Description:
At its best, Hidden and Dangerous thrusts players into the middle of a gritty World War II movie as they control a small team of specialized soldiers in daring missions behind enemy lines that are fairly crawling with Nazis. The superb graphics create a convincing atmosphere, regardless of the terrain missions play out on. The sound effects--from pattering rain to the frantic screaming of an alerted guard--did much to suck us deeper into the game. In fact, Hidden and Dangerous would stand as one of the best games of its type if not for its numerous bugs and steep hardware requirements. The game plays out from either a first-person or third-person perspective, and you control one soldier while giving orders to three others. You can switch control among the soldiers at any time, letting you make, say, a critical sniper shot when necessary. The missions that comprise the various campaigns are really tough, and it usually took us a few "reconnaissance" runs to get a feel for the levels before we could come up with a workable battle plan. You need a seriously fast computer with a fire-breathing video card to get the game to run smoothly, but even a fast computer will be crippled by the glitches that slipped through the testing process. These range from minor things, like walls that aren't really solid, to major mission-killing bugs that just shouldn't be there. Hidden and Dangerous is fun when it works, but prepare to be frustrated until a patch emerges that sorts things out. --T. Byrl Baker Pros: - Atmospheric graphics and sounds
- Plays like a dramatic WWII movie
- Great production values
Cons: - Many glitches that patches still haven't fixed
- Requires a lot of processor and video card muscle
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