Intravenous 2

fun game, story is interesting enough, worth a play

Love this game, refer to my review on the first game for actual information. This game's even better than that one was.

Intravenous 1 was a really under-appreciated gem and the sequel is mechanically better in every way. The first game did have a better story IMO.

As a fan of Hotline Miami I was looking forward to a more "tacticool" iteration in the genre and this game didn't disappoint. Granted, the writing was a little one-dimensional but the actual gameplay was engaging (and sometimes infuriating, but that was mostly a skill issue).

I played the remake of the first game on normal difficulty in this. One advice for you all is that just play this game on true difficulty, it's not that much harder and it unlocks the guns for ng+ on all difficulty that way.

forgot to leave a review for this. Love this game! Good stealth with very fun combat, going full stealth with Sean and going loud or "commando" play-style with Steve is THE way to experience it. Or just shoot everything, the combat OST alone is worth not playing this as a stealth game.

Gunplay so good it kinda got me into guns. Story is pretty fun, HIGHLY reccomend playing the IV1 Remaster DLC first.

It's worth every penny if you like stealth games and tactical shooters.

After playing Intravenous 1 and 2, I have to say that I am thoroughly in love with this title. I don't think there has been a stealth action game this solid since the early 2000's! Intravenous 2 stands shoulder to shoulder with legendary titles like Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid that harken back to a time where stealth action was at its strongest. The challenge here is great, enemies are coming at you with everything they got and you can really feel the pressure! The story is also very captivating and I was hooked on it from beginning to end! The soundtrack by Xtrullor is amazing! Its like a mix of techno and heavy metal! There is so much replayability here as well, with a New Game+ mode, custom difficulty settings and being able to achieve multiple endings! The creator, Roman Glebenkov, had a vision with this series and I truly believe he has perfected that vision with flying colors!

One of the few truly excellent blends of tactical and stealth games - among the best indie games I have ever played.

This is a phenomenal game one of the best games I've played honestly and is in my top 3 favorite stealth games of all time right next to dishonored and metal gear solid 3 sneak eater. I played it on true difficulty and man was it an experience and I've never played a game where it can go from the most mechanically stealthy and quite games to one of the most tactical shooters I've ever played honestly the gun fights is like a whole other game since the caliber of the bullet the gun itself fire rate control spread damage and all the attachments make all the guns very different and effective in different situations and missions, all and all I highly recommend and it I absolutely love this game. Not to mention you get the first game fully remade in the new engine for free which is unbelievable and super nice so you actually get two games for the price of one.

Amazing sequel to the first game and I really appreciate the controller support for the fact I got into an accident four months ago and I currently have radial nerve damage in my left hand, I got discharged around the time of the game releasing if I remember correctly and after a month or so of being home I was able to hold a controller again for longer than 30 mins and first thing I did was buy this game.
To the developer thank you for making my favorite top down and making these few months go by quick it mighta been a small feature for controller support but i'm genuinely grateful.

EDIT: just beat the game and I honestly have to say the story, characters, level design, and overall passion that was put into this game is something that's rarely seen and i'm honored that I had the chance to play this, well worth the money imo

Just like the 1st Intravenous, only better. Get this if you liked the first game, if you didn't play the first game i would still recommend it if you like games with a fun mix of stealth and shootouts.

Very fun game all the way through with a clear, engaging story. You need to think about what your about to do before doing it and if an un-silenced gun is fired, you'll probably be dead. I liked the ending, tho I think there is more than one of them but I would totally recommend to anyone who likes an action/strategy game.

If you're one of those people whom enjoy stealth action games like Arkham Asylum or dishonored, but you wanted a bit more challenge where you could true stealth, this game is for you. Just the normal diff, is actually pretty hard! So far I'm enjoying it and the story is neat but nothing to write home about. The EMP gadgets and the option for beanbags in shotguns makes it really feel like you get more options to true stealth instead of only giving silenced handguns and melee kills. Like it a lot!

I cannot stress to you how good the game is. The AI is great, enemies will try to flank if you go loud. If you go quiet? Well higher difficulties you got the Payday 2 method "You can't just take everybody out stealthily"and on some maps, they'll question why a gun is lying around leaving you to have they ferry them with the body.

Great, amazing even, gunplay from the topdown perspective. I cannot recommend the game enough. Worth the full price and then some.

