Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines

Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines Description

After a long time largely making licensed games for franchises to earn its crust, British developer Kuju seems determined to break out into the world of original game IP. This ground is lamentably little trodden in today's industry, so such a move can only be applauded. Even more so when they seek as publisher that finest purveyor of lower priced titles, Oxygen. A recent product of this glorious union was Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction. Now the trend continues with the rather imaginative Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines. First off, one has to admire the explicit and workmanlike title, which neatly explains the plot: you are a Pilot, US Airman Bill Foster, who having crashed his plane 'Behind Enemy Lines' must evade detection and find his way back to his comrades, and commit himself afresh to the struggle. The premise has the feel of a title from the great days of the Spectrum and C64. The game doesn't fall into the tiresome FPS rut that characterises so many WWII games: it is a third-person adventure with a fresh, Commando comic book style, and draws its inspiration from the real life stories of men who did indeed make it back unscathed and uncaptured after being shot down. Gameplay is a blend of action-packed shooting and stealth, also featuring roleplay elements: keep Bill's energy levels up by resting where possible, and don't stay out in the cold too long or you risk succumbing to hypothermia; collect items and accumulate experience points to further boost your chances of survival. You'll be relentlessly pursued across the nine levels by your nemesis, Captain Killinger, as you make your bid for freedom across the wintry landscape of central Europe. Kuju have bravely strayed from the beaten track and the result is a novel game that will keep you playing like a great thriller of a novel keeps you reading, and all for a price well below what other publishers would have you pay. It's a no brainer! Give it a go!

Original and engrossing gameplay mixing stealth, combat and character management.

Management of 9 skills, which can develop according to the player's choice (strength, endurance, stealth, shooting ...)

Management of character survival in extreme climatic conditions.

An original World War II plot: play the hunted, not the hunter!

Dynamic perception and suspicion AI system.

Fully interactive, detailed environments and models exhibiting real world behaviour.

A unique visual style that captures the theme of the game: a rich and stylised set of characters and environments combined with key elements of accurate historical detail.