So, after much fan anticipation (and much secrecy from developers), Hidden & Dangerous arrives and sets a new standard in ultra-realistic military action. Developer Illusion Softworks gets high points for style with this tense multi-perspective, tactical adventure game that takes you back to the end of WWII. Your men belong to an elite force of British soldiers called the Special Air Service, which executes covert operations deep in enemy territory. Controlling a small squad of four commandos, you must think and sniper your way through 23 missions spread across six locales in Europe. Though this game has all the smoothness and sharp 3D graphics of a shooter, rushing in with guns blazing will get you obliterated. As in Commandos and Rainbow Six, stealth and patience are the keys to success.
Hidden & Dangerous is heavy on realism, with all the weapons, characters, music and environments tailored to create a distinctive historical atmosphere that draws you in right from the onset. You can switch control among your four soldiers and smooth camera control allows you to alternate between 3rd and 1st person viewpoints as you traverse some immense 3D environments. The attention to detail is refreshing; there's even a sweet pre-mission briefing that zooms you over a 3D model of the area while some British radio announcer who, come to think of it, sounds quite a bit like Basil Exposition of Austin Powers fame, outlines your objectives for you. This same map view is available at any time in the game, (you'll find yourself consulting it constantly!) and when I saw the gleaming surface of the oak table on which the model is set, I knew I was going to like this game. There's a lot of nice touches like that to be found here, with buildings, vehicles, and weapon effects that really look authentic, even through the all-seeing eye of a sniper scope.
The graphics displayed in Hidden & Dangerous are simply amazing. Huge, lush 3D landscapes that stretch away as far as the eye can see, with astounding weather and lighting effects that push the quality bar a notch higher than anything I've seen before. The proprietary graphics engine is sturdy, fast, and responsive even with tricky swooping camera views, like when you switch between characters that are relatively close to one another. The character movement is smooth as silk, and, except when you're pushing through tree branches or crawling over bodies (which can lead to some instances of your soldier floating a few inches off the ground), there are few instances of black space or object phasing to be found. The characters are all nicely modeled and pixilated graphics are only noticeable when you go for extreme zoom in sniper mode. Naturally, this is all dependent on the machine you're using. There are patches available, which should help with constant crashing on slower machines. Either way, it all looks very sharp, with gratuitously realistic effects and excellent character controls that allow you to sneak up and place one right between the enemy's eyes. (Evil laugh!)
The sound effects are just as impressive, to the point of being eerie. Drops of rain spatter on the grass around you, barely masking the far-off sound of a train whistle, as a river roars by to the east. Hey, that's just in the first mission, people. The same quality holds true for interior spaces, with the sound of your footsteps echoing claustrophobically around you. The sound effects raise the tension level, causing you to really wonder what's around the next corner, or behind that log piling over to your left. You get the idea; this is immersive gaming at its very finest, and the sound goes a long way towards transporting you right there, crawling on your belly up to the crest of a hill to look down for Nazi snipers. There's a word I'm looking for here--oh, yeah...wow! That's the word.
Challenging, creative gameplay adds the icing to this already excellent cake. Though you're bound to initially try to play through the missions with a one sniper approach, later missions will require you to coordinate actions with your other squad members, having them provide cover fire or watch for people rushing up on your sniper's flank. This is where H&D's map mode really shines, allowing you to program actions for each commando, entire series of actions, which you can coordinate or alter on the fly with real-time commands when you're on the battlefield. The AI for enemies and teammates is top-notch, with a variety of different units and behaviors to hinder your progress. Enemies will seek cover, charge at your position, and remain alert if they sense danger, and some of them are deadly accurate if their hair is up, so don't underestimate the Germans.
There's an incredible amount of depth here, both in terms of level design and in the sheer variety of tactics that you can employ to complete the missions. Though it takes a while to get the hang of keeping track of the whole squad without switching characters continually, it's a must if you want to have a chance of succeeding in the later campaigns. The options available to you once you are able to macro-manage your squad in map mode are worth the preliminary chaos that will inevitably ensue upon first attempting to program group maneuvers. This is not a game for members of the "charge in and shoot everything that moves" school of thought, and the challenge and fatality level is high even on the easy difficulty setting, especially if you're the type to barge in like Schwarzenegger. Weapons include knives, revolvers, submachine guns, sniper rifles (of course), and the always handy bazooka. There are also various grenades, mines, and timed explosives that are critical to some missions. However, all the weapon effects are authentic, almost to a fault, so fans of huge explosions and flashy effects may be disappointed. Some of the missions even allow you to commandeer enemy vehicles and stationary weapons, which can be a whole lot of good, wholesome, destructive fun.
As if this all weren't enough reason to buy this game, the overall story line for Hidden & Dangerous is excellent, with a lot of plot twists which can leave your squad in some unexpected situations. Character development is something the developers may want to consider working into the sequel. Though there is a large selection of soldiers to choose from, each with a little bio and unique attributes, this isn't really a game with vibrant characters. I shudder with glee at the thought of playing a game like this with strong characters and voices like those found in Baldur's Gate or Metal Gear Solid. Still, all in all, H&D is one hell of a good game, and is sure to challenge and amaze even jaded veterans of the genre.
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Addictiveness
Compulsive
Originality
Good
Value for money
Satisfactory - it’s a reasonable game
Longevity/Expected Longevity
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