Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

Overview

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood is the second game in the series. The game takes place before and after the events of Road to Hill 30 and uses the same engine and gameplay mechanics as its predecessor. Earned In Blood places you into the boots of Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock, who was one of your squad mates in Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. The story is told like a recollection of events, seen through the eyes of the corporal. At the beginning of the game, Red is seen talking to one of his superior officers, Col. S.L.A. Marshall, about the war and the missions he conducted. The main promotional angle behind this release was the increased amount of urban combat scenarios and the new tactics the player would have to employ to defeat the enemy.

Plot

The game begins with Red meeting Col. Marshall 15 days after the D-day invasion of Normandy. Col. S.L.A. Marshall is interviewing soldiers who were on the battlefield and this is where Hartsock's recollection of events begin. The first mission begins with your character trapped in a tree which caught on to your parachute, a German soldier is questioning you and just as he is about to shoot you Cpl. Doyle saves you by killing the trooper. You then go on to pick up your equipment and attempt to find the rest of your squad. You eventually meet up with Lt. Col. Cole whom tasks you with clearing an orchard full of enemy machine gun nests.

The next mission begins with Hartsock waking up in an abandoned barn just as the sun is rising. Lt. Col. Cassidy tasks you with securing a church which contains German medical supplies.

After the final assault on the building and the subsequent defense against enemy waves, the town is bombarded by American naval ships trying to weaken German defenses along the coast of France. Hartsock is then seen running back to rejoin Baker and his squad but he fails to mention any of the events that occurred, simply telling Matt that he had "a rough morning".

The following mission takes place in Foucarville, where Baker discovered German troops carrying 88mm flak cannons into town. He splits the forces in order to increase the odds of a successful ambush, he gives command of one of the squads to Red who is joined by Cpl. Doyle who is still looking for members of the 82nd airborne. The Ambush is successful until a nearby allied platoon is ambushed themselves by German artillery fire. Luckily Hartsock manages to kill the remaining enemies in town and continues onward to Carentan.

On their way to Carentan, the main objective of the 101st airborne in Normandy, the men of 3rd squad find themselves in a swampy town where they are once again ambushed by German mortars. Hartsock is tasked with marking spot using flares to indicated drop points for allied supplies. These supplies are to be used by incoming US soldiers who have yet to reach the area. Once all of the drop points are secured, Hartsock learns that a Col. Howard Johnson is trapped with his men in a nearby farm. Although happy to be relieved, the colonel is displeased with the lack of support and takes his frustrations out on Red. The newly formed squad, now under the command of Col. Johnson secures the surrounding area and awaits for the remaining allied troops to roll into town.

Just outside of Hiesville, Sgt. Mac Hassay tasks Cpl. Hartsock, Pvt. Desola, Pvt. Allen and Pvt. Garnett to recon a nearby castle long abandoned by the owners. Mac would like to setup a HQ and aid station in order to support the fighting in Carentan. The mission quickly turn out into a bloody tank battle between the recon force (aided by tank commander Risner) and German tank units controlling the castle. The castle is eventually secured and Allied troops move in.

The next mission takes place several days after the last. Carentan has been liberated but German paratroopers begin the counter-attack on the town from the nearby hills. One of these hills, codenamed hill 30, is where Sgt. Baker and his men have been sent. This mission is concurrent with the last mission of Road to Hill 30 and shown the events that took place while Sgt. Baker was out looking for support. Red takes command and is sent out to flank the paratroopers assaulting the hill. It is during this mission that Hartsock's true feelings towards Baker are revealed.

After the defense of Hill 30 and Hartsock's heroics he is promoted to sergeant and takes command of 2nd squad. Unfortunately the German counter-attack on Carentan continues and Red must now command his squads through rough urban warfare, something he has never done before. His first task is to secure a nearby train yard home to German mortar crews. He is then ordered by Sgt. Baker to clear out any remaining troops hidden in the rubble of the destroyed city. Although Matt is no longer his superior, Hartsock still feels as though he is under Baker's command which does not sit well with him.

Once Carentan was rid of any remaining pockets of resistance and the allied troops firmly planted in the area, the 101st is sent out St. Sauveur-le-Vitcome in order to assist the 82nd airborne division. On their way they stop by the town of Baupte and it is at the beginning of this mission that Red loses his ring finger after being hit by a tank shell. Unaware of the ambush, Hartsock's squad continues into town eliminating the few enemies around hoping to quickly move on, but just as they are securing the town church German tanks roll in and attack with everything they have. Hartsock miraculously manages to fend off the attackers with only a few troops at his disposal and secure Baupte for good.

Military intelligence reveals that Axis forces are hard at work trying to regain control of the area and are placing their bets on the highly efficient FLAK88 cannons to do so. Hartsock is once again sent out to deal with the problem and this leads him directly outside of the town of Baupte where German troops have massed. His squad manages to destroy a couple of the 88mm cannons before they can do any damage but many of his men still believe that there are many more of these cutting edge cannons placed all along the road to St.. Sauveur.

