The Saboteur Xbox 360, PS3 & PC

Burlesque dancers, Nazis, sabotage and a stereotypical Irish caricature for a protagonist sounds like an outlandish concept. However, it is curated masterfully in this game. You play as Sean Devlin, who after a brutal personal confrontation with a Nazi Colonel in Germany finds himself in a Neo-Noir 1940s, Nazi-occupied Paris. His eyes set firmly at the bottom of whiskey bottles. Sean’s hatred for the Nazis subsequently gets him recruited for the resistance. This is when you get unleashed into the beautiful sandbox world and experience the vast playground at your disposal. Virtually every building is climbable allowing complete traversal. The game can be played stealthy, or you can choose to go in guns blazing, using weapons purchased on the black market. As your reputation grows, so do your abilities. The three-tiered perk system upgrades Sean in a myriad of ways, such as deployable allies or more powerful weapons. The city actively changes before your eyes and thrives as you systematically dismantle Nazi control. It starts out in black and white, but as you liberate areas, colour is restored symbolising the hope being returned to the Parisians. Overall, being a seven year old game does leave it feeling a bit dated but it still holds up impressively and delivers on the charm and fun.

Paddy Inniss

Pandemic Studios (closed), £4.25-£14.47