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Paris 1940, the German Wehrmacht has obliterated the French defenses and pushed the British expeditionary force into the sea at Dunkirk. France surrenders to Hitler on June 15, 1940;Paris is now under Nazi occupation and the “city of lights” falls into a dark and colorless despair. This is the world that is brought to life in the game “The Saboteur” developed by Pandemic studious, and published by E.A. Games.
The game offers players the chance to experience the Second World War away from the frontlines with a third person view of the Paris area. The game also offers players a compelling storyline, killer soundtrack, and an anti-hero who shows no mercy and loves to play with explosives.
The game begins in black and white in a French club where Nazi officers and officials are enjoying themselves with alcohol and prostitutes. In the corner, by the bar, is where we find our hero Sean Devlin: a down-in-the-dumps Irishman who wants nothing more than to forget the recent tragedy that befell him by drowning himself in liquor. After a chance meeting with the only member of the French resistance, Devlin decides to focus his aggression on the occupying Nazi’s. The entire game focuses on Devlin’s fight against the Nazi’s and the hunt for the Nazi officer who ruined his life.
The game design is like “Assassins Creed” where the player sees Sean in third person and has the ability to explore all parts of Paris and the towns in the outer lying countryside. Sean has the special ability to climb every building in the game, which is fantastic because that is where most of the Nazi’s are hidden. The game lets players collect and drive vintage cars from the era, as well as armored vehicles and tanks.
One of the greatest aspects of the game is its noir feel with the unliberated parts of Paris continually staying black and white with a consistent forecast of rain and depression. Once the sections of Paris are liberated, then they regain their color.
The game’s plot line is one that keeps the player playing for the sole purpose for wanting to see what happens in the end. It is not the most original plot line with a stereotypical villain and revenge plot scenario; however, the ability to choose the way in which the character executes each mission gives the player a freedom rarely seen in video games.
All in all the game earns a well deserved four out of five stars for its soundtrack that is perhaps even more enjoyable at times than the game itself, its plotline that’s keeps the player coming back for more, and for the look and feel of a city under military occupation. The game is rated M for alcoholism, sexuality, strong violence, language, and nudity.
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