For stealth fans there's not been too many stealth based games on Xbox 360 and so it's always welcome news to hear that another one is in the works. What with Splinter Cell Double Agent ruling the roost and Assassin's Creed offering its own take on stealth based gameplay, there's certainly room for more, especially if you look at how many first person shooters, racing and action games the Xbox 360 has. Stealth based games might not be as popular, but the style of play offers a welcome break from pointing the big guns or driving the fastest cars. So...introducing Velvet Assassin from Replay Studios is very much a welcome, well it is for me anyways, and having spent some considerable time playing an early build, I can safely say that fans of the genre should be most pleased at the game's arrival.
To introduce the premise behind Velvet Assassin is simple, take a real life World War II heroine (Violette Szaboe) and base a game around her character, that's right the game is set in World War II which from the offset places it well and truly apart from any splintering peers. There's no real high-tech gadgets, and it's all very basic to suit the time period. With a new character Violette Summer, you're then thrust behind Nazi enemy lines in Europe during the latter portion of the war. It's a perfect excuse to not only play as a female assassin, but to eradicate the Nazi threat in new ways which we've only really been privy to in first person shooters. What's interesting about the way the game plays out, is the fact that Violette is actually in a hospital bed, dying and in an almost comatose state. The game is basically her remembering the missions that led up to this point. The real life Violette was actually captured and killed by firing squad - so I'm not sure if death will be the ending for Violette Summer - we'll just have to wait until we get the full game to find out.
GAMEPLAY
So with the introductory formalities out the way, what about the gameplay? Well, and I apologize for making comparisons right off the bat, but I'm going to stick with my guns here and state that Velvet Assassin plays very similar to the early Splinter Cell games, in fact the similarities are very noticeable.
The first mission is set in an outdoor forest area and requires you to find a bunker entrance, the pathway here is pretty linear and to be honest feels more like a tutorial mission. You'll encounter your first guard who happens to conveniently have his back turned and is somewhat worse for ware - the empty bottles of drink being a good clue, alongside some slightly slurred mumbling (in German). Like any would be assassin, posture and position plays a big role in how you navigate areas and tackle your opponents. Now although Violette is a female, her attire is suitable for the task at hand, so that means no high heel shoes - but this does not mean she can walk around without making a sound. Walking normally is mostly fine, although once you get within close proximity to an enemy, he's going to hear your footsteps and investigate. So pressing the RB button and you'll enter a crouched position which forces you to move much more slowly, and means you'll be as silent as possible. It's interesting to note, that your speed here is slightly slower than the normal walking speed of guards, so you'll have to pick your moments if you're going in for the kill. Luckily, it seems that most guards will have a moment of pause during their patrol routes. Also with the game's upgrade system, you'll be able to increase the speed at which Violette moves during crouching. What's worth noting is that any uneven surfaces will mean that stealth walking is impossible, and so as a player you need to think about how you approach the situation. A number of times I tried to creep past an officer, only to alert him due to treading on fragmented ground. The trick in this instance was to lure the officer to an area away from the noisy ground where killing him silently was possible - or getting the drop on him before he had a chance to move into the area with the noisy floor!
Once you are behind an enemy you'll be able to creep up on them and initiate a stealth attack. Now this is a context sensitive action and is initiated by pressing the A button when prompted. As you approach an enemy, the screen will slowly change colour and indicate that you are in range. Then it's a case of hitting the A button and watching Violette perform a number of different attacks, these vary depending on what weapon she has equipped. The first mission, she is armed with a dagger and so she'll grab the enemy from behind and either slice his neck or stab. It's quick and although there's a momentary struggle, it's over in a flash, and thus means Violette can move on or pick up the body and hide it. The first mission has some undergrowth which is great for not only Violette to hide in, but bodies also, and yes the guards are rather perceptive when it comes to seeing their comrades floored.
Looking at hiding, there are some very dark areas in the shadows, and it's here where you'll be able to move without detection and also plan how to tackle those who seemingly block your way. A bluish hue appears around Violette to show you that you're well hidden although sometimes you can merely hide behind objects with equal effect. When things get too dark for comfort Violette can switch on a flashlight to illuminate her path, although this takes away any stealth as guards will spot you in an instant. There are generally few guards but I will say that although Violette can pack a punch when armed with a shotgun, when she's only armed with a dagger or silenced pistol, then you're most likely going to want to ditch the Rambo tactics and stick to the shadows. A few shots or the butt of a rifle in the face means death and rightly so, as Violette although is handy at making stealth kills, isn't as accomplished at going toe to toe. The pistol is good for a one hit kill, but seeing as guards wear helmets, it's not guaranteed, and so two headshots might be required, however, the first head-shot might alert everyone. It's a stealth game and although you are very much encouraged to kill enemies (judging how the levels are designed) the onus should really be on stealth kills. For those of you who are trigger happy, the last section of mission two allows you to escape with a shotgun in hand, for a more full on action set piece.
