7.6 /10 1 Votes
74% Metacritic Composer(s) Jim Rose Initial release date 1999 | 7.6/10 IGN Programmer(s) Michal Bačík Engine Insanity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designer(s) Michal BačíkRadek Bouzek Release date(s) WindowsNA: July 29, 1999DreamcastNA: August 1, 2000EU: September 8, 2000PlayStationEU: November 23, 2001 Developers 2K Czech, Rockstar Lincoln Similar 2K Czech games, Tactical shooter games, Other games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hidden & Dangerous is a 1999 World War II computer and video game developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Take-Two Interactive and TalonSoft for Windows, the Dreamcast, and the PlayStation. The PlayStation port of the game was developed by Tarantula Studios. It is regarded as one of the pioneering tactical first/third person shooters.
Contents
Hidden & Dangerous was voted the 4th best video game developed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in a Survey by Czech server BonusWeb.
Gameplay
The player controls an eight-man British Special Air Service (SAS) team executing a number of important missions during World War II. The game features soldier selection prior to each mission. A comprehensive load-out sequence is also available where players have access to a variety of weapons and equipment. Mission briefings outline objectives, intelligence on enemy strengths and recommended plans of advance. During missions, players can command directly by toggling through the soldiers in their squad, voice commands or a tactical map which allows for real time control or planned maneuvers once the map is exited. Missions include, sabotage, search and destroy, POW rescue and resistance aid. Hidden and Dangerous features missions in Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Norway, the North Sea and Czechoslovakia. Despite certain historical liberties taken with actual SAS missions and time-lines, the game retains a degree of historical accuracy and intense atmosphere, including realistic wounding as squad members can be heavily wounded or killed by even brief enemy contact.
Critical response
The PC and Dreamcast versions received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.
Hidden & Dangerous: Fight for Freedom
An expansion was released in 1999, titled Hidden & Dangerous: Fight for Freedom in the UK and Hidden & Dangerous: Devil's Bridge in the US in 2000. This added new soldiers, weapons and missions in new locations including Poland, the Ardennes and postwar Greece.
Hidden & Dangerous Deluxe
A fully updated version of the game, Hidden & Dangerous Deluxe, was released for free as a commercial promotion for the sequel Hidden & Dangerous 2. It is still available as freeware.