Prisoner of War (PlayStation 2)

By JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * )

Everything you do in Prisoner of War, from picking up information to digging escape tunnels, contributes to the big push to overcome the Nazis. For lead character Captain Lewis Stone (a badly rendered Hugh Grant in a flyer's jacket) the war is over but the good fight continues every day.

Much of the gameplay involves selecting appropriate remarks while talking to fellow inmates, gathering clues that may lead to your escape.

The rest is a peculiar mix of stealth, puzzle solving and standing around, while the
German guards stroll past, muttering things like, "Out of my way, Yankee, or you will end up in the cooler". Not exactly a huge threat, considering ending up in the cooler is inevitable and you are allowed out practically straight away.

As a 3D action title, the game is mostly played using the
customary third-person view, which can be switched to first-person if you need to look around or view certain objects more closely.

The visuals are a little murky but Codemasters is known for producing games that sometimes look patchy but generally play well — the Xbox version could improve and lighten up things a bit.

Prisoner of War is worthy of note in that there's nothing else around quite like it, but the game suffers from numerous flaws — not least a distinct lack of pace.

Players arrive at the camp, they report to the mess hall, then the barracks, but there is little in the way of genuine action or even fun. The control system is a bit shaky as well and not very intuitive.

I was in the camp seven days before I worked out how to put down my backpack, and often my attempts to do so would cause me to miss roll call, inspiring camp-wide searches, complete with trigger-happy guards and German shepherds.

I had been looking forward to this game, mainly because the premise is so original and intriguing, but sadly, on closer inspection, the only way I could play Prisoner of War for long periods of time would be if I really was locked up in Colditz.

$129.95

* jon@tenthplanet.co.nz