In the late 90s, John Romero convinced Warren Spector to join his studio in order to make the game of his dreams. This game was something Spector had been thinking about since 1993. It had a couple of names over the years – Troubleshooter being one, and Shooter: Majestic Revelations being another – but one thing remained the same: it was ambitious. We’re going back to 2000 to take a look at a first-person shooter, that is also a stealth game, that is also an RPG – so I guess we can call this one an immersive sim. We’re talking Deus Ex

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about Ion Storm’s origins, Daikatana, and how one developer was going to make you his bitch. We also look at how that Dallas attitude affected Austin, the difficulty in marketing a game that’s quite different to everything else out there, how being a pacifist is okay actually, and how single player games are not dead.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: the Revision mod; stealth systems that are reliable, but working underneath, meaning you have to mostly go on vibes; being seen is just part of your story rather than failure; THE QUICK SAVE; looking at every possible route to sneakily get around the world; the glorious lockpicking waggle; the invisibility cloak; weak small arms for those that want to kill quietly; the beast riot prod and the even beaster lightsaber Dragon’s Tooth sword; permanent a/b choices that really make you think about your build; draining bioenergy; remembering to turn off your augmentations; TORCH EYES; the GEP gun, the LAM, and all of this game’s wonderfully silly explosive weapons; managing the Resident Evil style inventory; boss encounters that don’t betray the game; kill phrases; your first encounter with the NSF on Liberty Island; buying drinks in Hong Kong’s Lucky Money club; conspiracy theories now vs conspiracy theories then; predictions that have come to pass (and others that have not); changing the course of its plot and how characters react to your actions and decisions in ways that never stop being brilliant; and that absolute stone cold classic of a theme song.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Deus Ex is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Ghost of Tsushima on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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In 2005, filmmaker Christopher Nolan was about to become mainstream with the first movie in his superhero trilogy. Meanwhile, a group of developers in Derby were working on a video game tie-in for said movie that wouldn’t turn out to be quite as popular. We’re taking a look at an action adventure game that was neither a precursor to a game based on The Dark Knight, nor The Dark Knight Returns. We’re talking Batman Begins.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about trailers that feature Batman smiling, Trailer Voice Man, and Phoenix International. We also look at how important it was for this to be an interactive version of the movie in almost every way, as well as a cavalcade of celebs: a disinterested Morgan Freeman, a bloodthirsty Cillian Murphy, anbemused Michael Caine, and a Christian Bale that thinks all this video game stuff is a complete waste of time.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: the first glimpses of many things that would become staples in the Arkham games; instilling fear in your enemies by interacting with very specific parts of the environment; goons dropping their guns when they’re scared; the optic cable from Splinter Cell; an exceptionally violent inverted takedown; familiar punching and kicking, as performed by a more acrobatic, yet less fluid Batman; the weird context-sensitive special move thing; NO BATARANG BUSINESS; climbing things with 70% arm and 30% leg; bonus Game Boy Advance opinions; a lack of yellow paint; training in the Himalayas; driving the tumbler around Gotham like it’s a Burnout game; dingy rooms illuminated by beams of light coming through blinds; restrictions vs limitations; being rewarded(?) with clips from the film in between levels; odd differences in the narrative; Gary Oldman’s absence; and a lockpicking minigame that’s the same every single time.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Batman Begins is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Deus Ex on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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Imagine a game so successful that during the making of it, you actually end up coming up with three games. That’s what Capcom did when they were prototyping Resident Evil 4. They got that, they got Devil May Cry and they also got the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2005 to take a look at a survival horror that didn’t get quite as many sequels as those other series just mentioned. We’re talking Haunting Ground.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about the much better Japanese name of DEMENTO, as well as a tagline that Josh likes and doesn’t like at all. We also look at a trailer with a lot of slobbering and panting, their reasons for including a dog, and mo-capping said dog.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: being reactive after you are definitely spotted by one of your pursuers; hiding under beds, inside wardrobes, and behind doors; Alien: Isolation; a distinct lack of fear; special hiding spots; Hewie the attack dog; fairy earrings; the sound of vase-breaking vs dog-barking; how much your bond with your pooch; German Shepherd-sized holes; some real headscratchers of puzzles; some of the flattest boss fights; shoddy glowing fireflies; Resi 4 comparisons; nice-looking maps that are a bit hard to read; a story with some heavy sexual themes, delivered through some ludicrous characters and dialogue; Manhunt; the strangely calm Fiona Belli; setting the scene via static camera angles; the looks of a late PS2 game; and a wonderful lack of loading screens. 

