June 12, 2011 by Vinnie Leduc
Just unveiled for the first time earlier this week, Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 is an upcoming WWII FPS from publisher Ubisoft. Yes, the subgenre has been beaten to death, but this game’s wild take on punishing Nazis deserves a closer look. Good thing MediaStinger was able to get a chance at E3 to attend a behind-closed-doors gameplay demonstration of a 4-player co-op campaign mission.
Randy Varnell, producer at developer Gearbox, and three of his colleagues each controlled one of the four different characters of the squad. Furious 4, which has a definite arcade feel and could be described as the love child of Bulletstorm and Inglourious Basterds, strays away from the strategic simulation core of the predecessors in the Brothers in Arms series. You’re still part of a squad, but its members’ incessant wisecracking and the level’s vibrant colors make for a WWII game you’ve never experienced before. Randy explained that the voice-over narrative that occasionally interjected during the gameplay stems from a soldier’s lore storytelling to fellow soldiers around a campfire, which would be congruent with the secret missions being over-the-top spectacles and the titular characters being exaggerated caricatures.
The mission we witnessed had the glorious bastards storm through a Nazi town’s Oktoberfest, complete with Ferris wheel, zeppelin, and fireworks. Getting bonus points for spectacular kills, the squad tore through all sorts of German baddies, even some jetpackers and a boss at the end. Throughout the level, Randy showcased some ultraviolent weapons. Black Ops fans will appreciate a throwable pickaxe to the dome. Saw fans will love the bear trap, which you can even upgrade to have a grenade in it. And what ultraviolent game would this be without an homage to Doom… the chainsaw? A nice touch that we noticed for the chainsaw was a happy face for the targeting reticle.
These weapons were just the tip of the iceberg. With gameplay that looks fun as hell, Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 has the potential to become a fan favorite. Look for it when it releases next year in 2012.
