The Saboteur™ Blow up occupied Paris

The city starts drained of it: occupied districts sit in black and white, with only small splashes of red where the enemy marks its ground. It is a simple idea, and it works: every act of sabotage visibly changes the world, and the contrast between a liberated boulevard and a grey one two streets over tells you exactly how the war is going. The more you incite the townspeople, the more they help, stepping into fights or offering a quick getaway when German patrols come after you.

You get your mission intel in underground clubs and cabarets, then go to work. Disable trains, destroy bridges, blow up enemy facilities: most targets come down to getting close without being seen and planting your explosives. Wear a disguise, create a distraction, strike quietly, or make noise and fight your way out. Get spotted and an alarm brings German cars hunting for you; break line of sight and slip out of the search area to lose them. When the job goes sideways, call the Underground for a getaway car, a weapon delivery or a distraction.

This is an open-world Paris, and a playful one. You race cars through its streets and countryside, brawl in alleys, scramble over rooftops, and climb the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame Cathedral for a sniping mission. The city takes liberties with real geography, but the landmarks are there, along with the surrounding villages and German installations. The whole thing leans on atmosphere: a jazz soundtrack, cabarets, classic cars, coats and hats. It is a 2009 game and shows its age in places, but the style carries it, and the story of Sean's revenge against Colonel Dierker keeps pulling you forward.