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Haunting Ground is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Batman Begins on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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After the launch of Don’t Starve, Canadian developer Klei Entertainment was on solid ground in every way. They’d put their hand to many genres and had been successful in pretty much all of them. We’re going back to 2015 (or 2013, if you want to include this game’s EARLY early access launch) when they revisited sneaking, but put a different spin on what they’d done before. We’re talking Invisible, Inc.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about why this game changed its name, and what stealthy aspects they could explore here that they didn’t in Mark of the Ninja. We also look at trying to enjoy the journey in difficult games, rather than just seeking the reward; and we chat about how much we enjoy early access vs its importance to devs. 

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: Soliton Radar: The Game; red, yellow, and blue EVERYWHERE; peeking around corners to uncover more of the map; Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine; a camera you don’t have full control of; a procedurally-generated table that’s just in the way; a slow and exhilarating chase; forecasting the movement of guards; five rewinds; single malt; the wonderfully-balanced and easy-to-use Incognita; Gunpoint; collections of boxy rooms with samey heists that blur together; finding the exit and then deciding what to do next; 72 hours; the auto thump; a ever-rising security level; Metal Gear Acid; breaking your pal out of their cell; an entirely irrelevant plot; some colour in character bios; and generating a campaign where a ko'd enemy stays down for 100 turns.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Invisible, Inc. is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Haunting Ground. on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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What do you do when you have a brand new handheld console coming out? You turn to a series that is synonymous with your home console. We’re going back to late 2004 (or early 2005… or late 2005, depending on the region you’re in) to look at a turn-based strategy spin-off. We’re talking Metal Gear Acid (or Metal Gear Ac!d, however you’re meant to pronounce that).

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about importing a Japanese PSP as well as an American UMD, and a back of the box for the handheld’s launch window. We also look at how acid dissolves metal, fashionable acid jazz, and Colm does his longest “how does this game play?” bit ever.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: Hitman Go; doing nothing, watching the enemy, and plotting a route; trying to figure out if a gun without a silencer is just as quiet as a gun that does have a silencer; hiding quite important things like how to view the map from an aerial view and how to shoot some weapons; chasing down a guard before the call goes through after he’s spotted you; not enough places to hide and plenty of guards to kill; failure via randomisation (and just deck management, in general); mission-critical cards; Balatro; how cost changes who goes when; controlling Snake AND Teliko; stacking buffs; the power of the XM8; mystifying decisions around movement; a game of Ludo; a story that’s nutty in a slightly different way to regular Metal Gear Solid, but told in a terribly boring way; a dramatic performance; music that’s better than you expect; and the most peculiar in-game adverts. 

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Metal Gear Acid is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Invisible, Inc. on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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We’re going back into the shadows and listening out for footsteps on tiled floors, as we revisit a series that all of us enjoyed back in season 1. We’re going back 25 years to 2000 to look at a massively influential first-person stealth game. We’re talking Thief II: The Metal Age.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about the architecture of Meet Joe Black, co-operative thieving, and crunching to hit the release date. We also look at a trailer that Eddie Vedder (and by extension John McEnroe) would be happy with, some of the hopes developer Looking Glass Studios had for the franchise, and the closure of the studio only months after launch.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: staying in the pitch black shadows and extinguishing flames with your water arrows; walking on carpet and shooting at tiled floors with your moss arrows; the Stealth Strepsil; the guards that never shut up; many different ways to move; new magic potions; the Scouting Orb and whether there’s a need for it; the golden rule: get behind ‘em; a glitchy romance; cameras and big robots with faces; combat is punishment for being spotted; Dishonored; praise for quick save functionality; more objectives for higher difficulties; framing a lieutenant at the local police station; Kevin Keegan; a fondness for worldbuilding rather than plot; Blood Omen 2; sarky Garrett; religious texts; Karras as played by Droopy Dog; one of the best arguments; a UI that didn’t please Josh; and a specific sound that pleases everyone.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Thief 2: The Metal Age is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Metal Gear Acid on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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Who knew that a Jack Nicholson-sounding extra-terrestrial in a Grand Theft Auto-like would become a cult classic? We’re going back 20 years to 2005 to look at a third-person action-adventure game that spawned more sequels than you realise. We’re talking Destroy All Humans!

