Volume

Played to platinum on PSN, happy to see the experience is similar on PC

I honestly can't remember which platform I bought this game for first - either way they both ended up as backlog items for a while despite my best intentions. Either way, I've played them both now and am wholly satisfied.

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The main game consists of 100 core levels. The gameplay is stealth, and it plays from an isometric view. The story runs along the lines of a kid being fed up with an oppressive regime; in an old abandoned warehouse he sets up a virtual infiltration, getting an old AI to offer up virtual representations of real-world secure facilities. By 'virtually' infiltrating all these places, and broadcasting it to the internet, he shows others how they can rise up against their rulers.

To be honest, I don't really need an excuse to play a stealth game, if I see what I hope is good gameplay. And I think it is very good.

It's true the initial levels are quick and easy so you're likely to flash through them in blinding speed, but the complexity ramps up well with the incremental addition of new features and tools. Before you know it you may find you have to wait and think it all through.

In the first level you grab some gems to activate the exit pad. Gradually defence units are added in, ranging from regular units with a gun and a vision cone showing what their range is, then there are turrets, units with a full 360 view, snipers, and really fast walls of meat with swords that end you as soon as they are close enough. As meaty as polygons can be at any rate.

Still further variety exists with distracting taps, toilets, and eventually whistling. Vaulting over low obstacles may take a while to be introduced but cupboards and floor grills make for good temporary hideouts, while special tools such as a throwable bugle that can be remote triggered, stun wire, cloak, speedy silent shoes (mute), disguise, and even a running decoy can help through the most challenging of the levels.

The game even has teleport pads, but features like this are cleverly explained away by the 2D nature of the levels and lack of stairs - even the AI insists it has limitations and you have to take the designs with an open mind. The AI and main character Rob Locksley (pun intended) are voiced, by have less and less dialogue as the levels progress. Some of the text (in-game lore) is quite clever, such as comments about the colour palette, or the introduction of lights (but only much later than when shadows got added), or the comments about the library or the castle with the banners.

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It's a fun game. I wouldn't go by my play time as a guide though as my first game was on PSN, so I have a bit of foreknowledge this time around. There is a little bit of mop-up in terms of achieves after the game is complete, but some levels are really good for grinding the last few out. I'm convinced some are glitchy with keeping track of numbers but they do eventually unlock.

If you like stealth and you like quality gaming, then you're likely already sold. It'll get your mind working. I don't regret buying it on two platforms, so you should at least buy it on one ;)

If you crave more Metal Gear Solid 1 VR missions, this is the closest non-MGS game your going to get.

Great indie stealth game. Not an easy genre to tackle gameplay wise. Pleasantly surprised by this one. Same great atmosphere, music, art direction, and sound design in every other Bithell game I've played. A dev studio worth following.

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