There aren't many games like Pandemic Studios' The Saboteur. As opposed to other games set during World War II, it isn't a first-person shooter that has players mowing down endless waves of Nazi troopers. Instead, it's a third-person adventure that requires judgment and discretion, and it uses some stunning art direction as a significant part of its gameplay. The game, which also happens to be the late developer's final release, is a bittersweet thing to play: it gets so much right, but one has to wonder how much better it would have been if Pandemic hadn't been shut down, partially due to the debacle that was The Dark Knight game adaptation.

Our story begins in Nazi-occupied Paris. The city is gripped by fear, and the invaders are terrorizing its citizens. Sean Devlin, an Irish race car driver (based on real-life French Resistance member William Grover-Williams) is hiding out in a popular cabaret club, keeping his head down, and nursing his hatred for the Germans while simultaneously nursing drinks. Devlin's best friend was murdered by a high-ranking member of the Third Reich; as a result, he's easily recruited by the French Resistance to throw a monkey wrench into the invasion's engine.

Title The Saboteur Developer Pandemic Studios Publisher Electronic Arts Price $49.99 to $59.99 Shop.ars Platform Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3, PC

This is simultaneously a tale of personal vengeance and an epic war story, with some Indiana Jones-like supernatural elements thrown in, without getting too ridiculous.

As a result, the game's plot goes all over the place, but it balances story elements competently. Overall, the story is gripping, fun, and maintains just enough tension to keep things compelling.

Who says games aren't art?

The game's strongest aspect is, without a doubt, its art design. While the character models aren't anything amazing, the city and countryside is lovingly rendered, conveying just how beautiful Paris and its surrounding farmland was before the Nazi occupation. But the best part of the game's style is how wonderfully it is used to convey mood. At the start of the game, the entire city is a shadow of its former glory: rain seems to constantly be falling from cloudy skies, and the world is nothing more than shades of grey; the only color that regularly appears is the red of spilled blood, Nazi armbands, and German flags hanging from buildings. Once Sean starts waging his one-man war against Germany's invasion force, neighborhoods regain their luster, with stellar results.

Meanwhile, the colors of Paris's revitalized areas are wonderful, conveying mood far better than any character animation could ever hope to. Some of the best moments, though, are when you're scouting out locations from the rooftops of Paris and can see the contrast between the free and oppressed areas: the contrast between the color and shades of grey is simply breathtaking. Needless to say, the game's artwork is absolutely beautiful and creative, but it never feels out of place in an action game.

The Saboteur's use of color is stunning, which makes for a winning combination with the intense action sequences.

No area of Paris looks like any other, and the fact that a game world so large is easy to navigate is an accomplishment in itself. The architecture and landscape changes from one neighborhood to the next, and landscapes like Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower are all visitable. Paris actually feels like a real city, one that is far more believable than the open cities that have appeared in so many other games.

Open world: both a blessing and a curse

The Saboteur is an open world game that allows players to wander anywhere they want in WWII Paris. Taking a note from Assassin's Creed, Sean can climb up walls and buildings in order to navigate the city without attracting unwanted attention, but the parkour moments are rather slow and boring, as opposed to fast-paced and fluid like such action should be.

Unfortunately, The Saboteur also falls prey to the design flaw of providing too many similar quests. Sure, it's fun to run through the city and plant dynamite at the base of sniper towers, propaganda speakers, and anti-aircraft guns, but the fact that there are hundreds of these free-play missions means they start to run together after the first few dozen times you experience them. None of these free-play moments are boring or badly executed, but it sometimes feels like there are way too many of them, which detracts a bit from the overall experience.

At least the story missions are all pretty varied, and completing them increases the "Will to Fight" of Paris's population. As the WtF increases enough to bring color back to a neighborhood, the Nazi presence is no longer gone, but it is severely reduced. These neighborhoods eventually establish pocket areas where the French Resistance will appear and help Devlin fight against the forces of the Third Reich if they're pursuing him. It will take a little while to get to this point, but once you get there, the game becomes even more action-packed.

Accomplishing missions of any type earns Devlin contraband items, which are the game's form of currency. You can spend contraband on weapons, vehicles, and various upgrades; the good thing about the plethora of free-play spots is that there are countless opportunities to earn some cash, no matter what your style of play is.

Aside from being able to purchase upgrades, you can also earn "perks" by accomplishing special achievements. For example, blowing up a certain number of German towers will allow you to carry more explosives, while stealth-killing five Nazi generals will provide Devlin with a new, deadly, attack. These perks do a lot to help even the playing field later on, since enemies become better-equipped and more powerful as the game progresses.

The stealth needs some more sneakiness

The biggest problem with The Saboteur, though, is that it has a large emphasis on stealth during the main missions. Unfortunately, keeping out of sight when you're trying to avoid detection is easier said than done. The only stealth mechanic you have at your disposal is a silent walk and the ability to disguise yourself as a German soldier if you performed a silent kill on them (bloody uniforms are automatically unavailable, so don't expect to put on a German outfit if you've just shot someone). It's a shame that there's no ability to hide in the shadows, or have a better warning system that tells you when you're starting to be observed. As a result, it's actually easier to just run through parts of a mission with both guns a-blazin' and then deactivate the alarms or find a hidey hole to take the heat off.

Unfortunately, the game's stealth scenarios aren't all that amazing, which is somewhat problematic because many core missions are stealth-based.

Thankfully, the direct approach to action is as strong as the stealth portions are weak. Aiming is easy, taking cover is automatic, and the enemies are tough enough to provide a reasonable challenge. This is something to be expected from Pandemic based on the studio's track record with the Mercenaries games. There's also an abundance of firearms to use, and even normal vehicles can be weaponized later on in the game. Devlin's brawling maneuvers, while effective against one or two opponents, aren't all that useful when more enemies appear, meaning that it's generally safer to stick to guns and explosives.

It's a shame that Pandemic was liquidated after finishing The Saboteur earlier this year. The game is a lot of fun in spite of some shortcomings. Had there been some more time to apply some polish to the title, this probably could have been an epic masterpiece. As it is, it's an action title that's still better than most of the other games on the market, and will provide more than enough enjoyment to justify a purchase.

Verdict: Buy