Saboteur is in the running for some early game of the year awards.

Most embarrassing stereotypes. Doesn't matter what nationality the character is supposed to be it's all bad. If the Irish main character were any more stereotyped he'd be dressed in green and advertising Lucky Charms on St. Patrick's Day.

Most cringe-worthy accents. I thought the Italian guy was French, the French sound like refugees from 'Allo Allo', the Irish is 100% cheap Guinness advert, and the British one sounds like heaven knows what. Oh, and the Germans. Just ... the Germans. Ugh!

The achievement confetti award for handing out over 1/5 of its awards in under 2 hours of opening tutorial gameplay.

The face/palm award for daftest story set up. The opening shows a random French chappy walking up to the player character, whom he has never met before, and asking him if he wants to blow up Nazis. In the middle of a busy club. Which is full of gestapo and German officers.

The 'second place' award for releasing after a title which does similar things but better. Climbing, free missions, and massive living cities with historical flavour were done better by Assassin's Creed II.

The "Whoops!" award for clumsy controls. I didn't actually want to dive off that 7 storey building. Or punch that soldier. Or run over those civilians. Or lob that grenade at my feet. But I did want to throw that guard off the tower (and didn't manage to) and stealth kill that other guard (and didn't manage to)

Best use of colour. Occupied zones are black and white with rare splashes of colour for things like swastika banners. Areas where liberty is starting to return are in full colour.


Heh. Most players say that the first couple of hours are by far the worst. I can say that the game's improving now that it's opening up and the barrage of dire cutscenes is easing up.

I also played the Bayonetta demo today. That wins the 'staring in stunned incomprehension at the screen' award hands down, and takes silver and bronze too! Insanity is entirely inadequate to describe it; it reaches new heights of Japanese crazy-game and then builds a skyscraper on them, stands at the very top, and stretches onto tip-toes.