Prisoner of War

by Joe "Impaler" Highman

Article Type: Review
Article Date: November 19, 2002

Product Info

Product Name: Prisoner of War
Category: First Person Adventure
Developer: Wide Games
Publisher: Codemasters
Release Date: Released
Min. Spec: Click Here
Files & Links: Click Here

William Holden, Eat your Heart Out!

“I don’t know about you, but it always makes me sore to see those war pictures; all about flying leathernecks, and submarine patrols, and frogmen, and guerillas in the Philippines. What gets me is that there never w-w-was a picture about POWs, about prisoners of war.” With this stuttered, stammering opening line, one of the most unique movies of its time, Stalag 17, showed movie-goers a side of World War II that, while fictionalized and purified for the sensibilities of the time, had been previously unexplored.

Stalag Luft

The premise is a simple one, and truthfully, on the surface, one would have to ask the question, “Just how conducive a concept is this to translate into a computer game?” How can the monotony and pace of the captivity of a prisoner of war camp keep a gamer’s interest for long enough to be a riveting title? Just when you thought the question impossible to answer, enter Codemasters with its recent offering for the PC world, Prisoner of War.

Missions are graded based on time, hints, arrests, and wounds received.

Before Prisoner of War the only real title to explore the notion of escaping from the confines of a prisoner of war camp came in the form of the Wolfenstein franchise. What was BJ Blackowitz’s answer to the captivity question? Grab the nearest MP-40 and spray liberally, often times at mutants, zombies, or hordes of amazingly similar suicide squads. You have to love that blunt-nosed strategy on some level, but ultimately, that does little to demonstrate the frustrations, limitations, or constraints on the allied airmen and soldiers who found themselves held by an enemy and from whom it was their sworn duty to escape.

How to give a warden a coronary

Once upon a time…

The protagonist of our little story is an American aviator named Captain Lewis Stone. Captain Stone seems to be an amalgamation of Virgil Hilts, JJ Sefton, and Bart Simpson. If you have no idea who or what I am talking about at this point, make it your priority in life to run to the nearest video rental establishment and pick up The Great Escape and Stalag 17 before you do anything else! You owe it to yourself…consider it research!

Otto Preminger?

Captain Stone and his devil-may-care insolence may seem out of period for World War II, but one can reasonably argue the merits of this personality feature. Personally and professionally, it bothered me no end, but that’s neither here nor there. A photoreconnaissance mission gone awry lands our hero and his shipmate as guests in a temporary detention center somewhere behind enemy lines. Functionally, the holding facility is a German truck and supply depot, but to the player, this is the place to learn the skills you will need to survive, interact, and eventually, to escape the confines of even the granddaddy of all prisons…Colditz Castle. But first things first, Captain.

The infamous Colditz Castle

Class is in Session

The Truck Depot/Prison Camp holds two other prisoners, and will never hold more than four total throughout the mission. Among the first lessons taught by the guards is the importance of daily routine in the camp. While you are only required to attend two formations daily, any failure to comply with this requirement is quickly and sternly punished with time in solitary confinement, heretofore to be known as the “Cooler.” And me without my baseball glove.

And me without my baseball glove

Daily life in most of the camps in the game consists of a mandatory morning roll call, or Appell, as it is known in the German tongue, followed by breakfast, a morning exercise period. Later, lunch and free time occupy the hours before dinner then the evening roll call. Rinse and repeat. You are free to diverge from this routine for the most part, and so long as you are not observed in an illegal zone, you are free to explore.

The Daily Grind

These explorations offer the chance to complete mission objectives or to simply scrounge around for contraband with which to obtain some of the items to make life a little easier. While some would trade this “currency,” as it is known in game terms, for say, a fresh egg or special privileges, our gaming counterpart can obtain disguises, tools, and even enlist the services of other prisoners with his. Stone may come across a disgruntled guard or two that might be willing to leave a tool shed unlocked here, turn his back on some activity there, should the fee be paid. So valuable is currency to the successful completion of some objectives that the routine player might find himself dominated by the simple tasks of scrounging as much and as often as possible. Fortunately, there are shortcuts, as will be discussed later in this piece.

The Keyhole view will save you from stumbling out onto a patroling guard

Exploration period also lends the player chances to practice almost all of the skills needed to breech the gates of more sophisticated camps later in the game. The perimeter fences may be impassable, but many of the interior fences can be climbed at will.

Scaling a fence is a necessary skill to master

Likewise, some walls in the compound may prove relatively easy to scale over by an agile player. Beware those fences and walls with concertina wire at their tops. While you will not take damage from these obstacles, the noise and commotion generated by such futile effort will certainly bring down the wrath of the enemy.

Learn to scale walls quickly, and avoid concertina wire obstacles

Meal and free periods are excellent times to converse with other prisoners. While the names may change, each prison save the opening camp will hold a similar variety of personnel.

