.gif)
Prisoner of War (video game)
Encyclopedia
Prisoner of War is a 2002 third-person stealth game developed by Wide Games and published by Codemasters
. It follows the story of Captain Lewis Stone, a downed American pilot who must escape numerous prisoner of war camps and return home.
for the player to achieve his objectives, this game portrays little to no violence. For example, if the Nazi
guards on duty, spot the player acting suspiciously, they will not shoot on sight. Instead, they will call on the player to cease his activity. If the player continues to disobey the guard, the guard will shoot him. There are other similar such scenarios for the player losing. If the player is near the guard when he is caught acting suspiciously, he will automatically surrender
and lose. These scenarios open up a whole new dimension of ideas for the player to achieve his objectives, but the key aspect to the completion of this game is stealth. It also makes this game extremely difficult to complete.
, success has been based on individuals working together towards a final escape. Prisoner of War is no exception in that the key to a successful escape attempt is through the player interacting with the other inmates in the camp. This interaction is portrayed in the game by allowing the player to choose from a number of dialogue
options for which his fellow inmates will respond. Fellow inmates are always willing to help out and provide information
either for free, or for a certain fee.
. Captain Stone is, like any escapee, equipped with a journal
to store useful information, such as maps, or current objectives.
Stone is transferred to Stalag Luft where he meets a friendly British officer and a not so much Polish officer who head the escape committee. After escaping through an abandoned tunnel, Stone is captured by a German patrol. He is sent to the infamous Castle Colditz.
Stone is placed in the non-troublesome group of prisoners. He tries to meet a former prisoner whom he briefly met at Stalag Luft who tells him that he must escape back into the Luft. Stone escapes through the sewers of Stalag Luft and is captured outside of the camp and is just throw in with the other prisoners because the Kommandant does not want General Stahl to hear of his faults.
Stone is sent on a mission by the escape committee to steal secret German documents (of the rocket) and to take photos of a new V2 rocket that is being built in the camp, so that Allied bombers will not bomb the camp. The escape committee analyzes the document and conclude they don't have time to contact London by mail, they decide to execute plan B. Stone is sent to call the bombers with the German radio. When the alarms sound, the prisoners prepare a mass escape and General Stahl orders to launch the rocket immediately. Stone goes to the laboratory and hides himself from Germans, disables the rocket. General Stahl is disappointed in the performance of the rockets and goes to Castle Colditz to look into the secret experiments in the castle.
Back in the courtyard of Colditz, Lewis Stone is discovered in the trunk of the General's car. With the German officer mistakenly believing Stone to have accidentally wound up in another prisoner of war camp, he gives Stone double rations for brightening his day. The escape committee reveals to Stone that Harding was building the famous Colditz Glider
in the chapel attic. Stone finds the necessary pieces to complete the glider and successfully escapes from the castle, killing General Stahl in the process.
Stalag Luft:
There are other minor characters in Stalag Luft, but their role in the game is not so important as those mentioned above.
Colditz
:
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
. It follows the story of Captain Lewis Stone, a downed American pilot who must escape numerous prisoner of war camps and return home.
Gameplay
Prisoner of War is quite different from other stealth games in that, although other stealth games utilise some small form of violenceViolence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
for the player to achieve his objectives, this game portrays little to no violence. For example, if the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
guards on duty, spot the player acting suspiciously, they will not shoot on sight. Instead, they will call on the player to cease his activity. If the player continues to disobey the guard, the guard will shoot him. There are other similar such scenarios for the player losing. If the player is near the guard when he is caught acting suspiciously, he will automatically surrender
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
and lose. These scenarios open up a whole new dimension of ideas for the player to achieve his objectives, but the key aspect to the completion of this game is stealth. It also makes this game extremely difficult to complete.
