The Saboteur review (Xbox 360)

As you progress through the game, you meet up with a variety of contacts from various resistance organizations. These rebellion leaders give you different objectives to take part in that not only get you closer to fulfilling your vengeance, but help to kick out the Nazi occupants as well. Your goals take many different forms, but they usually boil down to two distinct operations--kill a specific Nazi or destroy a valuable tool of tyranny. Regardless of what your ultimate goal is, The Saboteur is filled with lots of explosive action. Wave after wave of angry Nazis will attempt to stop you dead in your tracks, but you can withstand so many bullets and your health regenerates so quickly that it's only a matter of time before all of your enemies are lying motionless at your feet. Because you are so powerful, the game is frequently easy, letting you lay waste to everything that moves without much fear of losing your own life. As you get deeper into the game, the enemies become more powerful, requiring you to use a more thoughtful approach to dispatch them. Although it never becomes too difficult, the shooting stays fun and exciting throughout, serving as the driving force behind your adventure.

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It's a good thing shooting up Nazis is so fun, because the stealth elements are not developed nearly enough. You can steal the uniform off the back of a defeated soldier, allowing you to blend in with your oppressors, but it's almost impossible to stay undetected for the duration of a mission. Your cover will invariably be blown at some point in the operation, forcing you to ditch the quiet approach and go out with guns blazing. It's still worth scouting buildings beforehand to discover the easiest way in and at least attempt to blend in with the crowd for a little while, so you can limit the number of Nazis you have to face, but it's disappointing that playing this game as a stealthy saboteur is not a legitimate option. Furthermore, unarmed combat, a necessary tactic if you wish to complete missions quietly, is sloppily executed. You cannot lock on to your enemies, which makes it way too easy to miss them with a punch, and the haymakers and kicks lack impact. It's much easier to ditch the disguise and whip out your pistols than have to deal with the lousy brawling mechanics.

Aside from the main missions, there aren't a lot of different activities to take part in. There is a Duck Hunt-inspired minigame that will struggle to hold your attention even the first time you play it, and there are a few different races that are fun only if you can come to grips with the vehicle controls. You can also sign up for a number of optional quests from your rebellion contacts, but these missions are very similar to the story missions. Your best chance at finding some fun variety are the freeplay targets. The Nazis have a number of valuable supplies scattered all over the city, and you make extra money for taking these out. Some of these objects, such as barrels of oil, can be destroyed by shooting them with an automatic a few times, but most of the targets are large and heavily shielded, forcing you to plant dynamite at their base. Wiring an explosive and then sprinting away before you get caught in the blast is a lot of fun, and seeing the angry Nazis investigate the charred remains of their precious war machines is quite rewarding.

Throughout your quest to free Paris from Nazi rule, you can earn a number of perks that make overthrowing the occupying forces easier and more fun. For instance, stealing a certain number of civilian cars lets you call for your own getaway mobile whenever you're in a pinch, sniping a few Nazis from far away steadies your aiming sights, and you can earn all sorts of fancy guns by dispatching Germans in clever ways. The perks system is a great incentive to try different methods to complete your objectives and builds upon the foundation that makes the game so much fun. The action in The Saboteur is well executed and rewarding, so even though World War II is merely a backdrop and the stealth elements are underdeveloped, it's still a blast to spill gallons of Nazi blood and blow targets sky-high. The Saboteur may not be the most original sandbox game around, but it certainly stands out from the glut of other World War II-themed adventures, and it's a darn good time as long as you can put up with its minor problems.