Because EA every year brings out updated versions of some many of their titles, it is sometimes easy to forget that they also bring out some spectacular new I.P. as well. (Dead Space last year for example) New this year is a fun WWII game from Pandemic Studios that not only innovates the WWII genre but also introduces a new interesting character in a free-roaming world. That character is Sean Devlin, a tough talking (especially if you download the adult patch) mechanic/car driver that finds himself trapped in occupied France. Driven by personal feelings of guilt and the need for revenge and with the help of the British Secret Service and the French Resistance, Sean aims to strike at the very heart of the Nazi forces that are currently occupying and terrorising the French people. Sean is a hard drinking, womanizing Irishman and his story is told in a combination of flashbacks that are intermingled with the missions he chooses to undertake. However being an “open world” game, whether you choose to undertake these missions or not is completely up to you. Thankfully not only is Sean an excellent driver but he is also a marksman, bomb expert and incredibly strong and experienced brawler, all talents that you will have to make use of as the game progresses. The game “borrows” elements from other titles. Sean climbs buildings in bounds just like the Assassin’s Creed games and there is also an indicator to show when he is in the sights of the enemy. However unlike other games that use this element, here it is not used as subtle. This is partially because of the number of Germans/Nazis means that he is almost always in sight of one of them and also because it is relatively easy to escape from them. As I mentioned before there is a download that comes free with every copy of the game that makes the game more adult. This is not just in language, but also in one of the main locations of the game. Download it and one of the first things you see is a pair of large bouncing animated bare boobs. This is because Sean’s hideout is in one of the Burlesque Venues of Paris. Here he can regularly watch topless dancers perform should he wish (and there is actually a trophy for how many women that you kiss). There is actually no point to this but it adds to the adult feel of the title. As well as the main story of the game (which lasts for around 14 hours) there are also lots of side missions that you can decide that you wish to complete or not. This will mainly depend if you decide you wish to liberate the entire map at your disposal or not. There are also cars to collect, a duck hunt mini game to complete and various races to compete in should you decide too.
Unfortunately that brings me to my only complaint about the game. For a title that races and driving vehicles is a main part of, the actual handling and feel of the cars feels incredibly light-weight. You swerve all over the place on the road, colliding with other vehicles and sometimes knocking pedestrians over without any damage to your car or retribution. It somewhat dilutes the “reality” of the situation, which is a shame because the storyline has done so much to build it up. Graphically the game is a mixed bag. Anything done in the Black and White sections seems to be very good and the women in the burlesque are some of the most beautiful and most realistic yet seen in a computer game. However, some of the animation elsewhere leaves a little to be desired especially the climbing sequences. The explosions are all very well done however. Sound wise the soundtrack used is fantastic and the vocal acting is all top class and helps to flow the storyline along. Occasionally some of the dialogue, especially when the characters are sat in the vehicles seems a little forced but nothing that spoils the game. Overall I love this game much more than I expected too. The storyline is strong and well told. Yes the game borrows from other titles but what it borrows it borrows well. The various elements found within the game vary in terms of quality but when brought together make a whole that is one of the highlights of the year and one that I am going to enjoy playing again over the Christmas/New Year break.
Well worth purchasing and I hope not the last we see of Sean. | 
PS3 
