The Saboteur

It's a dark time for the city of love...

Pandemic Studios' intriguing new action-adventure title, The Saboteur, takes one of the most tired video game settings, World War II, and infuses it with new life.

You play as Sean Devlin – not a soldier; just a man caught in a tough situation. Set in German-occupied Paris, and the surrounding countryside, The Saboteur offers an immersive and free experience in the French capital. More than just a run-and-gun affair, this promises to be about brawn and brain, speed and stealth. Scrambling over rooftops, hiding out in whorehouses – this is the rebel's life you must lead.

The protagonist is partly inspired by war hero William Grover-Williams, though as an Irishman, Devlin is more of an outsider in the game world of Paris. Initially just trying to stay out of the conflict, Devlin is pushed to the edge when one of his friends is killed by the Nazis.

Revenge, then, is the order of the day. Acting alone for the most part, you will take on the Nazi invaders by means of (surprise, surprise) sabotage. Tanks, trains, zeppelins, bridges: everything is fair game. And you will only be able to achieve your destructive goals by using subterfuge. Sneak past guards, use the night, and travel by back-alleys.

But remember, though the city is ostensibly in enemy hands, the populace can be your allies. A key game element will be Will to Fight (WtF). This is the extent to which the Parisian citizens in the area are resisting the Nazi regime, and it affects not just the gameplay – with less enemy soldiers around in high-WtF zones – but also the look of the game. WtF will be represented in game by the amount of colour around you: when the populace is being successfully oppressed, everything may seem dark and grey and colourless (excepting some vivid Nazi German flags), but if you can spark the morale of the beautiful city, its vibrant colour will return...

Though the stylised visuals could be a risky move, this sounds like a game to watch out for – something far more intense and interesting than usual action fare. It should hit PC, PS3 and 360 in the next couple of months.