You’ve watched delicate dancers gyrate with bouncing breasts exposed, now consider watching nine more minutes captured from the opening of Pandemic’s The Saboteur, the studio’s last release before EA closed their doors.
These first few minutes (beyond the boobs) reveal how lead protagonist Sean Devlin becomes involved with the French resistance. His temperament during this initial scene is no good -- a point that I stressed by murdering two women as soon as the game gave me the reigns of the man. I should note that the constant chaos during the rest of these initial ten minutes are all accidental. The starter car controls like it has three tons of lead in its trunk, so swerving and sidewalk slaying was unavoidable.
I don't think a ten minute taste will do this game justice, as it starts out slow and stilted and even somewhat disappointing. For me it took about an hour to get good, but then it got really quite good, too. It's certainly a bit rough around the edges, and not GOTY material, but it's great explosive fun and has moments of absolute badass brilliance. Hm.
Oh, never mind. I completely forgot about the training mission which is, indeed, pretty badass. The subsequent flashback however, is fairly meh up until the post-race cutscene, as I just pointed out.
This video is already fail because you have boobs turned off and thus she is wearing pasties.
Seriously though, I am loving the game, Jim's review was surprisingly accurate. It is rough around the edges but very fun. Graphics are kind of meh though and no AA option on PC sucks.
I like the theme and color scheme of the city. The mood seems to fit the game perfectly. Dark and depressing and as the game goes on no doubt as you liberate areas it will add color and life to it. The controls look standard GTA style roaming and brawling. Didn't get to see weapons yet so who can say.
Maybe the 'ten minutes taste' shouldn't be necessarily from the first minutes of gameplay. As other users point out, this video doesn't look to show the best of the game.
The first ten show what most anyone will probably be like when they start off the game, and they show initial problems one will see in it. Plus the first ten minutes lack any spoilers.
@D-503 yeah, it makes sence in that way, specially speaking of spoilers. I can't think in any sandbox game where the first minutes shows the true potencial of the game, either. :/
liking what ive played so far. the black and white is pretty classy and the brawling aspect is far far better than gta 4's clunky-ass controls. for some reason, the overdramatic entrance of dieter von wangmeister (or whatever, all krauts' names sound alike anyway) and seans subsequent "im fuckin' irish" retort to being called british had me rolling on the floor.
also all these women are seriously smokin hot, pasties or no
I love all the "looks like crap" comments with no reasons as to why that is.
Games like this without AAA budgets and marketing seem to be "crap" just because, which is sad. I have found more enjoyment in underrated games than popular ones lately.
I just beat it not 15 minutes ago. It is an excellent game, and one of the few sandboxes that kept my interest until the end. I would say worth a rental at the very least.
One second into the game, and the player goes all Grand Theft and slugs the nearest woman. Typical. And Sean apparently is a little too loaded to be driving.
If you found Assassin's Creed Boring and Repetitive, play The Saboteur.
Last night I was tasked with tailing a Nazi Officer, then assassinating the informant he was about to pay off. I let the Officer go, and casually walked up to the rat, grabbed him by the collar. I threw him to the ground, and stamped on his head. There was no artistic, boring exposition, no cuddling the man as he died. I broke his neck with my heel, and that was it. I then left the area before the Wehrmacht could be informed.
That 5 minute mission was more exciting, an satisfying than any of AC's main missions.
Not to be too critical, but the combat looks as smooth as boxing with cardboard boxes tied to Sean's hands and ankles, compared to anything in AC. The game doesn't look bad, but it does seem somewhat generic and could benefit from improved atmosphere. Also, games created in black and white should focus on shadows and contrast, which this clearly fails at.
@Justlike
That's not true at all: nearly done with The Saboteur, and the missions are much better in ACII.
Plus, the "coddling", as you call it, only happens a few times during the course of AC II: and even then, I enjoy killing Italian officials more than faceless nazis, who I've killed thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times.