Cast of Characters

Despite the historical fact that officers were billeted separately from enlisted troops and that the Luftwaffe held jurisdiction of the command and custody of captured allied airman, certainly liberties can be forgiven for the sake of gameplay. You all know me, and how historical inaccuracies bother me, such as the description of several American airmen as “Flight Lieutenant,” a grade that does not exist. Silly given how easy it is to conduct a little research, but I am also reminded that Codemasters is a UK-based company and that they do not have the same military grade structure as we Yanks, and in fact, sometimes even though we both speak English, they are speaking English and we speak American! Never is this more obvious to me as an American than during one particular cut-scene where my character is given a “catapult” for completing an objective. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I hear catapult, I think siege weapon, launching rocks or cows or whatever over and into castle walls. Imagine my initial disappointment to find nothing but a simple slingshot in my hiding place! I say initial, because I soon learned a practical use for it, as well as a not-so-practical use.

Escape Committee: The Escape Committee are the senior officers in the camp who will provide Captain Stone with mission objectives, hints, and occasionally offer assistance with completing goals. Be advised that seeking their help is not free, and eventually, asking for too much help will affect your overall mission score. The Escape Committee may also provide key supplies upon completion of a mission objective, such as the “catapult” from the above example.

Scrounge/Traderhorn: What would a prison, or prisoner of war camp, be without the guy who can, for a fee, get you almost anything you want or need? Visions of James Garner’s “Hendley” character from The Great Escape or James Hamilton’s “Caretaker” from The Longest Yard, and of course Morgan Freeman’s “Red Redding” from The Shawshank Redemption all come to mind immediately. Heck, I recall summer camp and being one of those guys myself, making a considerable profit on cans of Pringles or the occasional bottle of soda. Prisoner of War is no different, and each camp will offer at least one gentlemen who, in exchange for some currency, will supply you with much needed equipment to aide your escape attempts.

The sidle-and-peek method will help you avoid patrols while staying relatively hidden

Informant: This chap, and each camp has one, has spent more time behind the particular wire of the camp you’re currently detained in, than anyone else. As such, he has an intimate knowledge of the workings of the camp, including such details as guard patrols, locations of equipment or objective items, and even how and when to conduct your explorations. Sometimes the informant or another character will conduct a “recon” for you, a walkthrough if you will, in exchange for some currency.

Goon Squad: The Goon Squad as I refer to them are a rag-tag bunch of characters, typically three in each camp, who will, for a price, follow you around and create whatever distraction you might need to bypass the normally watchful eyes of the guards. Ideal for any situation where you need to quickly and quietly slip into a room or liberate some supplies from their rightful owners.

Pit Bosses: Each camp supplies two men who will conduct games of chance during afternoon free periods. Not only will these games afford the player a chance to increase his supply of currency, but one game in particular combines the benefits of increasing your money while also practicing one of the more important escape skills—stone tossing. Take advantage of these offerings, but don’t get your thumbs broken over it either!

Guards: A prison camp needs guards, obviously, to patrol the lanes, supervise the activities of prisoners, guard entrances and exits, and to man the strategically positioned guard towers. Still dangerous and attentive foes to be reckoned with, these soldiers, while pleased to be far from the dangers of the Russian front, do not seem very enthusiastic about the idleness of guarding the seemingly complacent prisoners. However, their officers stand in stark contrast to the run-of-the-mill guard, zealous and alert to details and activities that the common guard might fail to notice. Disguises, bribery, and other trickery will rarely succeed against the officers patrolling the various camps.

Jane, Stop This Crazy Thing!

Navigating the camps should provide simple to even the novice gamer. While much of the graphics are rendered using a third-person action camera view, a zoomed first-person mode comes into play for detailed work, such as using said catapult to sling rocks into unsuspecting searchlights! This camera gets awkward, as the motion of the camera functions independently of the movement of the character. Often times, the camera will be looking head-on at the character while he walks into a potential buzz saw! This is not the game’s fault, per se, but rather a condition that the player will have to learn to control before progressing too deeply into the game. The space bar on your keyboard will not only toggle from third-person mode to first-person mode, but will also re-center the camera automatically on the character’s back facing forward upon release. Learn to use a quick double-tap on the space bar to move the camera aft rapidly.

There was a movement among games about 10 years ago to incorporate almost all of the control of the character’s action via simple mouse clicks. This notion returns to Prisoner of War and several options appear throughout the game depending upon your character’s inventory, posture, and location. Icons near the top-right of the screen appear when a left-click or a right-click respectively will activate an option, be it to don a disguise, climb a fence, duck beneath a building, or toss a stone. Captain Stone will not discover nor equip weaponry during the game, so any concerns about aiming, switching weapons or the like needn’t be a concern.

