Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack

Bringing together the original Hidden & Dangerous and the recent Fight For Freedom mission disc, this pack is another must-have, especially for any fan of WWII action/strategy and tactical, team-based games. Having said that, the bug infestation that plagued the original title is well documented, and it is almost a scandal that this release doesn't contain a panacea that cures this diseased epic. When you consider that the nine new missions in the Fight For Freedom add-on are just as unhealthy, you seriously have to question the ethics of unleashing this pack on the poor game-buying community. It is a testament to the game's outstanding quality that so much of it still manages to shine through, and it still deserves the accolade of being one of the best games of 1999. Why? Because nothing has ever come as close to recreating the childish thrill of 'playing at war', while at the same time retaining enough realism to leave the adult suspended in disbelief. You can enjoy the tremendous satisfaction of zooming in to some unsuspecting Nazi soldier's head, squeezing the trigger, seeing the spurt of blood and hearing the distant thud of his body hitting the ground without feeling sick or guilty that he might be a 16-year-old drafted into a cruel, horrible war against his will. Until the game freezes, one of your soldiers starts floating through the air for no apparent reason or falls down dead as if struck by a curse. Playing Hidden & Dangerous is akin to watching Citizen Kane on a faulty video, frustrating but still an original masterpiece.