Brothers in arms - Road to Hill 30 (XBOX, PC, PS2)

(Herald rating: * * *)

If you watched the TV series Band of Brothers and felt for the young soldiers it portrayed, a new World War II video game is likely to appeal.

Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 puts you in the boots of Sergeant Matt Baker of the 101st Airborne Division, one of thousands of American troops dropped over France in 1944 as part of the D-Day invasion.

Apparently Baker was a real paratrooper and the game follows closely his platoon's mission through the bullet-riddled French towns inland from the beaches of the D-Day landings.

Baker's grim, introspective voiceovers tell you what he is feeling as he leads his lucky team of 13 into combat.

The opening scene is fantastic, showing Baker's perspective as he is blasted out of a plane that is hit by flak. Shaky camera angles give a strong cinematic feel to the cut-away stories.

But the game starts a bit too slowly. The first few missions have you sneaking through overgrown fields picking off small groups of German soldiers. Later on you'll take on tanks, machine-gun nests and enemy soldiers in street skirmishes.

The German soldiers are generally pretty stupid, though they become harder to kill as you set the difficulty factor higher.

You'll soon be able to give men under your command orders, telling them to lay down suppressing fire, dive for cover or charge at the enemy. It's a user-friendly device that becomes a major part of the game.

The situational awareness mode takes you out of Baker's body to give you a bird's eye perspective of the action. It's useful for reassessing the situation.

The graphics are impressive. Bullets kick up dust and foliage stands out in 3D. The soundtrack bears the realistic sounds of warfare, soldiers swearing and shouting commands, the patter of bullets and explosions.

But Brothers in Arms is not as fast-paced or action-packed as Medal of Honor, which to some extent will limit its appeal.

The game seems to be trying to rise above the other World War II first-person role-players on the market, but is a bit leaden in its delivery as a result.

Still, the attention to detail and historical accuracy should be commended and the online version will extend the game's playing life.

$110 (Rated 16+)