We’ve yet to see a Brothers in Arms game on next-gen consoles. That may change soon, according to Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford.
Pitchford responded to a tweet about the franchise on Wednesday:
A proper Brothers in Arms game would be great to see. Here’s my take on Pitchford’s response:
If you can’t see the video:
While not providing much information, the tweet did reveal the most information we’ve seen in months regarding the Brothers in Arms franchise – mainly that it is concretely under development. Gearbox has been silent on the franchise since canceling Brothers in Arms: Furious 4. The game’s promotional materials were not well-received. The game was over-the-top, and in-line with films like Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Here’s the original announcement trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA_gXXU21jQ
Not exactly the gritty realism for which the Brothers in Arms series is known. I still enjoyed the concept, and it probably would have been a successful game, but Gearbox changed gears.
Even after trying to rebrand the new game as its own intellectual property (Furious Four), the decision was eventually made to cancel the game and fold its assets into what would become the soon-to-be-released Battleborn. You’re still able to see glimpses of Furious Four in Battleborn, primarily in the game’s mountainous character “Montana.” Check out the Battleborn’s multiplayer trailer below:
I had a chance to play Battleborn‘s Closed Technical Test, and while I can’t say much, it was fun. Still, as much as I can’t wait to play the full version of the game on May 3rd, I really want to get my hands on the next game in the Brothers in Arms series.
In the most recent installment of the series, Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, the player takes on the role of Staff Sergeant Matt Baker of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. Baker has to learn to cope with the loss of men under his command who die from his decisions. It’s tremendously stressful. Baker is often a victim of “Murphy’s Law,” where everything that can go wrong, does – and he doesn’t take it well. By the end of Hell’s Highway, the shell-shocked staff sergeant is overcome by his personal demons, some of which even manifest as hallucinations. Things don’t look good at the close of the game, and a voice from Baker’s past whispers the allusion “You’ve made it through Hell, how do you feel about snow?”
Bastogne. The name is synonymous with the 101st Airborne Division. It was one of their many shining moments. Encircled by German troops in the winter of 1944, American paratroopers held their position tooth and nail in the Belgian city and the forest nearby. Shelled daily by enemy artillery, and improperly clothed for the siege, elements of the 101st refused to budge. Even when faced with total annihilation and a demand to surrender by German General von Lüttwitz, American troops gave a defiant response, embodied by Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe’s one word reply to the German general’s request: “NUTS!”
Just to know this game is actually under development sends a shiver through my body. It’s not clear from Pitchford’s tweet if the next Brothers in Arms game is still in the conceptual stage, or has progressed to actual production, but it’s good to know Pitchford views it as a priority. Depending on where the game is in development, we may see an announcement in June at E3 2016. Gearbox is not on the list of presenters for the conference, but Pitchford could make an announcement as part of a Microsoft, Sony, or Ubisoft panel (Ubisoft was to publish Brothers in Arms: Furious 4).
Here’s to hoping we know more soon.
Do you miss the Brothers in Arms franchise? Should it return soon? Let us know in the comments.
