The Saboteur

About The Saboteur

The Saboteur is a third-person action game set in a stylized Nazi-occupied France, developed by Pandemic Studios and released in 2009. You play Sean Devlin, an Irish mechanic seeking revenge by blowing up enemy targets and aiding the Resistance. The game blends stealth, combat, and gadget-based sabotage in a colorful, comic-book-inspired world. While it’s not a traditional open-world title, it offers a sandbox-like Paris with missions involving vehicle chases, rooftop climbs, and explosive set pieces. Originally hyped for its ambition, it remains a divisive entry in the EA catalog.

Gameplay

The Saboteur emphasizes stealth and creativity over brute force. You’ll sneak past patrols using a smokescreen device, disable enemies with garrote wire, and plant explosives on targets like bridges or zeppelins. Combat is fast but unpolished, with a focus on dodging and quicktime events. Climbing buildings and scaling the Eiffel Tower is a core mechanic, paired with driving missions that mix racing and combat. Missions vary from sabotage tasks to stealthy assassinations, but the structure often feels repetitive. The game’s over-the-top style and gadget diversity keep it engaging, though technical hiccups and stiff controls occasionally derail the experience.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community is split, with 74.8/100 on IGDB and 176 ratings. Average playtime is 14 hours, and 68% of players complete it. Community moods reflect this: 28% are excited, 33% indifferent, 29% annoyed, and 10% bored. Reviews praise the “wild, over-the-top chaos” and “creative gadget combos” but criticize “repetitive missions” and “clunky controls.” Some players call it a “missed opportunity” with “great ideas but poor execution.” The game’s short length and dated visuals also rankle, though its bold approach to open-world design in 2009 is acknowledged as ambitious.

PlayPile's Take

The Saboteur is a mixed bag. It’s best for players who enjoy stylized stealth-action games with a focus on gadget experimentation. At $19.99, it’s a low-risk purchase, but 45 achievements (400 points) don’t offset its flaws. Completionists may finish it for the novelty, but its repetitive structure and technical issues limit reactivity. If you’re a fan of chaotic, over-the-top missions and don’t mind dated mechanics, it’s a quirky entry in the 2000s action genre. Otherwise, skip it.

Storyline

Play as Sean Devlin, a street-tough Irish racing mechanic seeking personal redemption in the first open-world action game set in Nazi-occupied Europe. Now, it's time for payback -- with the help of the French Resistance, British intelligence, an arsenal of weaponry, and your own street smarts and brawn, you must exact revenge on those who aimed to destroy your life. Motivated by retribution and armed with tactics of sabotage, blow up zeppelins, derail trains, implode bridges, destroy armored tanks, and level enemy facilities in the name of vengeance.