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about Pandemic Studios family-friendly game that accidentally led to a violent, angry alien blowing things up. We also look at the original E3 trailer and whether this game was going to be sneakier, a banger track for the Japanese audience, King of the Hill and some theremin.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: looking like a human thanks to the easy-to-use (but also limiting in some ways [but also not difficult to circumnavigate those limitations]) Holobob; becoming more mentally powerful via the thoughts of others; being aware of nearby, pesky Majestic agents; a GTA wanted level system that mostly works but is not without jank; hypnotising, if it takes your fancy; a little bit of something; answering questions as the Rockwell mayor; yearning for a stealth brain extraction; getting all the benefits of a probe (and the rest of your arsenal); the fluidity of your giant flying saucer; flinging folks around with Psi-Ops-like telekinesis; playing boring repetitive side missions just so you can progress; satirising pretty much everything about 1950s America; very easy company; the wonderful duo of Crypto and Pox; 

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Destroy All Humans is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Thief II: The Metal Age on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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We’re living by honour and killing by stealth… again. For only the second time ever (although it will be happening a lot more throughout this season), we are returning to a series. We’re going back to 2000 to look at a third-person stealth-action game. We’re talking Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about Rich spending his 18th birthday making levels in the mission editor, Josh’s fondness for Tekken 3 (oh that volleyball was classic, wasn’t it?), and bent coppers. We also get an apology for the lack of a PS2 version, word of 21 new stealth techniques, and a note on regional differences

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: trying to judge how far away enemies are with the Ki meter without seeing them; differing opinions on the brilliance of guards’ eyes and ears; a very sneaky and very slow crouch; movement that some people love and other people don’t like one bit; a redundant right stick; movable corpses that have new items (none of which is mentioned in the game); manuals; (inverted) throwing poisoned rice on the floor; a white sheet washed with Daz that turns you invisible; combat that could do with with a lock-on; zero checkpoints; chucking grenades bosses; the sound of blood pouring out of your enemies; a returning grappling hook that’s been tweaked and thus divides the crowd; a tutorial that grated for some; Silent Hill draw distance that stands out more in the new daytime levels; hiding in the water with a bamboo reed; an involved, interweaving three-campaign story; the lack of more lads like Genbu; the MGS connection; and an owl hooting instead of banging music for some reason.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Destroy All Humans on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at a lead character’s striking resemblance to a West Bromwich Albion fan and Guardian columnist (see: the bust on this episode’s cover art). We also take a look at the origins of a small, independent, Japanese developer called Capcom, and how these big fights actually happened IRL. Crazy, right?

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: Dr. Otto Octavius as played by Alfred Molina; a surprising level of sophistication in relation to the sound you make and the guards can hear; Assassin’s Creed social stealth; Hitman disguises and the multiple choice quiz you might have to take when someone’s suspicious; holding items behind your back; being punished for not completing stealth sections in a very specific way; the pain of an accidental jog; connected environments to can creep around; picking up coins to furnish your flat; Dead Rising; the chaos of battles being you vs LOADS; the balancing act of both the nasty and the silly when it comes to the violence; the Salvos scoring system fitting the theme perfectly and encouraging you to try different weapons; another game that’s just too long; Road Rash B.C. (otherwise known as Rome Rash); a difficulty that ramps up and up; escort missions from a certain era; a fake brother called Sextus; pointless chats with trainee gladiators; Yakuza / Like a Dragon; an engaging whodunnit around the assassination of Julius Caesar; Maecenas Oven Chips; a pacing problem; Gladiator II (and also The Pope’s Exorcist); the majesty of Agrippa; and how Ryse: Son of Rome is probably the closest thing to a Shadow of Rome 2.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Shadow of Rome is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Shadow of Rome on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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What do you do after you’ve had one successful first-person zombie game that is owned by a publisher? You don’t develop the proper sequel in that series and you instead make your own version of that thing. We’re going back to 2015 to look at a first-person zombie action survival game. We’re talking Dying Light.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at Techland finding their niche in the zombie world with Dead Island, before their relationship with that game’s publisher ended. We also discuss a a very good tagline that was almost definitely inspired by George Clooney; an announcement trailer that was almost definitely inspired by Peep Show; a world-building trailer that was almost definitely inspired by those poetry adverts; Techland’s answer to a housing crisis; and battering punching bags in the car park.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: the vicious, running Volatile zombies give chase at night; GTA 4 police radar; fairly uninteresting nighttime sneaking; waiting hours to rub zombie guts on yourself a la The Walking Dead to blend in; enemies are attracted to sound, but you have no way to regulate the noise the protagonist makes, but you can throw firecrackers; crossbows come in handy with humans; swinging all manner of melee weapons at the heads of the undead; an uninviting crafting menu that makes you wait for your items; no fun human battles; fluid parkour (once you’ve levelled up and bought skills like “slide on the ground”) that gets the David Belle seal of approval; Mirror’s Edge; the grappling hook; the skill trees; slower first-person platforming puzzles; a decent Escape from New York-style setup that is let down by some terribly boring characters; American saviour Kyle Crane and his very quick turn to good; and a contained zombie outbreak.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Dying Light is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Shadow of Rome on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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