First game is Junkie Killing Simulator

Second game is Conspiracy Simulator

You know when some people say something is "the shit" right? Well, this is the shit they were talking about. This game is absolutely killer in all senses of the word. Serious props to the devs for making such a well put together sequel to an already hard to top extremely good game. If you are using this review for reference to see if you should pick it up, PLEASE play the first game first. They're were a ton of references that would have flown over my head if it wasn't for playing the first game before.

Good top down stealth game which can get fast paced real quick.
Main story is around 6 hours the game has a lot of replayability.
Highly recommend for any fan of a good stealth focused game.

-INTRAVENOUS 2 is a straight up UPGRADE from the first game in every way. The gameplay is fun and really engaging, making you think about every move that you take.

-While it is a game that centers around stealth, it allows you to also go loud (at the expense of getting extremely overwhelmed) wich is very nice and creates lots of replayability.

-the soundtrack made by Xtrullor is also a banger. Just so you know the money made from the supporter pack go 100% to Xtrullor

-Overall it is a fantastic game that is worth playing anyday

PS: I really wish for the soundtrack of the game to be able to be listened on steam like the first game

have you ever wanted to stick a silencer and drum mag on a saiga 12k and decimate goons in ways john wick could only dream of? if so buy this game

One of if not the best indie game that i have ever played, i first got the original intravenous and played it, had way way too much fun with it all, and then got intravenous 2 and i have to say, this is my new favorite game that im definitely going to be playing 24/7, rest in peace Vladimir, we miss you 💔

One of the best indie games i have ever played. if you enjoy Hotline Miami, Metal Gear or tactical shooters , this is your game.

This is Hotline Miami for the people who also want to feel like Sam Fisher, very surprised at how in depth the game was and how unforgiving on its hardest difficulty. Very good

Absolute blast of a game. It is fun if you blast your way through it Rambo style and murder everyone. It is a blast if you try to stealth it Sam Fisher style. Stealth is challenging and requires patience and planning to execute effectively. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a challenging stealth game. I personally love the top down view and game mechanics as well as the graphic choice. I think it adds to the vibe of the game and really shows that it was made to have some personality.

Unbelievable. Has to be the greatest stealth game of all time. But honestly, don't let that fool you. Game is really really good as a Tac-Shooter mixed with Hotline Miami as well. There's something in there for everyone.

The difficulty is no joke either.

Not since Splinter Cell Chaos Theory has there been a stealth game this fun and this polished. I cannot recommend this game enough. You are free to be as stealthy as you want, or as wantonly violent as possible. Just know that the shadows are your friends. Bullets are loud, and hurt them just as much as they hurt you.

I feel genuinely bad. I didn't really get to play it. I got this game knowing it wasn't easy, but if I can use a controller I'll manage. And I was glad to see I could on the store page. Except the game told me 'Just use keyboard' before the title screen, so I tried to change bindings but straight up couldn't with some. And I wanted to bind holding a button to do some thing (Interact: Y -- Alt Interact: Hold Y). But I can't, even though you HAVE to press and hold Right D-Pad for Slow-Mo (Can't change that binding). I didn't want to get stuck in and out of menus for 2 hours trying to figure out good keybindings. Ultimately left with a game I can't play simply because I've never really had a PC and am not good enough with M&K. I'd get the game again if I could just rebind my controls a little better.

This game is a gem. Play it.
It has so many elements we have lost in this blob of an industry.
Amazing gameplay that can balance combat and stealth seamlessly. A 80´s esque story that reminds us of 2 bros going against all odds.
I love this game so much.

This is a review for Intravenous 2 and its DLC IV1 Remasters without having played the first game. I was told the mechanics are a straight upgrade and its just a better way to experience it. And it was. Play DLC IV1 first and then IV2,

Banger of a game.

Firefights are frantic and tense.
AI of the enemy is pretty smart but you can trick them. Sometimes they feel a bit too bold but their morale can break and they retreat.
Nightvision and slowmo are the superpowers of this game and they work really well.
Story is decent with good themes. Game looks nice for this style and my only gripe is, its not obvious from another room if you can watch over certain objects or if they will block LOS.

Guns are great and if you enjoy tinkering with guns attachments there is a ton to collect and try out here. Dev is clearly a gunnut.
Stealth is fun and tense without waiting for patrols too long and risks can pay off well. Usually there isnt a safe and boring way through like in other stealth games i played.