Character Interaction
In many escape attempts during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, success has been based on individuals working together towards a final escape. Prisoner of War is no exception in that the key to a successful escape attempt is through the player interacting with the other inmates in the camp. This interaction is portrayed in the game by allowing the player to choose from a number of dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
options for which his fellow inmates will respond. Fellow inmates are always willing to help out and provide information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
either for free, or for a certain fee.
Player Inventory
Captain Stone has many items that he can use around the camp these include items useful for opening doors, such as keys or crowbars. There is also 'currency' which can be found in and around the camp. This acts as money and can be used to purchase information, or other useful items. To avoid detection, these things can be hidden in your 'Hiding Place' in your barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. Captain Stone is, like any escapee, equipped with a journal
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
to store useful information, such as maps, or current objectives.
Plot
The game begins with Captain Stone, who finds himself in a small holding camp with several other unlucky prisoners. He meets the other prisoners and goes around the camp doing tasks to help other prisoners who will in turn help him escape. He steals some currency, candy, cigarettes, etc. for some boot polish which he can use to darken his face and sneak around at night. JD is eventually caught and brought to the camp and with the information JD gives Stone they hatch an escape attempt. After a well thought out escape with his good buddy JD they are soon captured by General Stahl. Stahl kills JD for refusing to surrender and Stone reluctantly gives up. This causes Stone to develop a deep hatred that stays with him throughout the remainder of the war.Stone is transferred to Stalag Luft where he meets a friendly British officer and a not so much Polish officer who head the escape committee. After escaping through an abandoned tunnel, Stone is captured by a German patrol. He is sent to the infamous Castle Colditz.
Stone is placed in the non-troublesome group of prisoners. He tries to meet a former prisoner whom he briefly met at Stalag Luft who tells him that he must escape back into the Luft. Stone escapes through the sewers of Stalag Luft and is captured outside of the camp and is just throw in with the other prisoners because the Kommandant does not want General Stahl to hear of his faults.
Stone is sent on a mission by the escape committee to steal secret German documents (of the rocket) and to take photos of a new V2 rocket that is being built in the camp, so that Allied bombers will not bomb the camp. The escape committee analyzes the document and conclude they don't have time to contact London by mail, they decide to execute plan B. Stone is sent to call the bombers with the German radio. When the alarms sound, the prisoners prepare a mass escape and General Stahl orders to launch the rocket immediately. Stone goes to the laboratory and hides himself from Germans, disables the rocket. General Stahl is disappointed in the performance of the rockets and goes to Castle Colditz to look into the secret experiments in the castle.
Back in the courtyard of Colditz, Lewis Stone is discovered in the trunk of the General's car. With the German officer mistakenly believing Stone to have accidentally wound up in another prisoner of war camp, he gives Stone double rations for brightening his day. The escape committee reveals to Stone that Harding was building the famous Colditz Glider
Colditz Cock
|-See also:-External links:*****...
in the chapel attic. Stone finds the necessary pieces to complete the glider and successfully escapes from the castle, killing General Stahl in the process.
