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prisoner of war

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: August 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

cracker ,couldn't put the pad down ,non-stop obsorbing stratigic fun

BEST GAME EVER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: May 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

THIS IS THE BEST ESCAPE GAME IN THE WORLD, SURE THE GRAPHICS AND VOICE OVERS MIGHT BE PRETTY LAME AND FUNNY, BUT OVERALL I THINK THIS GAME HAS A GOOD STORY AND WAS WORTH THE MONEY.

Truly Unique indeed

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: August 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you are tired of the same old games and are craving something new, please pick up this game. Tons of fun and everything about it is awesome.

A great, game where the fun doesn't end!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: August 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Prisoner of War is so cool! I play it all the time. It is an adventure game where the object is to escape. It's not one of those shoot-everyone-you-see type of game. Interact with your fellow prisoners and they can give you things helpful for you in the game. For example, boot polish for wearing on your face while you sneak out of your barrack at night. Also, some other prisoners will tell you how to beat your current objective. For instance, playing the tape on the loudspeaker to distract the guards. The game has no multiplayer, but the incredible gameplay and graphics make up for it. If you like adventure games, this is the right one for you. I'm sure that you will like it too!

A lot of problems, but I still enjoyed it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: August 30, 2002
Author: Amazon User

With better production values, this could have been a truly great game. There is a lot of interesting stuff here. Unfortunately the problems with Prisoner of War are quite numerous: the graphics look like a poor Dreamcast game, the camera is troublesome, the voice acting can be terrible at times, and the enemy AI is a bit slow. However, despite all these problems, I still had a ton of fun. I must be going mad.

In Prisoner of War you play the role of an American pilot who is shot down over Germany and imprisoned in a Nazi POW camp. What starts as a simple escape attempt turns into sabotage mission when it is discovered that the Nazis are using the POW camps as a cover for a secret rocket research program.

The game-play is kind of a cross between Shenmue and Metal Gear Solid. In each camp you're sent to, (five in all, although a couple of the camps are the same; just remixed a bit.) you'll receive orders from the senior officers of the escape committee. They'll usually have you fetch an item necessary to the escape plans, but occasionally you'll have to do other jobs such as photographing a spy, or sending a radio transmission to London. You'll find that it's usually necessary to question your fellow inmates in order to learn where and when you should go sneaking about.

Like Shenmue, time passes and each NPC has a specific path they follow throughout the day. You'll have to decide the best time to go out sneaking. This is really the best aspect of POW. The missions you're given, may all be linear, but how you go about completing them is up to you. . For instance, a door might have guards posted outside it during the day, but if you wait till night you may find the door unguarded. Also, there's usually many different ways you can get to the location; you'll have to decide what route to take as well as the time.

When sneaking around though, you'll have to keep an eye on the time, as you have to be present at morning and evening role call or they'll search the camp for you. This can be kind of annoying because time passes at a minute of real-time for every hour of game-time. This means that if you leave right after the evening role call, you'll have only about 8 or 9 minutes of real-time before you have to be back for morning role call. I hate time limits and I especially can't stand being rushed when I'm sneaking. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the AI is incredibly stupid and it's not too hard to hide from the search parties.

Any time you hide under something it's virtually impossible for the Nazis to spot you. Here's an example:

Captain Stone: *sneaking through a room full of Nazis*

Nazi Guard: *spots Stone* "Halt prisoner or you will be shot!"

Captain Stone: *crawls under a table*

Nazi Guard: "Where did he go?"

Nazi Guard: "Ah, I give up." *walks away*

Yes, that's what they actually say. (Or as near as I can remember.) This is just one of many instances where the AI just made me laugh.

Much of the time the camera is probably a greater enemy than the Nazis. Usually, it can be completely rotated when you're in an outdoor environment, but when indoors you have no control over it. Also, walking through doors can be quite difficult: the camera will often switch 180 degrees and zoom in on you. Pressing in the same direction will suddenly make your character walk back out the door and things can become quite confusing.

There's really nothing good you can say about the graphics. They certainly don't even begin to take advantage of the Xbox's power. It's funny though, even with these ugly graphics, the frame-rate still stutters quite a bit. Also, the characters look and move like zombies. Watching the credits I was surprised to see that they listed people for motion capture acting, as the animation is extremely jerky and not at all life-like. And the faces all have these weird vacant stares that just made me laugh the first time I played.

The voice acting is another weak point in the game. All the Nazis speak with the most ridiculous German accents. Combine this with the poor animation and weird facial expressions, and you have some pretty funny cut-scenes.

Despite all the problems I still liked POW. However, if production values are the most important thing to you, or if you're an action gamer and must have violence, (Sorry, you never get to kill any Nazis in this game.) then look elsewhere. But if enjoy sneaking games, and originality and innovation are more important to you than production values, then give this game a try. How many other games let you live the life of a prisoner in a Nazi POW camp?

Sound: 7/10 Bad voice-acting. Music does a good job of changing to fit the occasion though.

Graphics: 5/10 Ugly. Looks like a Dreamcast game.

Controls: 6/10 Camera causes a lot of problems.

Game-play: 9/10 I love sneaking games, and despite all the problems it was still quite fun.

Originality: 8/10 Sure it borrows from Metal Gear Solid and Shenmue, but I still found it to be quite original.

Value: 7/10 There's a good 15 or 20 hours worth of game-play and you receive a grade for how efficiently you escape from each camp, so there is some replay value. If you get a good grade you can unlock some stuff. (nothing very interesting though)

Final Score: 8/10 It has a lot of problems, but it was still a very fun experience for me. I must be going mad.

A Must have game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 28
Date: May 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I read the reviews in xbox magazine. In the age of copy cat games, this game is original. The graphics are of course sweeeet! Lets face it, a game where you have to escape from a pow camp you know is going to be way cool. Cant wait to pick this one up!

Prisoner of War

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It's a good game for people you like strategic gameplay. If you a shooter don't buy it. alot of people i know complain about not being able to shoot. Your in a POW camp since when do you get guns.

Graphics 8/10
They get a little choppy and sometimes the guy is moving his lips when he's not even talking. The lighing is good.

Sound 6/10
Music is boring and monotonous, but I wasn't expecting Matallica or eminem. The voices can be quite funny.

AI 7/10
The guards can be overalert sometimes. getting yeld at for standing in there path. The fellow prisoners are donw pretty well. They walk around and talk or play or play games

Overall it's a good game,but if your not sure you want to spend your hard earned money. then I suggest You rent it.

this game is awesome

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: November 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

ok this game does have bad graphics and stuff but realy the gameplay is awesome. This has quite possibly the highest addiction level of any game on xbox i have played. for the the price it's at now you should get this game and enjoy it like I do. The other reveiwers that dis this game must be highly unintelligent.

GREAT FOR THINKERS bad for shooters

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

POW is is a great game! Voice acting is terrible, but that's its only major flaw. The idea is great, but no action. You can't get a gun and kill a guard or blow up the German barracks. This game is strictly stealth and espionage. I have a lot of fun with this game but if your a "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" fan, this game is not for you. If you would rather think how to get around a 10 foot wall instead of blowing it up, you would love this game. Rent or buy it!

Good if you like to use your Brain, rather than a trigger.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

POW is a different kind of game! This is not fast paced, there is no killing, and the point is to be stealth, fast, efficient, and to escape. Now I did just straight up buy this game, most of the time I rent games first, but I had read so much about this game and downloaded as many clips as I could find, and I had a $25 gift certificate to blow. I knew what this game was all about before it came out, (all the above reviews bashing this game must not have done the research they should have), The X-Box Magazine spelled this game out for any one that can read. POW is a slower paced, STRATAGY game, this is not Halo, it is not Metal Gear, and it is not for most gamers. I spent 30+ days in the first camp according to the game clock, I did get frustrated, and (annoyed) off at times, but once I got my plan straight, and executed it efficiently it was great. I broke out just as I was missing morning roll call and the alarms were going off, I was thrilled! Then the story got me busted again, and I was in another camp.
The controls are the worst part thought, it is not like Halo, or Max Payne, more like GunValkery, not my favorite set up, but you learn the controls after a while, (just like any other game with odd controls). The sound is really cool, there are a lot of little environment sounds, and back ground stuff that sounds great on Dolby. The graphics are not the best, but certainly better then anything on the PS, PS2. Remember when the PS1 came out, those games (weren't good) too, then look a newer game for the PS1, it is much better, the graphics on the X-Box games right now are not tapping the total capabilities of the system, but give the game makers some time, they will learn to tap the X-Boxes power.
In Closing POW is a good game for the right gamer, if you like nothing but nonstop action, killing, and, gun play don't buy this game you will be board and disappointed. But if you like strategy, and using your brains rather than a trigger, and don't mind taking some time to find the best strategy you will love this game.
It is a different kind of game. Do your research before you buy!

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