True difficulty works as a first playthrough if you are confident in figuring the mechanics out.
Save system on true difficulty felt pretty good live with your fuck ups and if you cant do it just restarting the level doesnt take too long.

8/10 I hate the doors.

Greatest game soundtrack I've experienced tbh. Gunplay is unforgiving and satisfying. Closest thing we've gotten to a PC Punisher game... and I cannot recommend enough. This game is fantastic and a masterpiece of tense action. Can't wait to see what else Mr. Glebenkov has cooking after this.

Neither here nor there: Intravenous 2

Back when I played the original Intravenous last year, it felt like a breath of fresh air - a retro-inspired stealth game with an immersive and atmospheric presentation and well-thought-out mechanics. Intravenous 2 is essentially the same game, and the second time around, all these things seem a lot less impressive.

By the way, that's not a joke. The two games are so similar, we get another awkward disclaimer. This time around, though, it's about how Intravenous 2 is a difficult stealth game™, and if you find yourself in a difficult spot while playing, it's probably your fault and you should git gud.

The story follows Sean, a young man who, desperate to get the money needed to pay for his ailing father's surgery, starts working as an assassin for hire. His strict moral code and refusal to kill innocents land him in hot water when he bails on a contract to kill a local politician. The people who hired him are none too pleased about this, and they kidnap Sean's father, keeping him as collateral so they can blackmail Sean into taking on more contracts.

In a bid to save his father and find out who's pulling the strings, Sean teams up with Steve, the protagonist of the first game. Having failed to re-integrate into society after the events of the original Intravenous, Steve decides to help Sean by doing what he does best - taking out criminal scum.

When viewed from a big-picture perspective, the premise of Intravenous 2 is actually pretty solid. It takes inspiration from the same type of schlocky action movies like the original, but instead of being a revenge story, there's a much higher stake with trying to save Sean's father. It's only when you get to the plotting and pacing that things start to fall apart.

Most of the missions (or, in effect, story chapters) follow a very similar progression:
Sean gets pointed to a new target. Steve comments that Sean probably shouldn't kill the person his blackmailers want dead. Sean makes his way through the level and interrogates the target about who wants them dead. The target doesn't know, but promises to look into it if Sean spares them. Having spared the target (at least in my playthrough), Sean returns to base and waits for the target to reach out. The target eventually lets Sean know they haven't found out much, at which point the blackmailers point Sean to a new target. Rinse and repeat.

This was the pattern for a solid 80% of the game. Interspersed throughout are side missions where you play as Steve, usually exterminating criminals, echoing the events of the original game.

This kind of start-stop plotting kills any buildup of tension and mystery, which is absolute poison for a plot where you try to uncover a conspiracy. In fact, Sean very rarely puts anything together by himself, even the really obvious stuff that the player will catch on to immediately. He's typically fed all the important info by other characters, up to and including where his father's being kept, which he's told by a random NPC we first met only two missions prior.

Look, I'm not trying to be an a.ss.ho.le here. The game is dedicated to Roman Glebenkov's late father, who sadly passed away in 2023. The in memoriam during the game outro is really sweet and a little heartbreaking, and there's a definite theme of doing everything you can to help a parent out during a difficult time.

And that's a real shame, because there's a genuine emotional core to the story of Intravenous 2. Had it been couched in a more structured and better-paced plotline, it would have made the themes of the game so much more impactful.

When it comes to gameplay, Intravenous 2 is basically Intravenous. Everything I talked about in that review is also present here, including the immersive stealth and limited game saves.

One thing of note is that the gunfights in the sequel feel a lot easier to manage. This makes them a much more viable alternative to stealth, especially in missions where you play as Steve. There are also certain attempts at improving the gameplay, like the addition of chain-link fences as obstacles, and a wider variety of weapons and gear.

One of the early missions lets you choose if you want to go in during the day or night, seemingly offering a choice between social and conventional stealth. However, social stealth doesn't really work as advertised, and the missions play out pretty much the same regardless of your choice, which seems like a real missed opportunity. It's also the only mission with that option available, making it look like an early game design idea that would have played a bigger part in the overall gameplay, but which has since been abandoned.