The final stage of the game takes place during the battle of St. Sauveur. Red and his squad begin the assault on the city by securing a nearby farm littered with German artillery before moving into the center of the city. The 101st fights through enemy land troops, tanks, mortars, machine gun emplacements and artillery fire all in a bid to secure the city. Hartsock manages to keep his squad alive throughout most of the fighting but eventually just as he links up with Cpl. Doyle and the rest of the 82nd they are all ambushed by tanks and Red is knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find Doyle pulling him to safety and then succumbing to the shrapnel from the tank shell embedded in his heart. Before Hartsock can mourn the death of his friend he must deal with the tanks pinning his men down. By locating a nearby stash of Panzerfausts he is able to highhandedly destroy all 3 tanks and saving his men.

It is during the final cutscene that Hartsock finally realizes the toll it can take on you when you lose men under your command and begins to respect Sgt. Baker for keeping it together while soldiers from his unit kept on dying.

Levels

Roses All the Way Action at St. Martin Three Patrol Action Hell's Corners Chateau Colmbieres Bloody Gulch Eviction Notice Close Quarters Baupte Hedgerow Hell Run of the Mill The All-Americans

Characters

Sgt. Joe Hartsock "Red"

A family man from Wyoming, he was promoted to squad leader into the 2nd Squad of the 3rd platoon brigade of the 101st Airborne division. He takes the loss of his men to heart and is often displeased with Baker's commanding skills. The player assumes direct control of Red.

Col. S.L.A. Marshall

Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall is tasked with interviewing troops that fought during the invasion of Normandy. His interview with Hartsock is the main plot point and drives the story forward. He is only seen in cutscenes.

Sgt. Matthew Baker

A native of Missouri, Baker was Hartsock's superior until he was promoted. He is the main protagonist in Road to Hill 30 but is only seen in cutscenes and during mission briefings.

Cpl. Seamus Doyle

A corporal from the 82nd airborne, Doyle was born in Ireland but immigrated to Boston as a child. He becomes best friends with Hartsock and eventually saves his life.

Pvt. Jacob Campbell

He is the leader of 2nd squad's fire team under Hartsock. He isn't one for small talk and prefers to focus on the situation at hand.

Pfc. Will Paige

A hot-headed soldier moved into Hartsock's squad, he often acts irresponsibly on the battlefield in order to prove his worth as a soldier.

Pvt. Derrick McConnel

A good friend of Will's, he was also moved into 2nd squad from 1st.

Pvt. Franklin Paddock

He is the leader of 2nd squad's assault team. A native of Kansas, he is a capable and courageous but at times can be reckless.

Pvt. Dean Winchell "Friar"

A quiet man who rarely wastes words. Although he may seem laid back he can make decisions easily and can be quite authoritative at times.

Pvt. James Marsh

The only member of 2nd squad who has fought before the invasion of Normandy, he is a veteran of the African campaign.

Cpl. Sam Corrion

The leader of 3rd squad's assault team, he feels as though he should have been promoted instead of Hartsock. He is only seen in missions before Hartsock's promotion into 2nd squad and in cutscenes.

Pvt. James Allen

A sharpshooter from 3rd squad, he developed a strong friendship with Garnett in training and even managed to be recruited into the same squad. He hails from Connecticut and enrolled right after finishing high school.

Pvt. Jeff Garnett

A member of 3rd squad's fire team, Garnett became best friends with Allen and the two have been together throughout the Normandy invasion even with the miss-drops on the French coast. He was born in Kentucky and shared many traits with James.

Pvt. Michael Desola

Born and raised on the tough streets of Philly, Desola is the only squad member who is ready to face death. Along with the rest of 3rd squad, he is only seen in the earlier missions and in cutscenes.

Multiplayer

Earned in Blood contains a fully fledged multiplayer component consisting of adversarial multiplayer and cooperative skirmish modes. Each multiplayer map has specific objectives to complete for either the American or German side with the opposing team usually trying to prevent the objective from being completed. The cooperative modes work the same as the adversarial multiplayer but with variable AI difficulties. The game has xbox Live support (unavailable as of April 2010), LAN play, and split-screen.

