Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron
Score: 75% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Gathering Developer: Illusion Softworks Media: CD/3 Players: 1 - 32 Genre: Squad-Based/ Third Person Shooter/ Stealth
Graphics & Sound: Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron is the expansion to last year’s Hidden & Dangerous 2. Although the game was mired with gameplay issues, it still managed to provide a fun experience. Sabre Squadron keeps the same general feel of the original, but fails to address the game’s nagging issues. Sabre Squadron adds little to the game’s presentation. Environments look as good as ever, and add a few new locales like a bombed-out village in Poland and a submarine. Environments showcase a number of small details, and still allow for lots of exploration. One of the best aspects of the game’s environments is that the areas look used. A common mistake on most games is that environments, while they may look great, have a frozen, sterile feel to them. In Sabre Squadron, you’ll come across messy desks, overturned chairs -- things you would expect to see in a wartime operation center. Music once again sets the appropriate mood during missions, as does the voice acting. During missions, characters will speak in their native languages (with English subtitles), helping to draw you into the game.
Gameplay: Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Sqaudron adds nine new single-player missions, as well as eight new multiplayer maps, and a new online co-op play mode. Also included are new weapons and vehicles. The new missions are fun and provide a variety in objectives, but end up feeling hollow in the end. One mission has you rescuing downed airmen and destroying the experimental craft they were flying, while another has you sneaking into a German dock and taking out a group of U-boats. The main problem with the entire package is that the missions feel more like rehashes of other missions -- some from the expansion -- rather than new ideas. It’s hard to give too much grief for the lack of variety, but when you can swap out briefings for one mission with another, it gets a little boring. The real draw to Sabre Squadron is the new multiplayer maps and the co-op mode. The new maps are really laid out well, such as trench-filled frozen tundra or a sniper’s paradise in a ruined city. One mission will even let you jump into tanks and battle for control. Playing co-op with friends (provided you can actually find someone to play with) is a blast, and makes the game much more enjoyable than when you’re dealing with A.I. -- which is still lacking. When playing with a group, you can focus more on tactics and gameplay, and don’t have to waste time micromanaging and babysitting your squad.
Difficulty: A.I. still poses a major problem in Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron. Although the blurb on the back mentions improved A.I., squad mates still require constant supervision; otherwise they’ll wander off and get themselves killed. This is likely to happen a lot since, when faced with danger, soldiers aren’t that bright and will usually take the oncoming fire rather than seeking shelter. Enemy A.I. is just as bad, and once again you can dance around singing show tunes -- this time in a chorus line with your squad (well, those who haven’t wandered off and gotten shot) -- and they won’t notice you.
Game Mechanics: The same control system from the original is back in Sabre Squadron. Commands are still easy to issue, but good luck in having your teammates actually follow them. Every aspect of the game is overly complicated, and requires more work than it should. Fumbling around in my backpack for ammo or a first-aid kit is the last thing I want to find myself doing while I’m being shot at. It adds a certain element of realism to the situation, but it’s not fun. Controls are still overly complex and, once again, seem bent on using nearly every button on the keyboard. Some key configurations are available, as is a custom setup. I’d recommend sticking to the pre-setup configurations. The custom setup will let you tailor the control scheme to your liking, but it can take about half an hour to get every button assigned. The new vehicles handle really well and with little fuss. Throughout the game you’ll have ample opportunities to drive around in a number of vehicles like jeeps and the game’s newest addition -- the Sherman tank. Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron is a fitting expansion, but fails to improve or fix any of the problems from the original release. Still, at $10, it’s hard to pass up the expansion if you enjoyed the original.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Minimum System Requirements: Pentium 3 2 GHz, 2.4 GB HD space, 128 MB RAM, 32 MB video card, DirectX 8.1   Test System: Windows XP, Pentium 4 1.7 GHz, Radeon 9100 128 MB, 40 Gig HD, 640 MB RAM, DirectX 9.0
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