Prisoner of War attempts to recreate the heady antics of World War II's Allied escapees in a plot line that combines Nazi secret weapons, tunnels, disguises and daring breaks over the wire. Players must take the game's hero, US airman Capt Lewis Stone, through a number of camps including Stalag Luft and Colditz, completing a large number of mini-missions, which culminate in full-scale escape attempts. The game is structured in such a way as to mimic the real daily life of prisoners: roll calls must be attended, dinners eaten and the like, and failure to turn up results in camp-wide searches by Nazi guards and their attendant Alsatians. Codemasters has done well to create a believable atmosphere for the game. Camp layouts are faithful to the real locations and the sense of claustrophobia is strong. In essence this is a Metal Gear Solid 2-a-like--there's little opportunity for shooting, and stealth is the name of the game. Guards have razor-sharp senses, resulting in many trips to the cooler for a night's solitary detention after an abortive attempt to steal something vital from a locked storeroom. And therein lies the major problem with Prisoner of War: it can get very repetitive very quickly. Without a clear plan of what to do and how to do it, capture happens often and can become very frustrating. This is a game that rewards the patient player; gung-ho tactics have no place for the average PoW.
Graphically, the game looks great; the effect is only spoiled by the stilted cut scenes, which never seem to flow properly and break up the plot in a rather annoying fashion. Sound is quite sparse and some of the voice acting, especially for the Allied characters, is weak and wooden. By contrast, the Germans all have 'Allo 'Allo-style comedy accents guaranteed to bring a smile even after being caught for the umpteenth time.
Players looking for quick-fire action would be well advised to steer clear of Prisoner of War and head for the superb Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, but for those looking for something a bit more cerebral, Prisoner of War provides hours of stealthy, silent entertainment. --Chris Russell
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