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PRISONER OF WAR (PS2)
The greatest escape?
By TOM FAHEY
 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.
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!
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. ^_~
ORIGINALITY 85%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 80%
PLAYABILITY 75%
ENJOYMENT 70%
OVERALL 80%
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