I've certainly made no effort to garner EA's The Publisher's good will in the past, but despite my ill comments I am willing to accept that they frequently have their hands shoved into the warm, beating chest cavities of great developing partners. This time it's Pandemic's heart that is at risk, yet I can't help feeling like, maybe this time, it will be for the better. Having access to pockets that deep should certainly help a little...
Pandemic have built themselves a sound legacy with Full Spectrum Warrior, Destroy All Humans! 1 and 2, and the Mercenaries games, yet they've never really exploded into the zeitgeist with a smash hit that the community just can't stop talking about. They seem to have an excellent talent for creating engrossing worlds and genuinely likable (if not sometimes hollow) characters, so hopefully their latest efforts with Saboteur for the Xbox360 and PS3 will change this.
You play as an Irish racer who decides to fight his own war against the Nazis after they kill one of his friends. The protagonist was inspired by William Grover-Williams, a war hero for the French Resistance during WWII, and your most important weapons are infiltration and sabotage. Using them, an arsenal of period appropriate lead-spitters, and your own cold, murderous hands, you set out to reclaim portions of occupied territory for the native people.
One of the most intriguing features of the game is the groan-inducingly named WtF, or "Will to Fight", factor. As you overcome and slay filthy Nazis, the resident citizens will gradually become motivated by your actions to fight themselves. Slightly motivated they may offer you goods and supplies, but when exceptionally motivated they will trade blows and bullets with your foes as well.
Allegedly, you can never truly clear an area of Nazi resistance, but once you've made strides in that direction your continued efforts in the region will be made easier by the assistance of the resistance. Whether this is a valid gameplay feature or just a bullet-point meant to make us care about a title that is otherwise lacking in creativity is yet to be seen, though.
It isn't much, but you can check out this teaser-and-then-some video from IGN.com:
I am a genuine fan of Pandemic's work, but I'm also genuinely concerned about EA's willingness to involve themselves in matters they should not, like other people's development processes. Still, I am confident this will turn out to be at least rent worthy product, and I look forward to learning more about it.
Lord knows killing Nazis can get redundant, but I'll be damned if it ever gets old.
-Unfather (hates Nazis)
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