Killing Nazis has never been more fun
Pros:
-Large open world to freely explore
-Lot's of mission and gameplay variety
-Great amount of content that provides countless hours of gameplay
-Great and stylish soundtrack
-Black and White effect is a nice touch
Cons:
-Weak stealth elements
WW2 has been used as a backdrop for so many games that it has become somewhat of a routine, and it makes it hard for many games that have this setting to stand out from the crowd as a result. The Saboteur does not have this problem. It is stylish and sexy, it is immersive and engaging, and best of all, it's just plain fun!
The Saboteur is an open world sand-box game set in Nazi Occupied France. The Nazis have conquered Paris and it's up to Sean Devlin, a tough as hell Irish bad ass, to put the Fascist pigs down. Sean Devlin is an interesting character, he is a funny, whiskey drinking, womanizing Irishman who comes to Paris to compete in the Grand Prix. However things do not go as planned as one of the racers, a Nazi named Dierker, cheats and causes you to lose the race. Seeking to get back at him you and your best friend sneak into Dierker's property and sabotage his race car, unfortunately he discovers this and takes your friends life, causing you to set down on the road of revenge, and yes it is bloody.
The world of the Saboteur is quite large and fully explorable, from city streets and parkways in Paris to open country side full of rolling hills and forests, the Saboteur is beautiful to look at and fun to explore. The atmosphere is also well done, Nazi flags are hung throughout the city, speakers spout Nazi propaganda, The Saboteur does a great job at making you feel the oppression and the tyranny. However the best artistic direction in the game is the use of black and white, at some locations throughout the game the color vanishes, making you play the game in only black and white, with a the only other colors being present are yellow from the lights, the color of people's eyes, and red from the blood and the Nazi flags.
This is a very creative aspect and one that is excellently done, it brings life to The Saboteur and shows the oppression that the people of Paris have to endure. Graphically The Saboteur is decent looking but not the best. The character models look average at best and nothing in the game will make you drop your jaw, but the art direction is nice and does a nice job at making the the world feel alive.
The Saboteur offers a variety of ways to play, and missions all feel unique. For example one mission will task you with going undercover into a Nazi base, while another will have you doing an all out gun fight and taking over a district with The Resistance. From raw combat, to shooting and sneaking, sniping, or just demolishing Nazi structures with dynamite, The Saboteur keeps things fresh.
However it's stealth elements leave much to be desired, when you are in a restricted area or just sneaking about, a yellow suspicion meter fills up when an enemy notices your presence, this meter also fills up even when you are disguised, and doing things like running, jumping, or shooting causes the meter fill up faster. Once it is full a guard will blow a whistle and sound an alarm and all enemies will come right to your area and attack you. This can be a bit frustrating as you never feel like stealth is ever entirely in your control, rather it mostly just feels like raw luck and there is little you can do about it. The Saboteur just simply lacks good stealth gameplay.
Fortunately the other aspects of The Saboteur are quite solid and you don't have to sneak around if you don't choose, you are free to go guns blazing whenever you want. There are many different types of guns available, all of which you purchase off of the Black Market or taking from dead enemies. From pistols and revolvers, shot guns and rifles, machine guns and snipers, and even flame throwers and rocket launchers, The Saboteur has quite an arsenal available that makes you feel like a kid in a candy store.
The guns are fun to shoot and the mechanics are quite solid. Outside of shooting there are also a variety of melee combat options, you can kill someone by bashing their brains in with your guns, or you can put it away and engage in fights with your fists, legs, grabs, and even your head. There is also the classic TNT and it will be your main game changing weapon, planting dynamite on Nazi structures is quite intense and you'll love running away from the area and watching the explosion in the distance, and the best part is that Nazi structures are completely destructible!
There is also a climbing element that is similar to many other games, you can scale buildings and various structures by climbing, this gives The Saboteur even more variety in it's gameplay, allowing you to choose the best course of action to accomplish your goal. As far as driving goes, you are free to steal vehicles from Nazi and pedestrian alike.The driving element feels a little clunky compared to other games, but this is due to the game going for a more realistic approach as the vehicles are all from the 1940's. It takes a little time to get used to, but once you do you'll be out running Nazi patrols like a pro.
Outside of the main missions, which is of pretty good length in it's self, there are countless hours worth of side, free roam, and secondary missions and tasks to accomplish. Things like assassinating top Nazi generals, discovering landmarks around Paris, destroying Nazi structures and equipment, upgrading your abilities with perks by completing various challenges, taking part in races around the city, and much, much more! The Saboteur is a full packed game that will keep you busy for a very long time! The soundtrack is also great, selecting from various Jazz tracks and other hits, nothing is better than setting dynamite off on a Nazi Watchtower then smoothly driving away as Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" kicks in.
Final Verdict:
The Saboteur is a game that is well worth playing. It has a good open world to explore, lot's of content, style, and it's just fun to plat. This is a game that you owe it to yourself to pick up.
The Saboteur get's a 4/5
