The Saboteur

About The Saboteur

The Saboteur is a gritty action-adventure shooter released in late 2009 by Pandemic Studios under Electronic Arts. You play as Sean Devlin, an Irish mechanic living in Nazi-occupied France who turns to the Resistance for help. The game launched on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC with a single-player campaign focused on revenge. It features a distinct art style where the world shifts from monochrome to color as you liberate areas. Players race cars, fight soldiers, and sabotage war efforts across a stylized Paris. This title stands out for its unique visual approach during an era dominated by realistic war games.

Gameplay

Sessions revolve around driving fast, shooting enemies, and planting explosives. You navigate open streets using on-foot combat or high-speed car chases. The core loop involves taking down specific targets while avoiding patrols. You can blow up zeppelins, derail trains, or topple bridges to disrupt enemy operations. Combat feels heavy with melee takedowns and a variety of period-accurate weapons. The game tracks your progress through the city as you unlock new areas. Controls are responsive for both driving and shooting, though some missions require precise timing during heists. You spend most minutes planning an exit or rushing to an objective before alarms trigger.

What Players Think

Critics and players gave this title mixed feedback with an IGDB score of 74.8 based on 180 ratings. The community mood often swings between frustration over repetitive missions and enjoyment of the car physics. Average playtime hovers around 12 hours for a standard run, though completionists spend significantly longer hunting every collectible. Review snippets frequently mention the vibrant art style as a highlight while criticizing the AI. Some users note that the RPG elements feel shallow compared to dedicated titles in the genre. Despite the flaws, many players return to the game specifically for the vehicle handling and the visual contrast of occupied Paris.

PlayPile's Take

This game is worth buying if you want a story-driven shooter with a unique look rather than simulation realism. The price point varies but often drops low on secondary markets. Players can chase down 50 achievements that mostly reward exploration and completionist behavior. You should skip it if you expect deep tactical RPG mechanics or tight mission variety. The car combat is fun but the shooting gets stale after an hour. Sean Devlin delivers a solid revenge story, yet the technical jank holds it back from greatness. Grab this one on sale for the ride alone.

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.