"Before playing this game you need to know a couple of things, one the game is total stealth and two no weapons if you don't like that you won't like the game, The game is done very well, you start in a little prison with not much trouble escaping and then you go to a prison with tigher sucrety and it gets harder. The main thing is to talk to other prisoners and complete objects so you can get out. The game is pulled off pretty good and if you like a game were you use only stealth you will like this game."
I can't tell why these people are giving it such high ratings though.
I thought that the idea worked well in theory but in practice I found it slow and boring.
I implore anyone who is tempted to buy it to hire it first. Gameplay: I didn't find it very appealing at all really.
I got bored and very quickly. It's confusing and involves concentration. I suppose boring people might enjoy it. Graphics: Mmmmm. Well I love the Xbox. I am sad that so many games now are multiconsole releases. This is because programmers are not really bothered to make the extra effort to push the Xbox to it's full graphic capacity and instead we end up with PS2 quality. While this is not too bad it isn't really anything exciting either. Sound: Not appealing at all really. I didn't really notice anything interesting. Suggestions: Push the Xbox more. Make the camp bigger. Have more prisoners to talk to. Create a more dynamic gaming experience.
Overall: A lot of fun. Not groundbreaking, not Halo, not something to quit your job to play (like Halo ;-) but still a lot of good 'ol fasion fun. Gameplay: Alright. There are times where things seem to get tedious, then I think, "Hey, why not actually play like a prisoner and go scout out your route, watch the guards routines, etc?" and then it gets back into fun.
But also in that is the major drawback. The only immersion is what I make of it. And some camera issues, but I can forgive those. The lack of immersion I can not. Graphics: So bad it is humerous. I am serious. It is as funny as looking at Pong and thinking how you used to think that was the cat's meow. They are really that bad. Sound: Voice acting is pretty bad. Except for the stereotypical Germans, which can be a riot. In the second camp, I actually got caught a couple times just to hear, "Perhaps theez will teech you zome rezpect!" I am chuckling just thinking about it. Suggestions: Um...there is a graphics card in the XBox.
Overall: This game is really good, you can really play this for hours and want more play time just to try to escape the POW camp or just to sneak out at night and drive the germans crazy by throwing stones while your under a pile of logs or by stealing the komandants war plans! Gameplay: This game has so many things to do to escape the POW camp, go around talk to people and get information, you can climb walls, throw stones to distract gaurd, disguise as a german gaurd, and even hide under a truck! Graphics: The v graphics for this game are ok, they are no the greatest but their not too bad, at some times they can be better than others, like the face design is better in some people than others and some times the characters are still talking without thier moths moving and their feet can go into the ground, only had this once happpened. Sound: The sound the Prisoner of War is good the voices are all different and well accented, most of the music is good, like the play the right music at the right time for example when a gaurd notices you trying to do something at after lights out intense music play but after you get out of his sight it stops. Suggestions: Improve the visuals and add more ways to escape than just one way and make captain stone be able to fight a little, like disarm a gaurd a steal his stuff!
Overall: This game is actually a good game. 50 bucks tho, thats the only setback, but its worth it. I've spent hours trying to think how to get by those krauts. The only setback, is that u cant get weapons, i mean, i can have a crowbar, and be sneaking around at night, yet I can't hit someone in the back of the head with it. What I really like about this game is the anxiousness that u get when you're in a restricted area, like at night, when you are dodging the guard's vision, and maneuvering in and out of spotlights Gameplay: Gameplay was good, you could change from first person to third person, though the game is in third person, and u can't move in third person. the only setback i can see is that u can't move your view around when inside, like if u dont have a good view running around the inside of a German Barracks, too bad. Graphics: The graphics in this game are good, but i thought it kind of portrayed a comic type environment, thought meant to be serious and all, it just looked comic. but it makes up for it with the elaborate settings of the camps. Sound: Music, in most games, can be annoying, although the music in this game never seemed to get on my nerves, u dont notice it too much. What i also like, is that whenever you're in an illegal area of a camp, you can hear your heart beat grow, and theres nothing more tense than hiding behind a barrel from a German Guard just centimeters in front of you.
what i also like is the dialogue, u can choose what u want to say to someone, like, when u get an assignment by one of the Escape Committee Members, u can ask around the camp and chat with some other prisoners, and ask them questions.
