I bear a great respect for those who have both the talent and willpower to single-handedly develop a computer game. Although it is something to be admired, the result is not all that admirable. But as much as one would like to believe, working on a project without any help from a third party does not guarantee its quality, especially when it is actually destined to that, third party.

I am a man of principle. I accepted to review this game not because it has any real value, but because was developed single-handedly. Therefore, I will try to be as frank as possible: the game has a long way to go before being actually good.

Concept and Story
MWD is a tactical shooter (related to Delta Force) that puts you in the shoes of a saboteur whose mission is to cripple the German defense on the Norwegian shore by destroying two massive, well fortified canons. Therefore, your unlucky beefcake will end on the frozen slopes of the Krykkja Island. The place will be crawling with German Sturmtruppen that will (supposedly) save nothing to see you well-cooked sushi.

There isn't any originality in the concept of the game. However, it packs up some good potential by combining some fine aspects from other titles: "the single island" design from Gothic II and some combat mechanics from Delta Force.

Gameplay
MWD is a tactical shooter, a little rough on the edges, but a tactical shooter nonetheless. As I pointed out earlier, your task is to destroy two canons. It doesn't matter how you will manage this, the game is open designed. This means you are free to explore the island and rampage "zee Germans" as much as you want. For this, you will have to search the island for the eventual cashes of weaponry (around three SMGs, an assault rifle, a short-range, silenced sniper rifle, a long-range sniper rifle and an RPG): all that you need to complete your mission. It is said that the weight of your equipment alters your agility/speed (but I haven't noticed anything concerning this).

Although the game is designed to encourage a covert-ops approach, the gruesome AI and the lack of scripting may wear the player down. It is true that there are some patrolling tanks (Tigers! An odd choice to be honest) and even a scout plane that must be avoided at all costs, otherwise two Messerschmitts will unleash hell on your position. However, nothing compares to sniping patrolling detachments. Do not bother, there is no such thing. All units resume to guarding a given perimeter - and some of them look like they were nailed to the ground. Therefore, those who seek action must seek the enemy. It is as if they are the saboteurs, not you. Come to think of it: you were dropped from a plane and no one was alerted?

The only moving things on this God forsaken isle are the tanks and the scout plane. You will be rather surprised with how wide is their patrolling radius. My first encounters with them just terrified me - I really did not expect to bump into them everywhere I went. And I was very disappointed to learn that although tanks may look and sound overwhelming, they are just sitting ducks against my RPG fire.

The map setting is also crude. Your landing zone is in the centre of the island. The explosives are in the East and your objectives in the West. For those who prefer a stealthy approach, the game will take just about three hours of their lives to finish it. I am one of those Delta Force/Far Cry addicted individuals that learn quickly their whereabouts and all that is essential about their mission. It was a piece of cake. If the AI would have been a little bit smarter - triggered events like spawning, or adding patrol routes for troopers - would have added some to this game's replay value.

I admit that those few hours of playing surpassed my expectations. I believed MWD would be a lousy experience. I was half-wrong. While the idea behind the game is great, its execution is far from satisfying.

Video
The game uses the 3dstate graphic engine. It is an acceptable one. However, the coordinates of the textures are a little bit messed up. Almost every tree or corner has a bulletproof aura.

The level design isn't bad at all. On the other hand, there are too many dead times, too much space to cover without having anything to do or to see. An ambush would have been a good idea. This way, your travels between two locations would have become real adventures into the purgatory. This is a patience game, not a car race. Making it hard by filling it with many troops and many surprises is a must.

Conclusion
To not judge this game too harshly. It will mean judging a man that actually deserves a lot of credit for the hard work he invested in this project. However, there are others like him (Crashday. Project Offset). They didn't rush to sell their creations. This is a lesson to be learned.

Good things are not for sale, and will never be the pride of some but the pleasure of many. Moreover, hard work is not always enough. Sometimes, sacrifices are needed, those that many are not ready to make.

From my point of view, this game has still a long way to go before being actually complete. Therefore, I have organized some of the major problems of the game at the end of my review instead of grossly inserting them into the main text. Although the game isn't that hot, it doesn't deserve such a treatment. Don't get me wrong, this errors greatly perturb the playability of the game and will eventually ruin your day.

Issues
- Sound coordinates are a mess
- No enemy footsteps
- No footstep sound differentiation according to the ground type
- No ambience sounds (at least a winter wind, and it would have rocked my day)
- Running forward and strafe left cannot be done simultaneously
- There is toggle run key
- No crouch stance (prone stance may kill your line of sight)
- There is no resolution setting (in-game resolution corresponds to your desktop resolution)
- The line of sight of the AI is a mess
- You can be attacked while being in the loading screen
- Wetting your boots on the island's shores can kill you (and you cannot skip the razor-teethed fish screen either)
- The size of the PzKpfw VI Ausf. E, Tiger I is nowhere near that of its real-life counterparts. Moreover, the SdKfz 250 series (light armored half-track vehicle) would have been more appropriate for scouting/patrolling missions.
- Implementing some patrol squads or assault units (if any alarm was set off) would have been very nice.
- The scout plane followed by Messerschmitt fighters is an excellent idea! (However, if you reload the game, they remain stuck in the area where they attacked you).
- The bullet marks do not reset if you reload your game.
- The brandy bottles re-spawn if you reload a game, however if taken in a previous game, they will have no effect.
- You can get entangled in the lower branches of trees and the underbrush.
- High system requirements (a game like Delta Force 3 needs far less resources to run!)