Brothers in Arms is notable for its intuitive command system. Teams and tanks can be ordered to move, lay suppressive fire, rally, find cover, and charge the enemy. The game stresses at multiple points the effectiveness of fire and maneuver tactics, known as the Four Fs actually used by the military during World War II, expressed in the game tutorial as "Find, Fix, Flank, Finish" describing the steps in suppressing and flanking an enemy.
The focus on team command rather than individual marksmanship is emphasized by providing the player with inaccurate aim. Instead of having almost perfect accuracy with weapons in games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, Brothers in Arms models weapons with erratic accuracy, and enemy fire can interfere with a player's aim to simulate the effects of suppressive fire. The relative lack of accuracy is designed to simulate the difficulty in hitting targets in a combat situation and to force the player to use team members to engage enemy units and provide better tactical opportunities.
Plot
Brothers in Arms is based on the true story of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the famed 101st Airborne Division who were dropped behind German lines on D-Day. The game is based on the historical Mission Albany, in which the player has to complete missions based on real actions of the 101st in Normandy.
The game starts with the player, Sergeant Matthew "Matt" Baker of the 502nd Infantry Regiment at the climax of the Battle of Bloody Gulch. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Paratroopers make a desperate stand as Leggett, the squad's radioman makes a frantic request for tank support. Unable to raise support or reinforcements, the situation for the Paratroopers only gets worse when a Panzer IV appears and fires at them, knocking Baker down again. An unhinged Leggett is seen firing an M1911 pistol at the tank, only to be torn apart by another shell. Platoon Sergeant "Mac" is seen trying to resuscitate Baker before Baker fades into unconsciousness.
The game then snaps back to the initial jump off, taking place hours before the Normandy Landings. Baker, along with the rest of the squad is preparing to disembark from the C-47, when the plane is hit by anti-aircraft fire. Baker is thrown from the plane, although losing his kit in the drop he manages to land safely. Managing to find Mac, the pair search for the others, eventually finding Leggett and superior Lt. Col. Cole. Despite being way off course, the group led by Mac destroy several Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns using satchel explosives. By morning, more of the squad has managed to find one another, including BAR gunner Corporal Joseph "Red" Hartsock, who Mac delegates to Baker to clear an important road leading to Utah Beach. After fighting their way through several German soldiers, as well as a mortar team, Baker and Hartsock link up with Allen and Garnett, two other members of their squad. Using a Browning .30 caliber machine gun, the four troops defend against a counterattack from the beach and succeed in securing Exit 4, a way off Utah beach, for the 4th Infantry Division.
With the beachhead secure, Baker, with Hartsock assisting is tasked to clear out "Objective XYZ," which turns out to be a makeshift German barracks housing scores of Germans. Aided by the element of surprise, the two, with the help of Allen and Garnett, take and destroy the barracks structure with a Bazooka and eliminate the numerically-superior German troops there. With no hindrance to their advance, the 502nd are now able to press on to securing Foucarville, still being contested by the Germans and the Paratroopers. Alongside Hartsock, Allen and Garnett, Baker engages a larger force of German soldiers and also manages to destroy several mortar positions and a tank before once again linking up with Mac. At the end of the mission, Mac confesses to Baker that he assumed he was too shy to handle being squad leader (a fact Baker still isn't comfortable in handling) but his doubts have been now made unfound because of his abilities to fight effectively.
