Saboteur (computer game)
| saboteur | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Original title | The saboteur | ||
| Studio |
 Pandemic Studios
|
||
| Publisher |
Electronic Arts
|
||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
 December 4, 2009 December 8, 2009 |
||
| platform |
Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 |
||
| Game engine | Odin engine | ||
| genre | Third-person shooter , sandbox game | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse , gamepad | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
|
||
| medium | DVD-ROM , Blu-ray Disc | ||
| language | German , English | ||
| Age rating |
|
||
Saboteur is a non-linear, so-called sandbox game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts . The publication date was December 4, 2009 in Europe and December 8, 2009 in North America. The game is available for Windows , PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . It is the last product from Pandemic Studios, which was closed by the parent company Electronic Arts before it went on sale.
The game contains extensive modeling of Paris , Normandy , Picardy , Bourgogne , Le Havre and other French areas.
Content and plot
The player assumes the role of Sean, an Irish racing driver and mechanic in the Nazi Germany occupied Paris of the Second World War precarious jobs must meet and so gradually with the Resistance liberated the city from the Germans. Similar to the GTA games, you have the opportunity to explore the city completely freely and even drive across the border to Germany into Saarland. It is also possible to climb every roof in the city and, similar to Assassin's Creed , move more inconspicuously through the city. During the battles with the German occupiers, the citizens of Paris are also at the player's side, who intervene to help.
The game is presented in a look reminiscent of neo-noir films like Sin City , the color or lack of color is used as a stylistic device: occupied areas are shown in black and white, while swastika armbands, flags and blood are in red shimmer. When these areas are freed from occupation, the colors return and thus symbolically the hope of the Parisians. In addition, the player can use clever sabotage to destroy watchtowers, propaganda speakers or generators in order to weaken the German armed forces. In contrast to comparable games, this has a permanent impact on the game - a destroyed watchtower will disappear for the remainder of the game.
Development and production details
German version
In the version that was distributed in Germany, all references to National Socialism, including two excerpts from Adolf Hitler's speech, have been removed in addition to the Nazi symbols relevant to criminal law .
Planned continuation
Pandemic Studios planned to produce both an expansion of the game and a sequel. In 2009, the Australian developer Morgan Jaffit, who had previously worked as creative director and lead designer for the Pandamic studio in Brisbane , was recruited by Pandemic in Los Angeles . Jaffit was supposed to work there as creative director on the expansion and continuation, but left the company after a short time. With the closure of Pandemic Studios in December of the same year, these projects were also discontinued.
Reviews
The Saboteur received a rating of 85 points from GameStar and was awarded the GameStar Gold Award.
Games Radar stated: “The narrative, characters and setting unfortunately never reached the degree of transcendence that we had hoped for. Still, they came astonishingly close, considering the nonsense surrounding it. […] The story is told well enough and timed well enough to drown out the predictability. The characters are impressive enough and lovable enough to see their hideous accents behind them. The style and setting are beautiful enough to make up for the lack of depth. The gameplay is varied and exciting enough to distract from the lack of fine-tuning. "
In his review for Spiegel Online, Carsten Görig draws a positive conclusion, although the title seems “unfinished” and “unfortunately has some technical defects”. With a convincing game world, varied assignments and the “really good idea” of gradually returning the colors to the initially gloomy scenery, Saboteur is nevertheless a “successful action game” that “is fun”.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Owen Good: After a Trying Week, Saboteur Goes Gold. In: Kotaku . November 21, 2009, accessed July 17, 2018 .
- ↑ Electronic Arts dissolved Pandemic Studios on November 17th, 2009. Brian Crecente: Confirmed: EA Closes Pandemic Studios. kotaku.com, November 17, 2009. (English)
- ^ Review from derstandard.at
- ↑ Review by Gameswelt.de
- ↑ Review from gamers.at ( Memento of the original from January 8, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Review of Orange Zockwork
- ↑ Chris Stead: The Saboteur 2 was in the works, reveals developer. In: finder.com.au. September 28, 2016, accessed September 29, 2016 .
- ↑ Gamestar information page about The Saboteur
- ↑ Gamestar Edition 02/2010, page 64
- ↑ Charlie Barratt: The Saboteur. In: Games Radar US. January 11, 2009, accessed on March 11, 2010 (English): “And while the story, characters and setting never reach that transcendent level we first imagined, they do get surprisingly close when you consider all the silliness that surrounds them. [...] The story is well-told and well-paced enough to make up for its predictability. The characters are admirable and lovable enough to forgive their awful accents. The style and setting are beautiful enough to hide the lack of depth. The gameplay is diverse and exciting enough to hide the lack of polish. "
- ↑ Carsten Görig: Angespielt: Saboteur. Spiegel Online, December 29, 2009.
