|
The Greatest Escape?
By Tom Fahey
 |
|
"No
one will see me as my camo gear
makes me virtually... Arrrg, I'm hit!"
|
Imagine putting your hand
into a cookie jar, to find yourself with a biscuit you have never
before sampled.
At first sight you know it's no Monte Carlo, though you give it
a chance and take a bite.
It doesn't have the cream and jam centre that make it a favorite,
nor does it leave that lovely aftertaste, which you forevermore
lust.
Though for a brief moment you feel somewhat enlightened by this
new flavor, which makes it all worthwhile...
Codemasters haven't given us the Monte Carlo of the "stealth"
games, that award goes to Hideo Kojima no questions, but they did
give us that satisfying flavor that wet our appetite nonetheless.
World War II: Prisoner Of War is a new, somewhat uniquely-crafted
stealth-based game for the PS2.
In this third person style game, you explore, discover, and essentially
escape different locations throughout Germany as the smart tongued,
stylishly dressed Captain Lewis Stone.
Shot down by Nazi scum, the pilot is arrested the moment he and
his parachute hit the ground - the very same moment his sly tongue
comes into play.
 |
|
"Bootpolish?
To hell with that! Turn the goddamned
contrast up you fool - I can't even see
you!"
|
Once the poorly scripted cut scenes are over, you are free to move
around your new home - a prisoner of war (POW) camp. You can interact
with the other prisoners - and the guards for the matter - though
they make for very limited conversation. And I thought Nazis loved
Americans...
Basically the idea is to escape. You can collect various items
such as crowbars, enemy uniforms, keys, and even boot polish to
blacken your face at night!
Each item you find is essentially the key to your success, though
as you escape from one camp, you get captured and move onto the
next... Sigh.
So what else can you do but start scavenging again?
But it really is the best way to familiarise yourself with your
environment.
One of the quickest ways to gain your items back is to buy them.
Not with money, but with product cigarettes, alcohol, chocolate
- the list continues.
Each of these items are worth a certain amount (Brandy holding
the most value ^_^ ) and you can trade them for various items.
Has anyone out there seen the Steve McQueen classic The Great Escape?
Well this game is like playing the movie. Tops!
 |
|
"This
isn't Dizz-nee Land..."
|
POW has some rather good graphics to boot, as well.
With stylishly distorted figures and facial expressions, the graphics
make for a comical effect when compared to the serious gameplay.
Still, the character designs hold great importance to the realistic
feel of the game.
With many different uniforms from the various military units of
the allied forces, you really get the idea of what the war camps
must have been like.
As far as the atmospheric-type graphics go, there's nothing too
special, but all the same there is a certain level of detail that
is bound to impress.
In adding to the realistic feeling of the war camp, the sound plays
a vital role. Enter the German accent! OMG I just cant get enough
of it.
"Halt!! American scum!! Shop or I vil shoot!!!!" Oh dear...I
think Ive lost the plot. But in any case, it sure does improve the
overall affect of the various prisons.
So here's the deal ladies and gents: Save a little money and put
those Monte Carlos back on the shelf, and grab a different bickie
for much-needed gaming variation.
Prisoner of War is an entertaining title with quite a lot to it
and the relatively unique style of play will certainly entertain
in the short term, if not the long.
Fans of other stealth games including MGS, Splinter Cell, and the
good old Tenchu should defiantly try out this newbie. And who knows?
It could be the cream-filled cookie you were looking for all this
time. ^_~
Game: Prisoner of War
System: PS2
Players: 1
Memory Card: Yes
Developer: Codemasters
Distributor: GameNation
Rating: 80%
(Ratings
Key/Explantion)
Prisoner of War is on the shelves now.
|
