The Saboteur Review

Vive La Resistance!

At best The Saboteur is a fast-paced explosive romp with plenty of challenges for the perfectionist gamer that simply has to get a 100 percent completion record. At worst, it's a technically rough-around-the-edges GTA knock-off which can sometimes frustrate and confuse you. There’s no getting around that.

One of the biggest hurdles is figuring out how you should tackle missions. Some are very straightforward, but others will leave you scratching your head as you try to plot a path to the objective and, more often than not, blow it up. The open-ended nature of the game means that it's possible to beat the missions multiple ways.

Here's an example: A book-burning Nazi General needs to be taught respect for the printed word in a lethal manner. The problem is that he is sat in a tank, gibbering propaganda through a loudspeaker in the centre of the Arc de Triomphe, while surrounded by 50 pensive soldiers. The suspicion mechanism means that you can’t just walk in there with guns blazing, nor can you perch on top of a nearby building with a sniper rifle and get the kill that way. You can’t even steal a Nazi uniform and try to blend in without being spotted.


After a great many number of failed attempts we discovered the solution. The key to success was to drive Devlin’s single-seater sports car at full tilt through the Nazis, hitting a hidden ramp which launched us over the top of the tank just as the General stuck his head up. Sure, there was a buzz to be had from pulling off such A-Team nonsense, but it wasn't very intuitive. The other main complaint is that it's too easy to trip the alarm system. Unless you're literally walking at a snail's pace, every single Nazi wants to belt you on the chin with the butt of their rifle.

The game engine seems like it buckles a little under its own weight too. The character textures are ugly and the draw distance leaves long open vistas across the city looking muddy. The frame rate is variable too, and while the PlayStation 3 version never peaks over an acceptable 30 frames per second there are many moments where it dips way below.

But when The Saboteur shines, it does so in a refreshing way. The game uses a unique visual component which is billed as the "Will to Fight." Until Devlin scares off the Nazi threat in a district, everything on-screen is displayed in black and white (with the exception of the eerily red Swastika armbands of the enemies.) This works very well and gives the game a very foreboding "against all odds" flavour. Natural colour is returned only once the threat is culled and the Resistance's presence moves in.


Pandemic has lovingly crafted an impressive rendition of Paris and its surrounding countryside. From the cliffs of Normandy to the Eiffel Tower (yes, you can climb to the top and throw yourself off like a lemming), it's all there to play with. The story is enjoyable and if you can ignore the truly outrageous (and presumably not intentionally laughable) voice acting that infects most of the characters then there are some great action-movie moments to look forward to.

But the best part of The Saboteur is easily your ability to drive anywhere you want, whenever you want and kill Nazis. There are hundreds of specific targets to blow up; bridges, seaboard-facing super guns, V-2 rockets, tanks, fuel depots, communications towers... the list goes on and on and even after the story is finished you're still able to go back and burn everything that remains under Nazi control.

If you're not past caring about World War II-based videogames and you fancy your chances as a demolitions expert (albeit a foulmouthed, whiskey-drinking one) then look no further than The Saboteur. If you've already enjoyed the likes of Assassin's Creed II and Grand Theft Auto IV then you might be a bit nonplussed with Pandemic's swan song. Just make sure the flint on your Zippo lighter isn't wet -- that dynamite won't light itself.

Score Guide