Hidden & Dangerous
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
- Email this!
Camo paint and careful strategy will help you defeat the Nazis in Hidden and Dangerous, an action simulation PC port that does well on the Dreamcast.
- GamePro Score
- User Score
- Write your review!
Command This!
Hidden and Dangerous is a fairly straight port of the PC version. Aside from the controls, the PC roots of the game are fully intact, and this is both a good and a bad thing. On the good side, H&D is a nice thinking gamer's shooter that requires you to assess the situation before you go in with guns blazing. It finds a good balance between tactical thinking and 3D action. You pick team members from a list of available commandos and outfit them with machine guns, sniper rifles, explosives, grenades, and the like. You can then plan out strategy and issue orders before the mission begins in the map screen, in a way that's similar to, but not as detailed as, Rainbow Six.
The graphics are well done, with fairly convincing outdoor environments, and smooth character animations. The comparatively low 640x480 resolution of the DC version makes it harder to pick out enemies in some cases, but overall the game looks sharp, even if the graphics don't push the cutting edge.
On the downside, the game is still hampered by the same faults that made the PC version fall a bit short. For one, the controls are cumbersome, especially since you have a full keyboard at your disposal in the PC version, compared to the Dreamcast gamepad which sports only six buttons. However, H&D does support the DC keyboard, and the developers have provided a decent solution for the gamepad, using the left trigger as a kind of Shift key that changes all the other button functions on the controller. The game even uses both the D-pad and the analog stick for different commands. Still, it's tough to get the controls down, and be prepared to refer to the manual quite a bit.
Left Face!
Controls aside, the game's otherwise solid action is hampered by some gameplay glitches. First, simply turning your character is incredibly slow. This can mean the difference between life and death in a firefight, and being handicapped by the game this way can be quite frustrating. Secondly, using items like ladders requires you to be aligned right on top of them. Lastly, when issuing orders to your troops in the field, you have to be close to them to get them to obey. If one of your men is just a foot out of range, he'll ignore you.
Still, in spite of its shortcomings, Hidden and Dangerous is a compelling game, especially if you're tired of all the run and gun action of most 3D shooters. It doesn't measure up to Rainbow Six for gameplay, and the controls are complex, but Hidden and Dangerous can give you a fun run for the money.
