Hidden & Dangerous 2

The Good
For once we have a WWII shooter which doesn't make us play as Americans or Russians, but as the British SAS, a small four member special forces team. The atmosphere created by the artists and sound designers is unmatched.

It's a slow paced game and it allows the player to switch between 1st and 3rd person view depending on the situation. Weapons feel powerful and precise, the animations from reloading, to running or crouching are captured perfectly. Unlike many shooters the developers have used motion capturing and when you see a soldier running here and then load Call of Duty, you'll realize how much realism believable motion adds to a game.

Like before, the maps are very large in size and how you approach objectives is up to you. Stealth plays a medium role in the game; you can either run and shoot or slowly exterminate the opposition.

Of course there are vehicles you can use, and since the game uses Mafia’s engine the physics and feel are just right. There are many smaller things I can mention since the game is filled with detail, but I’ll leave those to you to find and enjoy.

The Bad
I actually enjoyed the game so much that even if I spotted a problem at one time or another, I must've forgotten it seconds later. I honestly fail to remember any issue serious enough to be included here.

The Bottom Line
When you see an Illusion game you can be sure of a few things: realism, authenticity and attention to detail. For those who played Mafia know the kind of polish they will see upon loading the game.

The game is tactical in nature, and is what makes it so appealing. Except the original H&D, you will not find another WWII Tactical shooter, and even if you did, I doubt it can ever match the quality seen here.

The Good
Looking back on all the WW2-themed games crowding the market at some stage, The Hidden and Dangerous series stands out head and shoulders amongst a few select others for me. Why?

1. Interesting, large and original locations and theatres of war.
   This is the single most significant feature to me about the game. Who could forget the desert and arctic missions - yup - there were Nazis needing some attention there too!
2. Balanced mix of slow paced and stealth gameplay interspersed with action/gung-ho stuff. The relative amounts of this just felt so realistic.
3. Time - time to think about your decisions, take in the environment and observe your enemies. (Personally the "on-rails" feeling of the Call of Duty series often felt too rushed for me at times.
4. Controllable teammates

<br><br>**The Bad**<br>Some control issues and fiddly bits, though you'll actually make your way around it and it'll become second nature.

The Bottom Line
The "thinking man's" WW2 shooter?