The Great Escape Xbox

Based on the 1963 movie starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, and James Garner, The Great Escape has players leading a squad of prisoners in their bid to free themselves from the German prisoner-of-war camp known as Stalag Luft III. The action takes place from a third-person perspective as players look to complete each of the game's three distinct phases. The first part involves acquiring the right equipment to ensure success, including digging tools, wire cutters, disguises, identity cards, and so forth. Stealth is an important element during this initial phase, as players must sneak around heavily guarded areas to obtain the tools needed for their survival.

The second part of the game involves choosing the best method of escape and then carrying it out. Players may opt to tunnel out of the camp by digging underneath their living quarters, try to cut through the fence and sneak away under the cover of darkness, or consider various other options. Once players have managed to escape, the game shifts focus to the third and final phase: the journey. Different routes become available to squads at certain points in the game, some of which may involve trying to get to Paris via train, slipping into Sweden while on foot, or even "borrowing" motorcycles en route to Switzerland.

Publisher Gotham Games secured the rights to use Steve McQueen's likeness for the game, so players will be able to control the brash American pilot Hilts, a.k.a "The Cooler King," as he picks locks and zips away on a motorbike to elude pursuing Nazis. Other film characters also offer distinct abilities, which players must use to be successful in each phase of the game. MacDonald, for example, speaks fluent German and can impersonate Nazi soldiers, while Hendly can pickpocket guards to obtain whatever the team needs. In addition to a 3D recreation of Stalag Luft III, players will explore a mountaintop castle, a bustling hospital, a moving train, and even a Luftwaffe airfield. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide