Saboteur (PS3 and Xbox 360)
Last week, Pandemic studios announced its newest IP, a game by the name of Saboteur. This visually stunning hybrid is set in France during World War II. Through a series of unfortunate events perpetuated by the Nazis, our hero (not French but actually an Irishman named Sean) comes to take part in the resistance efforts by carrying out missions that sabotage the German occupation, offering his own brand of vigilante justice.
The game plays out in third-person with an emphasis on stealth. Its mechanics can best be described as GTA meets Splinter Cell, with a dash of Prince of Persia, while its style is more akin to Sin City mixed with an impressionistic painting. The story focuses less on the historic events of World War II, instead using the war as an epic backdrop to tell a story. The team is open to a multiplayer component, but does not yet have anything concrete in mind.
The style is of particular interest and plays a key role in the mechanics of the game itself. German occupied areas are neutrally colored and dull, with the red of swastika banners and armbands providing noticeable contrasting highlights. Citizens go about their daily lives in a sordid daze, shuffling down the streets. “Sabotaging†an area and driving out the Nazis will restore life and vibrancy; the clouds part and color slowly and visibly begins to seep back into the world and the music and sound effects are more serene. Most importantly, citizens living in areas you liberate are given a burst of vigor and are more likely to join the resistance and aid you in your missions. The game runs on a proprietary graphics engine, with an obvious emphasis on lighting and shading effects.
As with Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassins’ Creed, Saboteur factors in the concept of crowd control and player abnormality. Walk the streets calmly in an occupied area and you’ll raise no suspicion from the Nazi patrols. Attack one, begin to sneak about, or try to climb a building, and they’ll take notice and act accordingly.
While the game places a heavy emphasis on stealth, don’t expect a plodding pace. Instead, Sean moves with great rapidity, dealing out lethal attacks as he goes. Our hero’s stealth attacks include the ever-popular neck snap, pushes over edges at great heights, and the tap on the shoulder coupled with a sucker punch to the face. If he does need to brawl with one or more enemies, the player can string together combo attacks that include punches, headbutts, and throws. Sean can strip the enemy of his weapon, but the sound of gunfire will surely bring more unwanted attention.
When the heat becomes too great, Sean can “cool off†by making a quick escape using the game’s acrobatic system. He must be an uncle of Sam Fisher, because Sean too possesses the ability to climb storm drains, shimmy across ledges, and mantle up onto objects.
You can take advantage of pretty much anything you see in the game, from weapons to clothes to vehicles. Saboteur eschews set levels for a completely open-ended game world with a variety of missions. Some missions are completely unconstrained and will allow Sean to roam freely, gathering new intel and supplies, while others will serve to advance the storyline.
The game’s official site is now live with more details to be revealed in early April. While platforms have yet to be announced, it’s a very safe bet that the game will appear on the PlayStation 3 and more than likely on the XBOX 360. While the game does not yet have a publisher, you can expect it sometime in 2008. We hope to bring you more soon on Saboteur soon, but until then, Vive la Résistance!