Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Prisoner of War

Written by Chris Reiter on April 15, 2002

First (and Last) Impressions: You've seen the American Solid Snake; now get ready for the German one!

So far, we've seen, heard about, or experienced video games that explore the past occurrences of World War II. However, those games usually focus on a means to wipe out Nazi troops, and to become the victor by force. Codemasters got the idea for a different approach to the war era, in a less chaotic, and more thought provoking manner. From the same people who published the MTV Music Generator titles, this June will give birth to a new angle on World War II, one that will hopefully be as entertaining as the premise makes it out to be.

What I mean by "different" from other World War II related games is that instead of killing the enemy, you'll sneak a four man team from out of four documented German prison camps straight from the year 1941 in the middle of the war's history timeline. Your team, made up of an American, a Frenchman, an Englishman, and a Dutchman, is the primary factor of the gameplay. It's true, and it's interesting, because each of the four characters you will have to individually guide one by one out of Salonika, Stalag Luft I, Stalag Luft III, and Colditz Castle. What's more, the team of men are given different status points, that are divided amongst each one, and used to their effectiveness in order to make the big escape.

Between the four characters, a status apparatus is based on abilities letting your guys have better senses in different areas. These properties distributed to each are reconnaissance; used to gain a clearer vision of the enemy's tactics, charm; used to act more inconspicuous when an enemy spots you doing something wrong, athleticism; used for carrying more items, or to run faster when needed, and stealth; used for a better balance of sneaking tactics around the base. During the game's run, you can allow your team to grow into the four different attributes, and monitor each of their points to decide who should have what for statistical purposes, that without, won't do much good otherwise when running into an enemy's sight.

You may be thinking that Prisoner of War is nothing to pay any mind to, considering the fact that you're not actually going to be killing off Nazi troops to get by. But, the idea of it is much more than that, since the gameplay instead has you sneak around campsites and will let you discover who the good and the bad guys really are. Certain prisoners, could for instance, be in league with the Nazis'. It'll be up to you to detect who is willing to be on your side. And to do that most of the time, Prisoner of War gives the player the ability to pay off others for valuable tidbits of information. By walking around the campsites, you'll be able to talk to the other incarcerated prisoners, who all desire items such as boot polish, candy, or even cigarettes in return for telling you who, what, where, when, or how to go about your sneaking process. Though, the game will also place you through a series of mini-games (such as boxing tournaments) to obtain these special items. Just the thought of using your brain for a change may make the gameplay all the worthwhile.

Even with what sounds like a really fun game to experience, the pictures and demos of the game so far project a rather degrading look, giving shame for what is to be called a PlayStation 2 title. Apparently, plain graphical features like simple body motions and textures are what is part of the whole design process. Of course the poor visuals are not the final standalone factor of what is to be seen in the final game, and there's still time to work out the bugs that need fixing up. Setting aside from that, the prisoner models are all being configured with grungy characteristics, like mud covered clothing and faces, and also, weather effects are coming along nicely with night and day aspects that will affect your character and the strategic gameplay he will need to trudge on through.