The Saboteur - A masterpiece ignored by EA, press and players

I'm thrilled to finally see that EA has released this game on Steam after all these months and years of regular checks on the SteamDB entry. Thank you!
I have played this game a long time ago on my Origin account. I replay it now and I remember again why I love this game.

The story, atmosphere, world, missions, and gameplay—everything about this game is fantastic, in my opinion. It's easily one of the best games in EA's portfolio, as well as being a genuinely unique title.
As Sean, an Irish racecar driver living in Nazi-occupied Paris, you can even travel to parts of Germany.

Pandemic did an excellent job with many aspects of the game, pouring their hearts and souls into it. The main and side missions are both spectacular, each offering something different from the others.
Unlike modern games where missions tend to feel repetitive, The Saboteur stands out with its diverse range of challenges.
The use of black and white filters adds to the game's somber mood while highlighting the oppression of the era.
Other notable features include various weapons, climbing abilities, stealth options, destructible environments, detailed settings, and populated streets filled with recognizable landmarks.

Despite knowing it was their final shot at survival, Pandemic took risks and delivered an impressive experience. Unfortunately, EA shut down the studio shortly after, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential.
Although the game received little attention upon release, it has gained traction over the years, albeit too late for those involved. This reminds me of other overlooked titles like Sleeping Dogs, Assassin's Creed Unity, and L.A. Noire.
Because of the closure, the game is not perfect. There are some graphical and audio bugs, a 60 FPS cap and sometimes it crashes. The menu feels really "cheap", for example there is no button to open the map instantly.
The graphics are pretty outdated and worse than other games in this time period like GTA 4, Mafia 2 or Just Cause 2. The speakers in this game are weird. German is my native language and these speaker are clearly no native speakers (I play in English). The really good cutscenes are too rare. There is a loading screen when you enter buildings. In these moments, you can sense that the game was developed in a hurry and on a tight budget.
With more time and a higher budget, it could have been a masterpiece and easily the game of the year 2009 (or 2010). But EA did not see the potential and closed Pandemic before (!) the release of The Saboteur, after they have bought them two years earlier. Such business practices should be prohibited. I am still angry about this. I would love to see a remaster of The Saboteur, a second part, a new Mercenaries or the a remaster of the old ones.

Now we are here in 2024. I can fully recommend you this game. It is better than many new games, but you have to live with some bugs, 60 FPS and poor graphics.
If you go for it, you will be playing one of the best games of recent years. And the last project of the beloved Pandemic studios. We, the players, miss you and your games...

The Saboteur - A masterpiece ignored by EA, press and players I'm thrilled to finally see that EA has released this game on Steam after all these months and years of regular checks on the SteamDB entry. Thank you! I have played this game a long time ago on my Origin account. I replay it now and I remember again why I love this game. The story, atmosphere, world, missions, and gameplay—everything about this game is fantastic, in my opinion. It's easily one of the best games in EA's portfolio, as well as being a genuinely unique title. As Sean, an Irish racecar driver living in Nazi-occupied Paris, you can even travel to parts of Germany. Pandemic did an excellent job with many aspects of the game, pouring their hearts and souls into it. The main and side missions are both spectacular, each offering something different from the others. Unlike modern games where missions tend to feel repetitive, The Saboteur stands out with its diverse range of challenges. The use of black and white filters adds to the game's somber mood while highlighting the oppression of the era. Other notable features include various weapons, climbing abilities, stealth options, destructible environments, detailed settings, and populated streets filled with recognizable landmarks. Despite knowing it was their final shot at survival, Pandemic took risks and delivered an impressive experience. Unfortunately, EA shut down the studio shortly after, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential. Although the game received little attention upon release, it has gained traction over the years, albeit too late for those involved. This reminds me of other overlooked titles like Sleeping Dogs, Assassin's Creed Unity, and L.A. Noire. Because of the closure, the game is not perfect. There are some graphical and audio bugs, a 60 FPS cap and sometimes it crashes. The menu feels really "cheap", for example there is no button to open the map instantly. The graphics are pretty outdated and worse than other games in this time period like GTA 4, Mafia 2 or Just Cause 2. The speakers in this game are weird. German is my native language and these speaker are clearly no native speakers (I play in English). The really good cutscenes are too rare. There is a loading screen when you enter buildings. In these moments, you can sense that the game was developed in a hurry and on a tight budget. With more time and a higher budget, it could have been a masterpiece and easily the game of the year 2009 (or 2010). But EA did not see the potential and closed Pandemic before (!) the release of The Saboteur, after they have bought them two years earlier. Such business practices should be prohibited. I am still angry about this. I would love to see a remaster of The Saboteur, a second part, a new Mercenaries or the a remaster of the old ones. Now we are here in 2024. I can fully recommend you this game. It is better than many new games, but you have to live with some bugs, 60 FPS and poor graphics. If you go for it, you will be playing one of the best games of recent years. And the last project of the beloved Pandemic studios. We, the players, miss you and your games...