Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

A few days after booting up Ubisoft's new WWII-sim Brother in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (Xbox & PC/Ubisoft/ Gearbox), I became completely immersed in the sights, sounds and experiences of Nazi-occupied France. So much so that I wrote a letter back home, detailing the savagery of war to my sweetheart, who may one day know of the brave and selfless acts of the 101st airborne division, known as the "Screaming Eagles." Here's a legible excerpt, with the cursing removed:

Hey babe,

I'm writing to you from Vierville, France. Since I first set foot on this godforsaken rock, I've been bored out of my mind. I know, it sounds strange, but my missions have been horribly repetitive to this point. All I do is order Cpl. Hartsock to put suppressive fire on a couple of Nazis, and then I walk around until I get a clear shot at them. I thought war was supposed to be crazy and hectic, not just some Ron Popeil-inspired four-step method repeated ad nauseam for disposing Krauts? Even worse, those lil' buggers are dumb as rocks. I could walk up about five feet in front of them, and unless I fire in their direction, they won't even realize I'm there. And forget about sniper bonuses, this war has realistic shooting physics, which is code for "You're going to miss way too damn much."

Also, even though squad-based action was the reason why I signed up to be a Brother in Arms, I won't actually get to control two separate units until much later. It's a shame that the war is taking so long to get going.

Heck, listen to me whine - it must be this damn war that's getting to me. I'm actually having fun, and the French countryside looks really nice this time of year. You'd really appreciate the architecture of the buildings here - very detailed. Water and explosions look as good as anything I'd see back home on the farm.

Sincerely,

Sgt. Matt Baker

Then, when it appeared that all hope was lost, the face of the war changed. Here's another letter I sent a few levels later:

Hey babe,

We are really taking out those Nazis now! St. Come is where all the promise of squad-based action comes together. I've finally got the hang of using my two squads, and the fights feel more spontaneous. Ordering people around isn't as polished as when I was fighting for the republic in Star Wars: Republic Commando (LucasArts), but this sure ain't another soulless Full Spectrum Warrior (THQ).

I hope this letter finds you well. As a typically generic farmboy paratrooper would say, I can't wait to get back home to whatever corn-husking hellhole I come from.

God bless America,

Sgt. Matt Baker

PSP time

By the time you read this, you may have already purchased your Sony PSP. Sony's first foray into the world of portable gaming is ambitious: you can play games, UMD movies and mp3s. The PSP also has a USB port and wi-fi connectivity, which will definitely make for some interesting projects in the future.

The launch titles already look impressive. It's been far too long since we've had a good Wipeout (Sony) game, and Lumines (Ubisoft) could replace Tetris Attack as most addictive puzzler ever.

Of course, to gaze at its impressive widescreen will set you back about $400, but there's no doubt that the PSP will be a success. Besides, when Sony and Microsoft unveil the prices of their next-gen consoles, $400 might look like a bargain.

Now playing: Sony PSP (PSP)
Wishlist: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (Xbox)

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