A Retrospective Brief Review
The Saboteur was the last game developed by Pandemic Studios before shut down by Electronic Arts. For the last game, fair enough. You still can get satisfaction and enjoyment while playing this game. But there is the pain point that means to be delivered by this game, but severely ruined: stealth.
What it's about?
How the best way I start to tell you about The Saboteur's story?
Ah, maybe, like this:
It starts with boobies ... a lot of boobies. And booties.
Although the first scene of the game is shockingly erotic with a girl stripping in front of Nazi's thugs, with no bra and wears a thong, the story is not about prostitute business or anything pervert. It is about the fugitive names Sean, an Irishman that planned to avenge the Nazi's soldier and race driver, names Dierker, that killed his buddies because of false accusations of being a British secret agent. Sean is helped by the Nazi's opposition leader in Paris, Lucas, and British agent, Bishop, to find Dierker in cost of destroying the Nazi's plan and properties. The heart of the mission is to kill Dierker and raising a strength for Resistance, the civilian opposition of Nazi's, to take back Paris.
Is the story good? Is it told well?
The story is uncommon in any way. Taking personal revenge on a certain person in the Nazi is unique. But it makes a whole story become simple. The story about the Nazi's opposition raising in Paris is somehow generic and nothing special about it. It also applies to the story of secret missions that are given to Sean by a British agent. There is no special about the story as a whole.
The way the game delivers the story is somehow cliche. We can guess what happened next because the main story is tasted absolutely linear. I really try to be engaged with the story but there are no characters, dialogue, nor sets that emanate the captivating side of the lore that the game tried to deliver. The story is just ok, but lack of breath-taking plot or conflict.
Score: 5/10 - Fair
How about the sets?
The set is somehow beautiful with a distinctive art style. The colour tone of Paris in black and white with certain colour appearing like red for the Nazi's flag, The tone is turned to be polychromatic while you gain Resistance a power in a certain area in Paris.
The size is shockingly large for me, I do not expect this size of the world on this game.
The surrounding is immersive. Nazi's identity is everywhere. German engineering is shown up with Zeppelin and Tank. World war era is exhibited by a spacious urban set, classic cars, and farms.
Several details of Paris is shown well. Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dam, etc.
Beautiful and Immersive.
Score: 8/10 - Excellent
How about the gameplay? Did you enjoy it?
There are two faces of this game. The one is beautiful but the other is severely in need of a tune-up.
The good things about the gameplay are:
1. We need to blow the Nazi's properties to get a material to be swapped with a weapon, ammunition, etc. Blowing up the Nazi's properties is fun with dynamite and other explosive weapons.
2. Confronting hostile NPC is somehow fun. The weapon is powerful to neutralize NPC with one headshot.
3. It is easy. If you see it as an advantage
The drawbacks are:
1. Stealth mechanics is crippled. It is pretty hard to be not suspicious in front of the Nazi's thug. The suspicion level is raising up too fast, give the player no time to hide or do something else. The mechanic is somehow hard to be done well. Stealth kill is the most disappointing point of this game because frequently I encounter the game does not allow me to stealth kill, even I was on NPC's back.
2. Hostile AI is frequently glitched. Sometimes the NPC in distance just freezes and taking no damage.
3. Beside stealth control, combat control is super clunky.
Score: 4/10 - Slightly Disappointing
VERDICT:
6/10
Worth revisiting?
I don't think so
First-time player?
It is ok to play, at least you would not be disappointed.