have to say this first: Hells Highway is not your average FPS title. There is no running and gunning, no fast match killing spree action. The gameplay is more realistic than most people prefer. It requires constant use of squads to suppress, flank, and assault. You cannot win WWII by yourself. The game has a tremendous and often times emotional story, much like band of brothers.
In comparison to another recent WWII title, Call of Duty 5: World at War, Hells Highway is a different animal all together. While certain areas and maps will seem familiar, "Operation: Market Garden"; you will be playing from a entirely different perspective, so don't assume you will be playing a re-hashed WWII experience you have already done, this is entirely different.
I must admit i was first frustrated with the gameplay, not being like your standard FPS shooters. Call of Duty series, Halo, Crysis, FarCry, etc. etc. this game demands strategic thought and coordination amongst your fire teams. I will admit my frustration died away after I learned the system and the game became highly addictive to me, as I would imagine any fan of "realistic" WWII strategy/shooter fans might also be.
If you like a hybrid game with parts shooter and parts squad strategy then this is worth checking out. The price is very reasonable, and while it runs on a unreal engine, it does look top notch easily comparing to the newer Call of Duty series in graphic details and looks. The AI is ok, enemies can try to flank and suppress you but don't expect huge challenges here.
Many of the missions seem to have good re-playability especially when adjusting the difficulty settings. Vehicle combat is very good, mainly you driving a tank around blowing up nazis. While not "vehicle heavy" the game still has good tank maps and it does seem realistic to the time period.
All in all as a WWII shooter and strategy fan I rate this game very high in most areas. Sound is ok, music score is very strong, realism level is higher here than in other similar themed games. Grenade spamming is not a real option here, neither is lone dogging maps. The characters are memorable and the story is well designed and tells a compelling story of soldiers during a intensive WWII engagement.
The maps are pretty well built for a linear style game and most action sequences are enjoyable. There are moments where it has "bullet time" slow motion sequences activated during a particular acurate bullet shot or explosion. It adds a cinematic quality to the game that made me smile every time. The ragdoll physics were well appreciated and the story is built so that any customer and jump right in without being familiar with the franchise and previous titles.
All in all, i rate this game very high despite my troubled start. Once i overcame my pre-conceived notions of what a WWII shooter is, I really got engaged in this game and had to finish it. I have extensive experience in war FPS like the battlefield series 1942 anthology, Call of Duty 2-5, Soldier of Fortune 1 & 2 (not 3), Half Life 1&2, Unreal tournament 1997-unreal III, Bioshock, Battlefield 2, 2142, Star wars battlefront 1-2, SW Republic Commando, Jedi Knight 1&2, Battlefield Vietnam, and many others.Read full review