The presentation is also pretty much the same as in the original, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - in the first Intravenous, the presentation did a lot of the heavy lifting in making the game feel gritty and immersive. A slightly more varied soundtrack wouldn't have gone amiss, but even so, the vibe is well above average.

Intravenous 2 feels like a very safe and by-the-numbers sequel to a game that was anything but. At its best, it's on the same level as the original, and at its worst, at least a couple of rungs below. While the core of the immersive stealth gameplay is still very much present, given the ineptly handled story, I would struggle to recommend this to anyone but the superfans who absolutely have to play the sequel.

I love this game. Be sure to save often, make pockets of safe space to maneuver and plan, and if you're playing on true difficulty, make sure you have a plan to take out every enemy that can see a unit patrolling. One critique to the dev: sometimes enemies won't move unless you're within a certain distance to them. It's not fair to take out a patrol ages ago only for some enemy to go through their dialog and *instantly* realize that there's supposed to be a patrol despite never having seen that enemy unit patrolling and the entire mission goes on alert. If possible, try to tweak the AI so an enemy has to actually see the patrol in their line of sight first before they can realize it's gone missing.
Other than that, 10/10 game

Bought this with the DLC remake of the first game. Easily one of the best, if not the best indie games I've played through.
As someone who's emjoyed games like Splinter Cell, MGS, Hotline Miami and a fair bit of tactical shooters, this was far up my alley.

10/10. Buy it.

Sean and Steve, sitting in a tree, K-I-L-L-I-N-G

absolutely PEAK stealth action game, if you liked hotline miami, any metal gear game, splinter cell, etc. you'd like this game

Hotline Miami meets stealth gameplay. That said, playing stealthy is entirely optional. You can just as easily rampage through a level with an assault rifle and hand grenades. Well worth the price and I also recommend buying and playing the remaster of the first game.

I am an adult with a job and I do not have much time to play games. Playing one or two levels of IV2 a night was a lot of fun! So much that I am reviewing my first game. I enjoyed how fast the game loaded when I started it up, a refreshing and appreciated surprise! The gameplay and mechanics are fantastic and the length of the game was good. Excellent work!

Violence is not the answer. It is a question and the answer is yes.

10/10 tactical shooter.

9/10 top-down Stealth game

11/10 STEVE

The game is a stealth action game.
The main objective of most missions is to reach an objective of sorts but how you reach said objective is up to you.
Gameplay is the choice of using the deep stealth mechanics of the game to reach the objective without being noticed, or to go guns blazing and eliminate the resistance on the map, these two gameplay choices actually complement each other and can be mixed to great effect. i.e. you can eliminate bothersome patrols to sneak more easily, or hide in the darkness during a shootout in order regain health and reload your weapons.

The soundtrack of the game is phenomenal and has many versions depending on the alert level of the opposition.
I highly advise getting the supporter pack just for the soundtrack, alternatively Youtube or Spotify have it.

The story is not a masterpiece but the quality is good and it serves splendidly as a way to go from one level to another.

For the graphics and artstyle I feel the images from the steam store page and the trailers is enough for you to understand.

All in all, the gameplay is the main draw of this game and everything else complements it perfectly.
The game is very well made it has become one of my favourite games I highly recommend it.

First of all this is my first review on Steam ever, or at least i believe so because i don't remember writing any other steam review in my life.


Seconly, i want to thank Sseth for reviewing a game that isn't 2000 years old or that is so hard that it would tear me a new asshole, take out my intestine through it, and use them as an improvised jump rope while watching me scream in pain and bleed out on the floor...


...What was i talking about again? Oh right, Poland.


The best way i could describe this game is probably "Metal gear solid/Splinter cell meets Hotline Miami". Which is, i believe, a sentence you'll hear a lot when looking at any sort of discussions or reviews of this game. I personally never played Splinter cell and have knowledge of MGS only through watching George Salonikh on YouTube, but i believe that a person doesn't need to play one game to recognize that it is inspired by, or flatters another one with an "imitation" that builds on the previously established mechanics or making entirely new ones.


I'm not much of a stealth fan either, but this game made me realize that most of the problems i have with stealth games are related specifically to third and first-person stealth games (Like Assasin's creed or Dishonored), because of the lack of information most of them force you into. This isn't a problem with Intravenous 2, it is rarely, if ever that i don't understand what exactly is happening at any moment in this game. Even if you usually don't like stealth games, i recommend you to at least try out Intravenous 2, you might be surprised how much you might like the type of stealth it offers to you. And its intricacies that make it actually interesting.


