The Saboteur - another gem that went under the radar...
Story
The Saboteur's story revolves around the French Revolution during the Nazi occupied period. You are playing as an Irish mechanic and driver, who ends up in Paris after some personal tragic events. The story is full of interesting and diverse missions, memorable characters and overall it is very well presented. For an open world game, the main story is very engaging, which makes you keep going and wanting to uncover more and more. There are some very memorable characters as well - something that is really important in the long lasting appeal a particular game leaves you with.
The game is also full of freeplay side missions as well. They help you gather resources in the form of contraband, which is used as a barter to buy new weapons and gear. 8.5/10
Graphics
The graphical presentation of The Saboteur is very good. The games was release a couple of years ago, so one would imagine that it even looked more impressive back then. Suffice it to say, it is not the best looking game out there, but the scenery, character models and cutscenes are of good quality. 8/10
Sound and Voice Acting
The Saboteur features a very appropriate soundtrack and an outstanding voice acting. The voices are distinct and used in a very professional manner. You could hear German language (while Nazis are talking in between them), you hear French language (when the French population is engaged in conversation). Of course, the main characters dialogues are engaged in English, but with accent nuances.
The soundtrack features very appropriate 40's songs, which fit seamlessly. 9/10
Gameplay
The Saboteur borrows from another top class open world game - Grand Theft Auto IV. The controls are similar, but there are also new features.Cars are also involved - you can collect them, buy them and fix them. There are two or three different approaches to a mission. I have read some reviews saying the the stealth elements do not work as designed, but i actually did not find any major flaws with stealth. It involves stealing clean German uniforms and pretend being one of the Nazi patrols. You can sneak as well and stealthily kill and dispose of enemies. You can also approach more of head-on approach. There are several different weapon categories that you can purchase and expand on. Probably the biggest asset of your arsenal will be the dynamite. You will be using it for sabotaging Nazi artillery, watch towers, building, weapon stashes and many more. So make sure you stock up on dynamite for every mission!
Another great gameplay feature concerns the graphical presentation. The open world is presented in black and white colors in every occupied area of Paris. Once you complete certain missions in that particular location, the color returns and substitutes the black and white palette, so you can easily determine whether you are in a Nazi occupied part of town or in a town where the Resistance has a stronger position. You can use those Resistance-present areas to easily escape Nazi cars chasing you. 8/10
Long-Lasting Appeal
I was extremely surprised when i picked up The Saboteur and instantly liked it. It engages you in a well-presented story, a ton of things to do and graphically looks good. The game is pretty long you can play for 40-50 hours, so any game that provides you with that longevity (and is also addicting) is worth it for a re-play. To be honest with you, this has to be one of my favorite things to do as a gamer - sniff out those hidden gems that nobody has played, but are actually very deserving and under-appreciated games. And The Saboteur is definitely one of them...8.5/10
Overall, The Saboteur is a must try for any gamer. Another cult classic for your collection...8.5/10
EvilSelf...