The game seems to present a number of scripted moments as you'd expect, where the enemy will engage in lengthy conversations - subtitles appear for those who are interested in the various German ramblings. It's these moments which can buy you valuable time to scout a route past or find another way to get their attention if you're wanting to make a killing. There are things like fuse boxes which can be broken, thus changing the lighting in the area. Violette also has a handy whistling move which draws enemies to her location, and she's able to draw enemies away from their patrol routes by shooting objects with the silenced pistol. Careful use of these means that she'll be able to distract the most tenacious of guards. There are also some clever uses of light and shadow to navigate areas, one example of this is when passing a couple of guards in conversation. A large shadow of a moving fan can be used to creep past without detection. It's quite clever how this has been utilized although not exactly original as we've seen similar devices used in other games.
In contrast to all the hiding, Violette can also hop into a cupboard and change her outfit (once she's acquired it first). This changes the gameplay because no longer do you need to hide in the shadows. In fact, what is rather neat is having the choice to use a disguise for subterfuge or carry on hiding in the shadows using her normal attire. Wearing an SS officer's outfit might grant you open access to areas, but means you won't be able to sneak around. The other negative is guards will get suspicious of you if you're too close or perform unusual actions (an on-screen meter informs you how suspicious guards are) this translates to always being aware of the guards and not really having a free roam to do as you please, because once your cover is blown then it becomes pretty tough to escape.
The game's levels are pretty linear, although some do offers alternative routes. The second mission for example has a hub area where you can decide whether to head to the crew quarters first, or a munitions dump. Both areas are tied to your objectives and means you'll visit both of them anyway. There are more subtle areas to scout, because things like rooms and cupboards can be overlooked. The game does offer some reward for being thorough, and these come in the form of collectibles. Each one grants you experience points which in turn can be used to upgrade Violette. There are three main areas to upgrade (Stealth/Morphine/Strength) and the results can have a profound effect on how the game plays. As mentioned earlier, a slightly faster sneak speed can mean you'll be able to kill an enemy more easily. The morphine is an unusual mechanic because this blurs the line between reality of the mission, and Violette in her hospital bed. Injecting morphine allows Violette to run at enemies and get a kill without consequence. It's rather unusual for a stealth game, and for the most part is optional. Luckily there are few morphine syringes around so it's not something that can be abused too much.
DESIGN
Velvet Assassin looks pretty decent, although to get the most from the graphics the brightness really needs to be adjusted in the options. If the game is too bright, although you'll be able to see clearly, you'll miss the impact of hiding in the shadows and it'll look silly when a guard is standing feet away from you, yet can't see you. There's some impressive use of lighting and shadows and with it affecting gameplay as well means that the designers have been clever in providing something that not only looks nice but plays very well also. Flickering light, moving shadows and and dark moody areas help provide perfect stomping grounds. I did encounter some minor framerate issues and guards getting stuck on the scenery in this build, but I would assume these will be ironed out for the final release.
The game's AI seems a little hit and miss, and for the most part will react accordingly to sound, and if you're exposed. However, the gameplay is rather old school and means that if you navigate away from an area after being detected, after a while the guards will carry on as if nothing ever happened. I guess this is a gameplay trade-off to give the player a chance, but this is 2009, and game developers could be a little more imaginative with the idea. Maybe we'll see some tweaking of the AI in this regard for the final release? Playing the game on the hard difficulty posed no differences other than more awareness from the guards, making it less feasible to run up behind an enemy and killing him before he has the chance to turn around and fill you full of lead.
There's some clever use of audio and as already mentioned, the guards will engage in some witty conversations at times. The music is very moody and offers an indication of what status the guards are in. You'll need to keep your ears well tuned to any sound that you or your enemies are making, as at times this can be the difference between going unnoticed and getting busted.
IN CLOSING
I wasn't so sure about Velvet Assassin, and although I'm a bit of a stealth fan, the return to WWII, a lack of hi-tech gadgetry and dare I say it, four Splinter Cell games under my belt somewhat made me cynical of this new game, despite being vaguely interested in it. However, having spent considerable hours sneaking around the 6 odd levels on offer in the preview build, I can be confident in saying that as a fan of the genre, I'm excited for the full game, as you should be also. What Velvet Assassin will offer is a comprehensive campaign, which tells an interesting story across 12 missions. A number of authentic weapons that suit the WWII theme, the choice of playing a little more action orientated or covert, and the chance to dress up in fine SS outfits! The game might not be as high profile, or as polished as some of its peers, but as a game in its own right has enough charms to pull you in and keep you well entertained. If the preview build keeps to its promise of offering a more finely tuned experience when it releases in the coming months, then Velvet Assassin should prove to be a popular game for fans, despite a lack of co-op/multiplayer options which seem to be the norm these days.
Preview By: Robert Cram
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