Major
| Nationality | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 United States |
Captain Lewis Stone | The main character in the game. Known for his feistiness and lack of respect for authority figures. |
 Nazi Germany |
General Stahl | Murders James Daly at the beginning of the game and continues to throw anyone in the Cooler Cooler A cooler, cool box, portable ice chest, chilly bin , or esky most commonly is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool. Ice cubes are most commonly placed in it to help the things inside stay cool... . He is extremely intimidating to those under his command, who avoid him when possible. |
 United Kingdom |
Colonel Roger Harding | A British Officer, He is both mysterious and arrogant. Later, however it is discovered that he is a SOE Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local... operative. |
| United States |
Flight Lieutenant James Daly | Stone's Co-pilot who is killed when escaping from the first camp. He and Stone were best friends. |
Minor
Holding Camp:| Nationality | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| United States |
Private Paul Clancy | A pessimistic Massachusetts man, was captured in Italy along with Sergeant O'Brien. A shadow of his former self, who has given up attempting to escape. |
 Irish Free State |
Sergeant Jimmy O'Brien | An Irishman with a taste for bribery. Would supply Private Clancy with tools in exchange for currency. |
Stalag Luft:
| Nationality | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom |
Wing Commander James Temple-Smithson | Barrack Officer of Stalag Luft |
 Poland |
Major Nicoli Radtke | Escape Officer of Stalag Luft |
| United Kingdom |
Lieutenant Peter Nesbitt | |
| Private Xavier DuChamp | ||
| United States |
Second Lieutenant John McCormack | |
| United Kingdom |
Sergeant Harry Fox | |
 Belgium |
Private Olivier Vermaas | |
| United States |
Private Henry Plunkett | |
| United Kingdom |
Flight Lieutenant Jonathan Fielding | |
| United States |
Private Mickey Malone | |
| United Kingdom |
Private Charlie Wilson | |
| United Kingdom |
Colonel Roger Harding | |
- Private Xavier DuChamp, an expert on the location of the camp's tools and buildings.
- Second Lieutenant John McCormack, a valuable friend in escape. Knowing how to avoid guards, but not always knowing where everything is.
- Second Lieutenant Peter Nesbitt often knows what is going on in certain areas of the camp for example, where prisoners have gone and generally what is happening.
- Major Nicoli Radtke and Wing Commander James Temple-Smithson are both members of the Stalag Luft escape committee, and update Stone with ways to escape from the camp.
- Sergeant Harry Fox is a typical South London man who can sell things for currency, he often has plenty of stock, unlike Private Dwight Johnson of ColditzColditzColditz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, near Leipzig, located on the banks of the river Mulde. The town has a population of 5,188 ....
.
There are other minor characters in Stalag Luft, but their role in the game is not so important as those mentioned above.
Colditz
Colditz
Colditz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, near Leipzig, located on the banks of the river Mulde. The town has a population of 5,188 ....
:
| Nationality | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom |
Major William Kingsley | Escape Officer of Colditz |
| Group Captain Henri Dubois | Barrack Officer of Colditz | |
| United States |
Private Michael Kapowski | |
| United States |
Lieutenant Cameron 'Doc' Winters | |
| United Kingdom |
Second Lieutenant Reginald Worthington | |
| United States |
Private Dwight Johnson | |
| United States |
Private Luka Beratti | |
| United States |
Second Lieutenant Dick Williams | |
| United States |
Flight Lieutenant Ricki Logan | |
| United States |
Private Tony Caponi | |
| United Kingdom |
Corporal Douglas 'Sure Shot' Spears | |
| Corporal Vincent Bernier | ||
/ |
Staff Sergeant Daniel Crown (aka Captain Hans Zimmermann) | Is really a Nazi spy posing as a member of the RAF |
- Lieutenant Cameron "Doc" Winters is a small man from New York, capable of knowing where everything is in the camp, although he has a conscience, and often defers to Private Kapowski when he is going through locked doors.
- Private Michael Kapowski, is very confident and can get through almost any locked door. He disappears in the last mission though, presumably taken to a Nazi concentration camp
- Second Lieutenant Reginald Worthington is a well-spoken friendly man, who makes it his business to listen to the mutterings and rumours spreading around the camp.
- Group Captain Henri Dubois, a tall Frenchman who has the responsibility of being the barrack officer at Colditz.
- Major William Kingsley, the Escape officer. he is a very careful man, and quiet.
- Private Dwight Johnson, is another man who will swap goods for currency, his stock is always almost empty though.
Camps
- Holding Camp Summer, 1944 - Escaped then recaptured deported
- Stalag Luft I Autumn, 1944 - Escaped then recaptured and deported
- Colditz Castle Winter 1944 - Escaped back to Stalag Luft then captured inside the camp
- Stalag Luft I Winter, Early 1945 - Escaped back to Colditz
- Colditz Castle Spring, 1945