I've owned this game on Steam for years. This is a game with excellent atmosphere and a strong premise, and it really tried a few new things with the shooter genre. It's a real breath of fresh air from the canned shooters you might know, and as with any project that attempts such an innovation, there are times where it struggles. It's not a five-star game. The shooting and platforming (especially with the whip, until you get the hang of it)) feel clunky, and the puzzles in the Billy sections can be quite frustrating and drawn-out. The characters that you interact with are wooden, and the dialogue is quite lackluster. There will probably be times where you die and it feels a bit unfair. But all the same, it's actually really fun to play, so long as you go in with a reasonable set of expectations. The characters themselves are fascinating, and the design of the levels does a good job of conveying the emotion you're supposed to be feeling. It's honestly so atmospheric, that I've been known to boot it up every 2 years or so. That said, play it on normal before you try it out on hard, unless you're a grizzled shooter veteran (like myself - it took me forever in some parts).
I'm the kind of gamer that loves to play a hard game, and this game immediately pushed my reasoning abilities to their limits. The game isn't usually too difficult, but it does take some time to solve. The game gives you hints in two forms: gold items are magnetizable and the game lets you toggle the ability to see the magnetic fields, allowing you to find clues and divine where hidden objects might be placed. The puzzles are often good, and require you to think with the mechanics in new ways. Tutorials between levels allow you to refresh yourself on some ideas, and often give hints at mechanics you haven't learned yet, allowing you to speed up the learning curve. A plus: at times there are multiple solutions (I got stumped and found the most convenient way out [7 platforms level, I'm looking at you]). However, the game is not without its flaws: I'm not a fan of some of the cutscenes, and some of the puzzles are demonically difficult. What's more, this game is not for the beginner, as the time-based puzzles are often cruel and exacting (not a problem for someone like myself who enjoys a challenge, but don't get your kid brother playing or something). So why five stars even if it's somewhat repetitive? Because it sucked me in! But one final thing that irked me (having taken a class on electricity and magnetism): opposites attract with magnetism, while same charges repel... except in this game. That took me at least 5 levels to get over. Good thing physics class is over!
This game is an excellent tactical WW2 game. At first, I admit, I was a bit confused because of the unconventional control system, the occasionally bad pathing, and the difficulty of the campaign missions. I remember that I put the game down and walked away after a few tries. However, what I had seen of the game had impressed me. I saw intense battles, destructible environments, multiple methods of completing a mission (Instead of hacking my way through the entire German line, I could just hop in one of the coastal guns and shoot everyone from a distance! Or, instead of clearing out a house, I can just lay dynamite behind it and blow the whole thing to smithereens!) I knew that there was a good game inside there, so I gave it another shot. With a bit of practice, I understood how the game worked. I began to plan and think in each situation. As I approached a large cluster of enemies, I threw a Molotov to light the dry grass on fire instead of trying to gun down each enemy. I learned to assign numbers to each of my troops, and to try to coordinate their attacks better. The game became immensely fun and always remained a good challenge. This game is meant to be a challenge. It bears a tight learning curve. I admit that it is very easy for your troops to die if you don't think at every turn. However, there is nothing that can compare to the thrill of victory at the end of a well-planned and perfectly executed mission. For quality of product, non-linear, and creative game-play, I rate this game with a 5 out of 5.
