Recently disbanded EA subsidiary, Pandemic Studios, has put out it's last effort onto the world, an open world game in similar vein to titles such as Assassins Creed 2 and Infamous. the Saboteur wears it's influences on its sleeve, definitely to good effect.
The story progresses at a good pace, it keeps you going, is entertaining and provides characters which have developed personalities - everything a story should do. Sean Devlin, the games Irish protagonist, seems to break the mould of video game characters these days. He is rude, outspoken, arrogant but a genuine guy who is motivated for his own gains and beliefs. This isn't your typical wargame.
In fact the WW2 setting gets a lot of stick for being overused, but in this case it really does make the game, thanks in part to the brilliant art style and film noir effect of the black and white German occupied areas. Driving around Paris as the rain pours watching the citizens of the once shining city shuffle along under the scrutiny of the Nazi occupation just looks and feels so right and sets the atmosphere and immersion of the game just right. The game nails this feel so well that it is almost sad to see the city gradually return to colour and life after completing objectives in the area. it is also nice to see a more light hearted approach to war, with over the top Nazi's, hulking 'terror squad' troops and more Zepplins then you can shake a stick at to give you less then authentic war experience, but definitely for the better.
The world itself is also large, you can explore Paris or the surrounding countryside - you never feel trapped in. Even the areas not unlocked during the beginning stages of the game can still be accessed, once you escape the germans you are free to explore them at leisure, unlike in GTA where you maintain a constant wanted level. Each area is unlocked naturally and is a joy to explore, casually wiping out guard towers and fuel depots, which can help in later missions. One thing that is a bit strange is how the world has been condensed so you can be driving in Paris and the take a short drive north to La Havre or even across the border into Germany, but this only adds to the variety of locations.
I mentioned the game wearing it's influences on its sleeve, its climbing can be said to have been inspired by Assassins Creed, but with the amount of games recently featuring climbing in this way, verticality has almost become the standard within the genre. If you have played Assassins Creed 2 the climbing here will feel jerky and in general not as smooth, but the game is less about this and so it never becomes a major flaw, merely a minor annoyance. I definitely got a Mercenaries 2 vibe here as well, being by the same developer would explain this, but the destruction has been toned down, instead of being capable of destroying entire city blocks as you could in Mercenaries 2, The Saboteur provides you with 'freeplay objectives', all kinds of Nazi installations just waiting to be destroyed. The map is full of them and this definitely adds to the re-play value, working out different ways of infilitrating bases each time.
The accomplish his objectives, Sean has a lot of tools he can purchase from the black market, tommy guns, German machine guns, a variety of pistols, bazookas and silenced weapons are all included in the selection and each feels different. The aiming can be a bit loose but it works well and the automatic cover system performs well enough, if not as good as game such as Uncharted 2 or Gears of War. Ultimately the gameplay is fun and weaved around interesting missions and set pieces, with side missions blending seamlessly into the mix.
Each missions provides a fresh new challenge, the stealth elements work well and it is extremely satisfying to silently assassinate a guard, take his uniform, sneak into a German base and then sabotage it. There is also a clear choice between run and gun and stealth, with each being a viable and fleshed out option
Throughout my time spent playing the game I was hit with a sense of some things not being quite as finished as they could have been. Cars not having damage models when crashing springs to mind as something left out due to time constraints the developers were placed under. The graphics were also not as smooth as they could have been and at times the view distance - whilst far - looked downright bad. It is perhaps a testment then to Pandemic that even without that last layer of polish their final work is so much fun to play, killing Nazis is a staple of videogaming and here it feels fresh and most importantly satisfying. The progression of earning perks and bringing colour back to areas makes you feel as if you are accomplishing something and the story will keep you interested. Concessions have been made but you will have a blast playing, and its not over quick as the game certainly has length and re-play value.
Pro's -
Interesting story, not just another WW2 game
Cool weapons and mission objectives
Sean is a well rounded and meaningful protagonist
Con's -
Not as polished as it could have been
Graphical oddities
Verdict -
Pandemics final foray is definitely worth your money, it will keep you busy for some time and it will never feel like a chore to play.
Advice and criticisms welcome.