Multiplayer Maps

• Ambush at Anterbien - The American soldiers are trying to deliver orders to a convoy waiting on the far side of town. German troops have set up an ambush to stop them.
• Ammo Depot - The Germans are guarding a cache of weapons. The Americans must destroy the ammo depot.
• Shattered Wings - Americans gliders are about to land, Paratroopers must destroy the AA guns and the Germans must defend them.
• In the Trenches - The Americans must destroy 2 AA guns, the Germans must defend them with a network of trenches.
• Bunkers - The American soldiers are trying to destroy FLAK36 cannons firing on the coast, Germans must defend them.
• Blood on the Causeway - The American soldiers are trying to deliver documents to the Allied station across the causeway, the Germans must hold the causeway at all costs.
• Chateau - The German soldiers must retrieve and escape with the codebook while Americans try and prevent them from doing so.
• Etienville Dawn - American and German soldiers race to recover a secret codebook in the town of Etieneville.
• Crossroads at Pelerin - A damaged German supply truck is caught at the crossroads of St. Pelerin, an American squad is sent to destroy it.
• A shot in the Dark - American paratroopers must recover explosives and destroy the bridge while avoiding German patrols.
• Destroyed Town - The Americans are hiding valuable maps, the Germans must recover them and reach the extraction point.
• The Farm
• American paratroopers must destroy 2 AA guns. German troops are defending the two guns.
• The Forest - US soldiers have taken over a German outpost, now the Germans must break through to deliver orders while the Americans defend the outpost.
• In the Channel - American tanks have landed on the beaches. A German demolition team must destroy the locks and flood the fields, rendering the tanks useless. The Americans must defend the locks.
• The Mill - US soldiers are trying to locate and destroy a FLAK 36. Germans must defend the cannon.
• Before the Storm - American soldiers are trying to deliver documents to the far side of an abandoned town. German troops prepare an ambush.
• Train Yard - The Americans must grab explosives from the warehouse and destroy 2 FLAK 36. German troops must defend the trainyard.
• Quiet Bluff - The Germans are hiding a codebook somewhere in the foggy town of Isigny. The American forces must recover the codes and return to the extraction point.
• Abandoned Streets - American soldiers must locate crucial maps to the other side of the city while German troops defend the only exit out of the city.
• Aid Station - The Germans are trying to gather supplies from a destroyed truck. The Americans must prevent them from retrieving the supplies and returning to the aid station.

Weapons

The following is a list of infantry weapons available in the campaign of Earned in Blood.

Allied

Colt M1911

• Semi automatic, this is the pistol of choice amongst American soldiers since the early 1900s. Designed by the famous weapons designer John M. Browning, this weapon fires the .45 ACP cartridge and is extremely powerful at close range.

M1A1 Carbine

• A lighter version of the M1 Garant, this semi automatic rifle is accurate up to 600 feet and fires the .30 Carbine round.

M1 Garant

• Effective up to 1300 feet, this gas operated semi auto rifle is the standard weapon of US infantrymen. Accurate at long ranges, this weapon is also efective at close range due to its powerful 7.62x63mm round and semi automatic firing mode.

M1903 Springfield

• This bolt action, 5 round rifle was the standard rifle of the US army until 1936 when it was converted into a designated marksman rifle. In game, this rare weapon is one of the most powerful and accurate weapons at long ranges.

M1A1 Thompson

• Deadly at close range, this submachine can fire up to 700 rounds per minute. Extremely effective at close range.

M1918 BAR

• This mobile machine gun is Red's weapon of choice. It can fire at 450 rpm and still maintain good accuracy over distance. A relatively small magazine size is the main downside of this weapon.

M3A1

• A cheap submachine gun meant to replace the M1A1 Thompson. One of the new weapons available in Earned in blood.

Axis

MP40

• Fully automatic, this weapon has a larger magazine capacity than the Thompson but a slower fire rate.

MP44 SGT

• An extremely effective Assault rifle, it was the inspiration for the modern AK-47.

Mauser K98

• The standard infantry weapon for German soldiers, this bolt action rifle is deadly up to 1500 feet. Considered one of the best bolt action rifles ever made, its bolt action system has been recreated in nearly all modern sports and hunting rifles.

Scoped KAR 98K

• A modified K98 with a telescopic scope, this gun is extremely rare and can only be found in certain missions.

FG42

• Another new weapon for Earned in Blood, this machine gun had much more recoil than it's American counterpart but a much larger magazine.

Panzerfaust 60

• The only rocket launcher available in the campaign, it is highly effective against armored units.

Soundtrack

David McGarry, who was the audio director for the prequel: Road to Hill 30, created the soundtrack to Earned in Blood which was released on October 21st, 2008.

Track Listing

1. Earned in Blood Theme - 2:35
2. Main Menu - 2:36
3. Funzionare - 2:01
4. Triste - 2:02
5. Euphorico - 3:02
6. Sonno - 1:58
7. Serbatoio - 2:01
8. Pesante - 2:02
9. Memoria - 2:01
10. Scuro - 2:01
11. Meccanico - 2:02
12. Vittoria - 2:02
13. End Credits 2:43

System Requirements

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 2000/XP (ONLY)
• Processor: 1 GHz Pentium III or AMD Athlon (2.5 GHz Pentium IV or AMD recommended)
• Memory: 512 MB (1 GB recommended)
• Graphics: 32 MB Direct X 9.0c compliant (64 MB recommended)*
• DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (included)
• Hard Drive: 3.5 GB hard drive space
• Sound Card:16 bit DirectX 9.0c compliant sound card (EAX recommended; PC audio solutions containing Dolby Digital Live required for Dolby Digital audio)
• Multiplayer: Broadband with 64 kbps upstream (128 kbps recommended)

*Supported video cards at time of release: ATI Radeon 8500/9000/X series NVIDIA GeForce 4/FX/6 series (GeForce 4 MX not supported)
These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game. Laptop models of these cards not supported.