Ladders provide access to rooftops, balconies, and ledges

Conversation and interaction with other prisoners is likewise simplified. A simple menu-based selection method allows an exchange of information, the completion of business transactions, or to signal scripted events to begin. Subtitles accompany a not-entirely-annoying voice-over, and I found it particularly amusing to annoy the guards with idle chitchat. I’ve also been tossed in the cooler because in my quest to annoy one particular guard, I guess my player impeded his progress on patrol. Oh, well.

Conversations are vital ways to get information and complete objectives

Codemasters is renown for putting out quality, bug-free software, and this game is no exception. Very few bugs or glitches, or other interface issues plague this title, save a rendering error or two. However, one glaring issue with the game, and one that will ultimately hurt the overall success of this title is the limited and difficult Save Game feature. In order to save one’s progress, one must enter the Prisoner Compound, find the players bunk, and then use the Right-Click at the appropriate moment to save the title. There is no method that I am aware of, to save one’s progress during the course of a mission or while outside of the barracks.

While this certainly makes the tension go through the roof, I feel that the average player who does not possess the level of patience it takes to endure capture after capture while learning the ins and outs of escape will not put up with it for long. I hope I am wrong there, and personally, I loved the feeling of suspense while creeping along in the shadows or while in an illegal zone. The knowledge that an enemy trooper could turn the corner at any second, or that I might kick over a paint can or knock a frying pan and blow ten minutes of stealthy patient effort was simply overwhelmingly cool. Your mileage may vary.

You see this, and you'd better have your bags packed...

This Calls for a Little Stragety!

Yes, I spelled strategy that way on purpose, as it’s the classic Warner Brother’s cartoons that harkens some of the basic strategy involved in completing many of the missions of Prisoner of War. I recall one with Henry, the Chickenhawk, where the dog tells him he’ll help him get the rooster in exchange for a bone, and the cat will tell him where to find the bone for a fish, and the mouse will tell him where to find the fish for some cheese, to which Henry laments “I wonder what the cheese will want…”

In Prisoner of War, the player is tasked to complete an objective that will open up the next phase of an objective and so on. For example, after proving yourself to be quite the escape risk, the Luftwaffe transfers your character to the infamous Colditz Castle prison. While there, one of the first objectives is to contact an officer in special confinement. Sneaking into his quarters and lying in wait for his return from a meal, the next phase of the operation will begin, where you are tasked with stealing a patrol guard uniform from the laundry. That uniform will not be available until you have first breeched the officer’s room. Once you have the uniform, slip it on, and stroll past the guards as if you are just another guard. Do not speak to any of them, and avoid the officer’s as if they are the plague, but never run!

Normally, I take a size 36

Officers and guards, as well as the searchlights that accompany their efforts during the night all have a “Guard Perception” radius, or a range to their front and sides where they can detect movement, footprints in snow, or other conditions that shouldn’t be. This won’t always prompt action, but often will. Players of the Eidos title “Commandos” are familiar with the cone-shaped area representing the enemy’s vision range and using those sweeping arcs to plan timed actions. Prisoner of War is no different. Sometimes, you will have to creep slowly, other times, you may have to dart from point to point, however, ultimately, your character must remain undetected, else you’ll acquaint with the lonely walls of the cooler.

One great luxury this title offers is almost complete freedom of action. I know that sounds oxymoronic, complete freedom as a prisoner, but frankly, the player is given the ability to complete almost all of the mission objectives during either daylight or nighttime hours. The camp routine can either stifle your actions, or provide a blueprint by which to complete your goals. The decision is yours as a player. Want to spend three or four days gambling and increasing your financial situation? So be it. Want to complete every aspect of an escape in one go without saving? Go for it. You’ll curse and shout later, but you’re welcome to give it a go!

Let My People Go

Codemasters does it again. Prisoner of War is a solid, bug-free entry into a genre that quite frankly, never existed before on the landscape of combat simulation titles. Codemasters offers players a title with exceptional depth and vision and one that allows the agile and calculating player the chance to conquer his foes without ever firing a single shot.

Prisoner of War is not for everyone. The tedium of prison life, the routine, and the constant necessity for stealth and guile may prove to be unsettling for those among us who are more shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later types. Captain Stone will never engage the enemy directly nor overpower the guards, or bust out using brute force. Even those stalwarts among our ranks may find the frustration of detection and punishment, and the delays caused, far too frustrating and overwhelming to want to play often. However, I find that the mental challenges are such that this game is destined to be a time thief.

Already, I find that Prisoner of War is the type of title that can quickly make a lunch hour stretch into two hours, or a simple break before bed turn into a pre-dawn obsession. If you purchase this game, be prepared to take the phrase “I’ll just play for a few minutes” and toss it in the garbage. Hopefully, you will begin playing sometime when you have nowhere to go for about three days. You’ll sure need ‘em!


Prisoner of War

Resources

Articles:

• 2002/01/30: Interview with Wide Game's Carl Jones
• 2002/19/11: Prisoner of War (Review)

Official Sites:

• Wide Games
• Codemasters
• Official POW Web Site

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