Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack delivers a deeply engaging squad-based tactical experience set against the backdrop of World War II. Players command a four-man SAS team, issuing detailed orders for stealth, assault, and reconnaissance. The blend of real-time action with pausable planning moments creates intense firefights and strategic positioning, ensuring that every mission plays out with nail-biting tension.

The inclusion of the Devil’s Bridge expansion brings new mission environments and objectives, forcing players to adapt their tactics on the fly. Whether you’re sabotaging a remote Axis airfield or rescuing downed pilots, each scenario introduces fresh challenges. Permadeath looms large—in the original title, losing a single team member can alter your squad’s composition permanently, compelling cautious movement and calculated risk-taking.

Multiplayer enthusiasts will appreciate the integrated Roger Wilco voice-chat system, which seamlessly connects teammates for co-op and competitive modes. Coordinating ambush points, calling for suppressive fire, or warning allies of enemy patrols becomes far more immersive when you can speak directly over the radio. This feature remains impressive, even by today’s standards, adding a human touch that text chat simply can’t match.

Graphics

While Hidden & Dangerous debuted in the late 1990s, its environments still hold a rustic charm. The game’s 3D engine renders sprawling airfields, dense forests, and enemy encampments with sufficient detail to support stealth gameplay. Textures may appear dated compared to modern titles, yet they effectively convey the grime and grit of wartime Europe.

Character models and weapon sprites show their age up close, but the game’s dramatic camera angles during mission briefings and debriefings add cinematic flair. Lighting effects—especially muzzle flashes and searchlights—cast long shadows, reinforcing the game’s stealth mechanics. The subtle day-night transitions in certain levels heighten tension, as you navigate dimly lit paths with enemy search beams cutting through the darkness.

The Devil’s Bridge expansion pack ups the ante with a handful of visually distinct locales, from snow-covered bridges to bombed-out cities. These new backdrops diversify the visual palette and keep exploration fresh. Even if you squint, the overall presentation captures the wartime aesthetic well enough to immerse players in the SAS’s daring exploits.

Story

Though Hidden & Dangerous emphasizes open-ended mission design over a linear narrative, a loose story thread binds the campaign together. You follow the SAS team from training exercises in Scotland to covert operations across Nazi-occupied Europe. Briefings and in-field radio chatter provide context and objectives, while debriefings summarize mission outcomes and squad status.

The Devil’s Bridge expansion introduces a handful of new objectives that build on the core narrative, expanding the stakes with high-value targets and critical intel retrieval. While the characterization remains minimal—your squad members are largely silent silhouettes—occasional radio banter adds personality and fosters a sense of camaraderie. This sparse storytelling approach lets the missions carry the emotional weight.

Ultimately, the story serves as a framework for emergent gameplay. Each successful demolition or rescue not only advances the war effort, but also deepens your attachment to the squad. Losses sting, victories thrill, and the knowledge that your actions directly impact Allied operations provides more motivation than any cutscene could.

Overall Experience

Hidden & Dangerous: Action Pack stands as a testament to classic tactical shooters. Its combination of open mission design, realistic ballistics, and team-based strategy delivers hours of wrenching difficulty and triumph. No two playthroughs feel identical, thanks to branching objectives and the permanent consequences of unit loss.

The integrated Roger Wilco voice-chat functionality is a standout feature, especially considering the era of its release. Cooperative runs with friends transform the campaign into a truly collaborative affair, where split-second communication can mean the difference between silent infiltration and an all-out firefight. Even today, coordinating maneuvers via live voice chat feels remarkably fresh.

Although modern gamers may balk at the game’s dated visuals and sometimes clunky controls, fans of hardcore tactics and WWII settings will find plenty to love. The Devil’s Bridge expansion adds replay value and mission variety, rounding out a package that remains one of the most authentic SAS simulations of its time. Whether you’re chasing nostalgia or discovering Hidden & Dangerous for the first time, the Action Pack offers a compelling, challenge-driven journey through wartime Europe.