@Damaga
"Generic" - This has to be the worst semi-idiotic but oh-so-serious word that has been used to review games by lazy couch-designers this year. define:generic in google will help you.
How many Open world games set in Paris during the Nazi Occupation, using a stylish colour-drain effect have you played this year?
@Magnalon
Coddling[sic] and Assassination are two activities that should never happen within 15 seconds of each other.
To me this just looks like GTA reskinned as a noir with some demolition missions. And the inspector Clouseau accents are ridiculous. If a movie started out with that kind of dialog, would you watch the whole thing?
Here's a tip to game devs: If you want to put a French character in your game, use a French dubber. If it hadn't been for the subtitles, I would have been unable to decypher "Espèce d'enfoiré de merde".
Apart from that, I'm pretty intersted in the game, I'll probably buy it.
the design document probably said somewhere that "this game should look stylish, like them old black and white moogies what they has on the Turner"
and then they proceeded to never hire an Art Director. it looks bad. you can tell they wanted it to look cool and noir, but the animation, lack of consistent palette, canned accents, and gummy-looking models just tear the whole thing down.
The game is good but not great. It has plenty of elements to make it an enticing title, but unfortunately comes a bit short as far as gameplay goes. Check out <a href="http://thego.com.au/gaming/item/root/thesaboteur">TheGo</a> for a better look at what the game is like.
i cant believe they didn't try to ride the Inglourious Basterds wave and market this big when the Basterds DVD commercials were runnning. im sold though, it looks like fun.
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Contest:
8:00 PM on 12.10.2009
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Seriously though, I am loving the game, Jim's review was surprisingly accurate. It is rough around the edges but very fun. Graphics are kind of meh though and no AA option on PC sucks.
It is GTA with a bit of Assassin's Creed mixed in.
The first ten show what most anyone will probably be like when they start off the game, and they show initial problems one will see in it. Plus the first ten minutes lack any spoilers.
also all these women are seriously smokin hot, pasties or no
AKA skip to the 4 minute mark.
What Exquisitor said is kind of true: the Modern Warfare 2 one was basically a two minute taste.
On a side not, what the holy fuck just happened to the front page?
Games like this without AAA budgets and marketing seem to be "crap" just because, which is sad. I have found more enjoyment in underrated games than popular ones lately.
I love how all you need to do to enter the french resistance was walk around the corner and click "participate"
If you found Assassin's Creed Boring and Repetitive, play The Saboteur.
Last night I was tasked with tailing a Nazi Officer, then assassinating the informant he was about to pay off. I let the Officer go, and casually walked up to the rat, grabbed him by the collar. I threw him to the ground, and stamped on his head. There was no artistic, boring exposition, no cuddling the man as he died. I broke his neck with my heel, and that was it. I then left the area before the Wehrmacht could be informed.
That 5 minute mission was more exciting, an satisfying than any of AC's main missions.
That's not true at all: nearly done with The Saboteur, and the missions are much better in ACII.
Plus, the "coddling", as you call it, only happens a few times during the course of AC II: and even then, I enjoy killing Italian officials more than faceless nazis, who I've killed thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times.
"Generic" - This has to be the worst semi-idiotic but oh-so-serious word that has been used to review games by lazy couch-designers this year. define:generic in google will help you.
How many Open world games set in Paris during the Nazi Occupation, using a stylish colour-drain effect have you played this year?
@Magnalon
Coddling[sic] and Assassination are two activities that should never happen within 15 seconds of each other.
AC had a lot of coddling, but the biggest coddle session in AC II is 10 seconds, max.
Anyway, I just beat The Saboteur: it's half as long, and not really as varied. Wasn't really impressed outside of the beautiful visual style.
Apart from that, I'm pretty intersted in the game, I'll probably buy it.
and then they proceeded to never hire an Art Director. it looks bad. you can tell they wanted it to look cool and noir, but the animation, lack of consistent palette, canned accents, and gummy-looking models just tear the whole thing down.
Asked my girlfriend for this game for Christmas, can't wait.