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Conceptually, The Saboteur doesn't necessarily sound like that it'd be that interesting an idea. The game marries two of the most overused design settings in recent years: World War II and open-world games. If you think about it, this strategy might not yield the most intriguing result. This isn't to say there's anything wrong with either WWII or open world games; true, they've been just about beaten to death, but that doesn't mean the well of inspiration is completely dry, particularly for the latter. The problem instead seems that developers and publishers have always maintained a very narrow vision of how to best approach each of these subjects, with the appearance of little outward thought to alternative views.
I could write a long treatise on the kind of tunnel vision that births most open world games, but even as these games reach saturation point, they're still far from being as overexposed as WWII-themed games. In fact, most gamers (or critics, or other journalists for that matter) would probably argue that as a game setting, the bones of WWII have long been picked clean.
I disagree. The whole WWII FPS trend may have started with Wolfenstein 3D (an idea that was popularized later with EA's Medal of Honor series) but holding the war exclusively in this context is arguably a slap in the face of history, not to mention innovation in game design. There seems little reason to limit the breadth of WWII to either straightforward shootouts or tactical maneuvers of troops, ships and equipment, yet these scenarios are by far the most popular cases. Watching the bullet spray from a Thompson gun riddle the body of an indiscriminately evil Nazi is only one take on the time period, however. One need only look at the approach attempted in Velvet Assassin's almost survival horror-esque mood and atmospherics to see that. Velvet Assassin is of course an outlier, a stealth WWII title and very poorly executed one at that. But I give it a little credit for using surrealism and dread, low-key lighting to at least try something different with what's become a tired, routine setting.
One look at the The Saboteur's mostly monochromatic palette and you know it's trying to do something different as well. Using black, white and a splash of color, comparisons to Schindler's List are perhaps inevitable, but while the conceit of color bled from an autocratic state is not exactly new, using it to express the hardships experienced by the oppressed citizens of Nazi-occupied Paris is certainly an interesting artistic touch. Liberating sections of the city from the grasp of the Reich, of course, yields a world bursting with color (and, as one would expect, joie de vivre). This is a surface level change, however, and has little effect on The Saboteur's core mechanics or gameplay. Sadly, this is what I feared when I first set eyes on the game—its use of black and white versus color isn't much more than a gimmicky paint job, with no real ties to anything past a surface level aesthetics. When it comes to artistic value, The Saboteur almost completely falls on its face.
However, initial impressions can be deceiving.
What may not be instantly apparent about The Saboteur is that despite any artistic or higher-minded failings the game may have, it's got verve. In fact, the game's greatest triumph, aside from it remaining entertaining throughout, is that it manages to avoid the pitfalls prevalent in both open-world and WWII games and never really gets stale.
This happens for a few reasons. First and foremost is Sean Devlin. As the infinitely likeable titular saboteur, you really get to know Sean over the course of the game. A race car driver before the war, he likes fast cars, drinking and women, all of which are reflected in his devil-may-care personality. But Sean's characterization is great because he isn't just a rough sketch, as is so often seen in video games; Sean may be riddled with guilt and the desire for vengeance, but he reveals different sides of his personality in his various parts throughout the game. The character's depth is a credit both to the voice actor and to the game's script and adds a level of enjoyment that might not have happened with a weaker narrative or poor acting.
Along the same lines is the game's narrative itself, which is deeper and more engaging than you might expect, given its open-world trappings. It's clear that Pandemic spent a great deal of time working on this, because there's a comparative crackle to the script when measured up to the spread-too-thin stories commonly seen in other open-world games. Caught up in the world of the French resistance after witnessing a personal tragedy, Sean meets a host of different characters, all with their own motivations, and to some degree, their own stories to tell. The secondary nature of some these stories, played out in a series of side missions, is obvious, particularly in the abrupt way they trail off with no real conclusion while the main narrative whirls around the more important people Sean meets and interacts with. The design challenge of making a game open-ended but still telling a compelling tale is a tough balance to maintain, but The Saboteur manages to do so without lagging too much. The result is a story that's more of a yarn than a slow plod, and lends the game an addictive ‘just one more mission' element that more often than not has you wondering what's going to happen next.
Plot and character development wouldn't mean much if the game wasn't entertaining to play. Here, the game doesn't deviate much from design templates of other open world games, particularly the Assassin's Creed series. Unsurprisingly, missions are almost entirely made up of various kinds of sabotage, whether it involves stealing, blowing up a Nazi installation of some kind or numerous, varied assassination assignments. Sean's climbing abilities help here, as he can clamber across the rooftops of almost any building in Paris, much like Assassin's Creed II's Ezio. This quickly becomes an essential skill for trespassing into enemy facilities and generally wreaking havoc. What keeps The Saboteur engaging when the going gets tough, though, is the effort Pandemic put into the combat. The shoulder-cam used when Sean picks up a gun makes shooting a cinch (and pretty damn satisfying) and the cover system is easy to use. It's not a complex system by any means, but you'll be surprised how intuitive it is to have a camera that more closely resembles Resident Evil 5 than Grand Theft Auto IV. This alone generally keeps gunfights from getting stale (the core missions' level design doesn't hurt either) and Sean's penchant for blowing things up only adds to the enjoyment. Hand-to-hand stuff can be a little dodgier, but unless you're punching out a guard, you won't be using it much. Another plus is Paris itself, which is beautifully rendered and helps keep the game refreshing. Most Nazi installations look the same, but notable landmarks and neighborhoods in the city help to break up the monotony, as does the particularly lush French countryside. Maybe it's just me, but even the fact that you can (and often will) drive out to the rural areas outside the city helped The Saboteur avoid the feeling of being in the same old place, and with open-world games, this is a rare treat.
But the game still has its problems. AI can be atrocious and gameplay can be buggy on occasion. The stealth system, comprised entirely of Sean wearing enemy uniforms, is borderline useless, since you can't get with ten feet of a Nazi before he becomes suspicious and sounds the alarm, even if you're not doing anything shady (also, there are Nazis everywhere) The enemy also tends to overreact—if you get in a fist fight with a Nazi, don't be surprised if every soldier and SS member within a three block radius instantly starts opening fire on you with machine guns. I also wanted to see a little more period authenticity—if you shoot a Nazi and make a speedy getaway in a borrowed vehicle, there's no way that the Reich's 1940 radio system would be able to make every solider in the city instantly aware of who you are, what you're driving and your exact location within a matter of minutes. Say what you will about making the game too easy, but if you alert a group of enemies in one section of the city and then drive clear over to the other side, the alert should drop. It's just stupid otherwise.
Similarly, I can understand the appeal of having the Germans and French speak English (which they do sometimes, but bafflingly not others) but it wouldn't have killed Pandemic to at least include an option to play the game with subtitles for some of the foreign language spoken, a la Inglourious Basterds. There's no doubt that the game could've benefited from a few extra months' polish, but even with its rough edges, The Saboteur is in fact something different—if only slightly, and for better or worse.
Fun Factor: The Saboteur is, for the most part, a damn good time. At the very least it's a different take on killing Nazis.
Game length: The main story will take you about 12 hours, but you can add another 6-8 if you want to see everything the game has to offer.
Difficulty: Challenging but not impossible. Avoids the insurmountable difficulty often seen in the later levels of most open-world games.
On the negative side: Art direction is gorgeous but at surface-level only, the game can be buggy and the AI often sucks. Pandemic should've polished this one a little more.
Bang for your buck: There's a lot to do in Paris. This one will keep you busy for a while.
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