With the success of a handful of stealth-based action games such
as “Metal Gear Solid,” “Splinter Cell” and
even the insanely violent killing spree known as
“Manhunt,” many game makers have begun to rush
production of their own offerings to the genre.
- TV/New Media Reviews
- My spider-sense is tingling… (Courtesy of Sammy Studios)
“Spy Fiction” is Sammy Studios’s latest
attempt at just that. Mix a few parts “Metal Gear
Solid’s” Solid Snake with an equal amount of Tom
Clancy; add a couple drops of “Mission Impossible,” and
top it all of with a healthy dose of Homeland Security and
you’ll get something close to that of “Spy
Fiction.”
The game begins near the end of a storyline in which the Phantom
agent parachutes into a castle to stop an international terrorist
from releasing a biological weapon upon the world. At the end of
this first mission, the game jumps back in time to where the plot
begins and slowly unveils how the events in the first mission came
to be.
The one fairly original and interesting aspect of this game is
the disguise system. With a good enough photograph of a character
within the game, players can perfectly disguise themselves and fool
almost any guard they come into contact with.
For the most part, the game is easy to the point of being
uninteresting. Firing at an enemy guard has no consequence other
than that he might make noise and call for backup on the radio.
Other than that, they usually fall without any sound and disappear
shortly thereafter, negating any need to hide the body from the
other guards.
Even if the guard does happen to call for backup, gamers can
knockout or kill off the backup with just as little effort. And if
trouble does arise, it takes over a dozen shots to finally take the
player down, resulting in a far-too-easy combat scenario.
Overall, “Spy Fiction” turns out merely a mediocre
performance; there is nothing new or particularly special about it.
It has its moments, but these are overshadowed by the mundane.
After about one mission, gamers are likely to get tired of using
the exact same moves over and over to progress through the level.
Though the game is entertaining, it still feels repetitive and
unadvanced. Gamers would be wise to stick with splinter cell to
quench their thirst for the genre.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.