Oh, but what i DID in fact play quite a bit is Hotline miami 1-2, and have a few things to say about Intravenous 2 in relation to how it compares to many people's favourite mass-murder simulators. This game cannot be said to be an experience that tries especially hard to be a Hotline Miami-like or whatever else because of a few reasons, but i'll outline the two which i think are the main ones in this case:


1. Unlike HM 1 and 2, Intravenous 2 heavily punishes recklessness by making its every individual enemy have more braincells then the entirety of the population of the said fictional state of Miami.

2. You don't have automatic saves which provide you with the much addictive sense of security, instead YOU'RE the one who's responsible for saving the game at any moment of time, which adds an additional layer of planning that you need to consider while playing the game.


This much more tactical approach to combat which the enemies' AI and Intravenous 2 save system force you into is really appealing to me, especially considering that if you're good enough at it, you might as well find the combat easier than the stealth. And that i tell you, as someone who completed the IV 1 DLC to this game at the "true" difficulty with a much bigger focus on blasting the faces of my enemies instead of trying to be sneaky.


Speaking of difficulty, i have only played on "true" and am recommending anyone who wants to try this game out to start playing on it, while it certainly won't be easy, it isn't quite the ball-busting experience the game might try to make you believe it is.


The one gripe i'd say i have with Intravenous 2, as someone who really likes games with deep, intricate and often immersive stories is that its story is quite... Okay. It is innofensively OK in fact, and serves its pupose of getting you from point A to B adequetly. Which is better than being so mediocre that it makes you feel mo emotions at all but... It's really not enough for me to not take away a point or two from a score i'll give this game. And while i know that the story is definitely not the focus of this game, i think that having a good story would still benefit such a uniquely stylish game like Intravenous 2 quite a lot. If Roman is ever going to make Intravenous 3 or whatever else, i hope that he's going to consider hiring a writer or improving his own writing skills, but that's just my opinion after all.

Anyway, 8/10.

Splinter Cell: Hotline Squad

Everything about this game just works - from mechanics, to atmosphere, to soundtrack, to NPC behavior. It's just a Platonic form of high tension stealth adrenaline bloodbath. Nothing to add or remove, simple perfection.

pretty fun. watched a review from a gay man and he was right. good stelth good guns and equipment and lots of shit to do

Intravenous 2 might not look different from the first game but its improvements are where they matter the most, keeping everything good about the first game intact (including its reactive AI and killer soundtrack) while adding more complex level design, weapon customization that can drastically change how you approach a level, and a decent enough Punisher-esq storyline with less of the edgy writing that dragged the first game down. While the handling of doors is still quirky and the skill system feels like an afterthought, Intravenous 2 isn't just a great sequel but one of the best indie stealth-action games available.

A great game, made by a solid dev, for honorable causes. This is what modern games should look like. Not the bug riddled messes you typically see. The story lines are excellent, with twists and turns, side quests which actually are interesting. The interpersonal relations between the characters is well done. The gameplay is unparalleled. Simply a masterpiece.

This game harvested my Kidney, then came back for my pancreas, and i was all there for it

(great game, difficult tho)

Amazing Splinter Cell/Hotline Miami mix with the bonus of a captivating story and interesting characters.

Ventilation shafts somehow accommodate the insane lats of our boys; that's a fantasy world I can get behind.

Just fantastic.

Good game, favorite little touch about it is the ai does not bum rush you just because you shot someone. They usually freak out a lil bit when they see their buddy get dropped and they back off to hold a corner or a doorway. Super fun game for what it is. Would recommend for the price as well, id get the dlc to add the first game while its on sale. Also the soundtrack is a 10/10.

There's a lot more i can say about the game and how good it is.

Hey Hey People!

Alternate timeline where Kurt Cobain gave the shotgun to Steve from Blues Clues

It's like a cross between SYNTHETIK + Hotline Miami + Max Payne/John Wick.
It's incredible.
Developer, all I ask is the ability to keybind more specific actions, like picking up bodies. Please.

Hey hey people,

even though this is a stealth game, it did not stop me from maxing out the upgrades on the Remington 870 and running through both IV 1 and 2 with the banger soundtrack on full blast in every mission