Also, no german in this game, its english, which is nice, and the accents sound real/ Suggestions: Don't make the sewer of Colditz so !&%$@#* hard. And stop making the guy get caught. The guy gets caught by german 5 times, u break out of prison 4 times, and then get caught, its annoying.
Overall: A really unique game with a good sneaking feeling. A good game to have for the people that are tired of all the shooting and violence and the same action games. I personally love those games but this game was nice to play. A real challenge in this game. Makes you think and feel like you're really a Prisoner of War. If players want a real challenge, or if you simply love stealth/sneaking games, then this game's for you. I rented this game to see how it was and it turned out to be pretty good. The graphics arent too good though, doesnt take advantage of the Xbox's hardware but the challenge and voice acting could make up for some of it. A recommended game to gamers that love challenges. Gameplay: The gameplay may be kind of boring to most gamers and it was boring for me too. No guns, no weapons, no attack maneuvers.. that sounds boring. But what makes this game NOT boring is the fact that you have to use your wits and brainpower to get through it. This game is a challenge and the gameplay is just perfect for this genre. Even though there are some flaws, there are flaws in every game, even the best games have flaws. The enemy AI can be dumb sometimes but not enough to !&%$@#* you off. The only major problem I have for this gameplay is that there is no side-step or strafing. Graphics: The graphics are kind of cheesy. Seems kind of like a PS2 game but they are a little sharper than the PS2's version. Framerate doesnt drop and the character models look nice. One problem that caught my eye was when characters talk, only their mouth moves and they look like a statue but with a moving mouth. Looks kinda funny. But, overall, the character models are pretty good. The environments are ok too. But a 3.5 i gave it because it didnt take advantage of the Xbox's power. Sound: The sound is actually pretty good in this game. The voice acting is good in this game and a real relief because you dont have to read everything like in Morrowind. It does let you read it, but they also say it which makes it better. The music fits in with the gameplay also. So, ill give this a 4.5. Suggestions: Make the graphics better and add a side-step feature. Also, make it more realistic and better enemy AI. Still have no guns, but make it like u could punch out a guard and take his stuff, that'll make this game much better and more realistic. A non-linear feel to it. Other than that, a pretty solid game although not the best game.
Overall: I've had this since it was released in Europe in late July, and I'm still enjoying it as much as the first day. Generally it's a really good game. I was impressed with the unique style of game that it is - no guns or super-powers.
This game also has sufficient appeal to go back at least once and try to beat your previous score - even more than once if you played it 'properly' (i.e. not reloading the previous save point before you're captured).
However it is a game that requires patience and some trial and error. It's perfect for people that like a challenge. Gameplay: This unique style of game brings that added extra appeal.
Unfortunately, it's more linear than we are led to believe by various reviews, basically consisting of tasks/mini-missions for each camp and not the freedom to leave how and when you like. I sneaked to a boundary fence without any guards or turrets or barbed wire near it, yet wasn't allowed to climb the fence as I had to do it about 10 metres further down.
Still, these details don't detract from a nice experience. You can come back to it to try to beat your previous scores and doing so isn't tedious.
Graphics: Probably summed up by the fact that this game is also out on PS2 and it doesn't look like the superior graphics of the Xbox have been treated to a graphically superior version. Don't get me wrong, the graphics aren't bad at all, a lot of detail has gone into it - especially Colditz which is a perfect likeness - but it's not pushing the Xbox to the limit. Sound: The sound certainly creates a good atmosphere and gets your heart beating when you're being chased, so you can't ask for more than that really! Suggestions: Nice job! A few simple improvements could have been made, but certainly effort has gone into this and a good result.
Made in Canada