The Great Escape

"Prisoner of War is an average game. Whoops, i mean The Great Escape. How could i make such a silly mistake?"

We all know what The Great Escape is, right? It's a classic War film which was made in 1963, which basically everyone knows. We can't forget the classic theme tune for it also, which is still in everybody's heads today. But how does it draw as a game? Most movies made into a game aren't really that stunning, with the exception of a little few. But does this one do the job? Can it become as popular as the movie? Find out in my review of, The Great Escape.

Graphics
Ah, nothing too stunning, yet nothing too poor. The guards and the main characters all look pretty neat, as does the scenery. You'll be going around German camps and the such, which are modeled quite realistic and pretty nicely. Although, it's nothing too special. You won't be thinking; ''Wow!'' all the time, but is still does the job. As you're basically in a small camp trying to escape the whole time, you'll be surrounded with buildings and fences. So obviously the graphics don't need to be excellent, as it doesn't really add anything, beautiful or not. Seeing as the game is basically Prisoner of Wars advanced, at least the graphics are better than that game. I don't like referring to a game as another in a review, but it looks exactly like Prisoner of War. Nothing much to say really. Basic yet effective graphics.

Sound/Audio
Let's see. The music is alright i guess, as you will be able to hear the popular theme tune for The Great Escape. There maybe 2-3 other tunes in the game, but i haven't really noticed them. Too busy listening to the original ;). The voice-overs are pretty dull, and it doesn't do the job. Voice-overs are a big part of a game really, especially one of this gender. The conversations you have with other captured people in the camps aren't really effective, and are boring to be honest. Plus they last about 2 seconds, without giving you much detail on what your next objective is. The German guards are also pretty boring, as they will say repeated lines over and over again. ''What is that?'', ''Who goes there?'' are just a few examples. You will those speeches a long time while playing, but it could get you pretty scared when they shout it out, especially when sneaking around for a long time. Once again; pretty average, doesn't add anything 'special' to the whole system.

Gameplay
The Great Escape, like Prisoner of War, revolves around a Metal Gear Solid type of a Stealth/Action game. You'll be sneaking around for basically all the time in the game, and one spot from the guards and it will be Game Over. However, the game isn't really as classy as MGS, of course. The controls are pretty much awkward, and there are too many buttons to deal with. You will load up the Options menu and see so many the actions that you'll be actually shocked. Too many buttons to master, which makes the whole game pretty much difficult. You can get used to them, but i doubt you will master them all, even after you've completed the game. Unlike Prisoner of War however, you can use guns and actually choke the guards silently from behind, which gives you a good advantage of sneaking around peacefully in that area. It's also pretty neat that you can pick him up and move the choked-out dead body, so that another guard doesn't come and sound the alarm. Once again, pretty neat and definitely boosts up the realism factor.

The artificial intelligence for the enemies is essential in a Stealth/Action type of game, so that it makes it difficult and realistic at the same time. In The Great Escape, you will find that the guards aren't really programmed to be smart at all, and they will sometimes (quite rarely) ignore you. Yes, you can hide in dark shadows which makes it harder for them to see you, but you could even run in the light and they will ask ''What's that?'', yet shortly after say ''It's probably nothing'', when it's way obvious that it's a trying-to-escape prisoner. Once again, it brings the game down. Poor AI in a Stealth type of game equals bad things.

Story
You basically get to control four different prisoners, who are all aiming to escape the German POW camps. Obviously, it's set in World War II and you've been captured. You will be set many (or few, in some cases) objectives in one setting, and there is a few missions for each character. As you can guess it can be a pretty long game, as it's also quite difficult. The story is basic, but effective. Seeing as it's titled the Great Escape and you should of seen the movie, what else were you expecting? Each character has his own personality and backstory.

Replayability
You complete the game and that's it, nothing more to say really. You don't unlock anything, except this new mode which is quite challenging. The game can be difficult on the Hard mode, obviously, which is a pretty good challenge if you completed on Easy (which won't take that long).

Buy or Rent?
Rent. Maybe not even Rent it. If you're a die-hard Stealth gamer and you're thinking this is pretty good, you may want to buy it. But be warned, it's not exactly Metal Gear Solid material for you. I don't think you will buy it, depending on what type of games you're into the most.

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The Great Escape is a very basic game, and one which you won't really like. If you're a die-hard Stealth gamer then you may like it, but it's not confirmed. You may like the game if you're a big fan of the movie and Stealth games, and it may be a nice add to your collection. It's an average game, with average Gameplay and Graphics. Therefore, it only gets a basic rating from me. But if you've played Prisoner of War, doesn't this game seem exactly the same? Yes, it does.
Overall: 6/10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/03