Saboteur is newly announced game from Pandemic studios, and it is looking to be a fresh approach to a tired couple of genres. First up is the World War II setting, which has had a bunch of strategy games, first person shooters, and a few combat flight titles. Next up is the stealth action genre perhaps best exemplified by the Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid franchises. Then there’s the open world “sandbox” type of games, such as Grand Theft Auto or Crackdown. By placing a stealth action game in an open world with the setting of WWII one comes up with something unique and different enough.

Yes, the stealth action and open world type gameplay elements are somewhat at odds with each other, but the developers are working on finding a balance of the two. This won’t be a “dead body management” but some smarts will absolutely have to be used.

When game’s director Trey Watkins and producer Philip Hong asked how this game will be different, he responded that the game is set in WWII, but we’re not a WWII game – it’s about a guy and his personal story. It just happens to be set in WWII; much like Indiana Jones isn’t considered to be a WWII movie.

What really sets Saboteur apart will be the story. This takes a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time – Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion. Sean is an Irishman, currently living in Paris. Some of this will come into play during the game, as he is aware of his heritage as an expatriate, but isn’t aligned to the French resistance, though they do have a common enemy.

Another way the game will be different will be the visuals – and there are no claims of absolute photorealism either. Instead, a device inspired by the film Sin City gives the film its look, which is initially black and white, with a few swatches of color. As neighborhoods are given hope through the actions of the main character, color (life) returns. Making the game black and white is more than simply taking the colors out of the visuals. There is a whole new approach to lighting, shadows, contrast and more that needs to be planned for. Additionally, players will be able to straddle two neighborhoods and see the difference where one is still struggling under the occupation, and other has begun to fight back. As the story missions are completed, eventually the whole city will return to its previous visual state full of color and life.

Saboteur is an open world action game – and while there are plenty of stealth elements, the pacing is going to be more of what you would expect from an action game. Since it is an open world, players will be able to traverse rooftops as well as the streets. A number of the buildings will be open too. It is this extensive use of the 3D environment that will help give the game a distinctive stealth action flavor. There is something being referred to as a “clamor” system, which allows Sean to go up drainpipes, drop off of balconies, etc. Think of Parkour, or free running. The main character is somewhat athletic and dexterous, but he’s not superhuman. Making his way up to the roof and traversing the city this way could be the quickest way out of a tight spot. There will be a number of various challenges in the environment to overcome, so it will not be a completely free-roaming city where Sean can go anywhere at any time, but the openness of the city is giving the developers a lot of room to work with as far as the stealth and action elements are concerned. And don’t forget about the sewers.

Originally from DigNews