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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Around this time of the year, other video games podcasts will be doing their game of the year pods and talking about games like Astro Bot, Tekken 8, Helldivers 2, Dragon's Dogma 2, Silent Hill 2, Hades II, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Balatro, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and others. Well... NOT US! This episode is the culmination of the second year of Stealth Boom Boom. And that means this is the 2nd Annual Stealth Boom Boom Awards – Game of the Year 2024.

In other words... The Boomies!

On this podcast you'll hear us discuss the 20 games we've reviewed on the podcast this year. Over the course of this mammoth 3+ hour episode, you will hear us organise that list of 20 games into a top 20. There are some changes to the format this year, but fans of last year's goty pod needn't worry because one thing had to make a comeback: TOMOTTOM.

Once we've gone through the Tomottom phase, we then order each individual group – Bottom 7, Middle 7, and Top 6. Every place matters, of course, but our ultimate goal is to determine Stealth Boom Boom’s game of the year for 2024.

These descriptions are often full of episode talking points, but it feels spoilery to even suggest what we speak about on the pod. Instead, here is an alphabetised list of the 20 games up for discussion today:

• A Plague Tale: Innocence
• Alias 
• Alien: Isolation
• Ape Escape
• CounterSpy
• Days Gone
• Hitman Go
• James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
• Left Alive
• Mini Ninjas
• Murdered: Soul Suspect
• Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
• Rogue Warrior
• Second Sight
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
• Sly 2: Band of Thieves
• Syphon Filter
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
• Untitled Goose Game
• Watch Dogs

With all that said... please enjoy The Boomies 2024.

... Actually, one more thing... a HUGE thank you to anyone that's listened to a single second of Stealth Boom Boom. It's an absolute pleasure to make this podcast and we're so thankful there are people who have made it part of their listening schedule.

Whether you're celebrating something this holiday season or not, Colm, Adam and Josh hope you have the loveliest time!

For those who would like to play along at home, on the first episode of year three of Stealth Boom Boom, we'll be discussing, reviewing, dissecting... Dying Light.

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Richard Marcinko was a U.S. Navy Seal, a Vietnam War veteran and an author. And in the mid-00s, Bethesda and Zombie Studios were going to make a video game based on him. And then that changed to Bethesda and Rebellion. We’re going back to 2009 to look at a first-person shooter featuring Demo Dick. We’re talking Rogue Warrior.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at a video game that we didn’t play over the last two weeks called Rogue Warrior: Black Razor. We also discuss a great box, one single trailer, how Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning actor Mickey Rourke got involved, and much the real-life Marcinko likes knives.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: briskly strolling up behind a blissfully ignorant enemy and murdering him in the most vicious possible way a.k.a. THE KILL MOVE; a knife guy; an irrelevant radar; a hidden, game-changing third-person perspective cover mechanic; Arkham Asylum’s Predator Mode; silenced pistol divisiveness; superfluous night vision goggles; an inadequate Gears of War shooting gallery; hefty weapons; a snowy hedge maze; one of the finest video game objectives ever; a Cold War tale for the ages; a truly astonishing level of swearing; border education; surprise Neal McDonough; the Sons of Liberty connection; Josh’s school; and the greatest credits song of all 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 Rogue Warrior 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… every single game we've reviewed this year on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom. Because the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom is going to be our Game of the Year 2024 episode, otherwise known as the second annual edition of The Boomies!

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After years of making bloody, adult, violent video games, the Danish video games developer we’re talking about today decided to make something that they could play with their kids. We’re going back to 2009 to look at a third-person action-adventure game featuring some small shinobi. We’re talking Mini Ninjas.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the origins of Hitman developer IO Interactive and how that series influenced their family-friendly game. We also discuss the perceived target audience for this, and an animated series that reminds Adam of fake merchandise.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: memorable box art; samurai with impeccable eyesight; turning into a chicken or bear or an oddly-faced monkey; being spotted in the long grass; a discussion on whether you kids of 15 years ago liked being sneaky; being rewarded for murder and thus punished for playing stealthily; boring button-mashing combat (or something slightly different for those on Nintendo Wii); stopping time for a completely over-powered kill move; large, sparse areas of linear levels; a nice enough world to be in; Hiro’s friends feel pointless; Windy Pants and their absolutely outrageous farts; repetitive QTE boss battles; a story that’s merely there; and The Worst Witch.

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 Mini Ninjas 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 Rogue Warrior on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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In 1979, the screenplay of Dan O’Bannon was turned into a movie directed by a fledgling English filmmaker named Ridley Scott, and starring a young actress called Sigourney Weaver. It did alright. There were some more movies, some comics, some books, loads of merch, and even a few video games. We’re going back to 2014 to look at a first-person survival horror game that divided opinion. We’re talking Alien: Isolation.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at a phone call that lead developer Creative Assembly to working on FIFA International Soccer, all the way to the Sega acquisition. We also discuss how the difficulty was being addressed before the game came out; Harry Dean Stanton’s reaction to how old the original film was when he was being interviewed, and how the team really wanted to distance themselves from Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: a nameless Tesco employee; a strong, scary, smart, stomping xenomorph; feeling absolutely petrified; a rulebook that’s occasionally ripped up; a feeling of vulnerability rather than power while hiding; the risk and reward of the Motion Tracker; patience; simple mini games made stressful; the relief of coming upon a phone box to save your game; peeking at humans; a hefty duration; the Working Joes; thinking about your ammo, location, and loudness before firing your gun; THE FLAMETHROWER; confusing crafting menus; MacGyver; the 1979 sound of the Sevastopol; Tom & Jerry; the San Cristobal Medical Facility; a killer premise that doesn’t deliver on its promise; secondary characters that are merely quest-givers; a fixer upper of a space station; Seegson X Ryanair; Blade Runner; and the split between America and the UK on this game.

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 Alien: Isolation 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 Mini Ninjas on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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How many Slack conversations have you had that have been life-changing? If you answered anything other than “zero”, you are a liar. OR you are a member of the team that made the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2019 to look at a stealth-puzzle game that became a phenomenon. We’re talking Untitled Goose Game.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at developer House House’s confusion around why people didn’t like the bird made up of two colours. We also discuss the use of sandbox on the physical box; three minutes of gameplay that put the game on people’s radars; and celebrities like Mark Hoppus, Chrissy Teigen, Kyle MacLachlan and Beaker.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: being seen on purpose to manipulate and misdirect villagers; too many opportunities to brute force; HONKING; taking a corner like a car; a slapstick, warm Hitman; a stellar Hyacinth Bucket impression; maintaining eye contact; lineless, pastel CBBC characters; a reactive silent movie-like (also Breath of the Wild) piano; the weight of the waddle; grabbing things in your gob because you don’t have hands; gliding along the water; a gorgeous and also sometimes ambiguous to-do list; a bin toothbrush; getting on TV; model villages; walking with a bell in your mouth; the post-game; and being a horrible goose.

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 Untitled Goose Game 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 Alien: Isolation on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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There were a lot of big games out 20 years – many of those games we’ve reviewed on this podcast, this year. But this game involving a raccoon, a turtle and a hippo is a special game for us, as it is the first time we are going back to a series for a look at a second game. We’re going back to 2004 to look at a 3D platformer that has big Ocean’s 11 energy. We’re talking Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at what developer Sucker Punch Productions were thinking going into this sequel, including how they really wanted to put a big emphasis on the game’s heists. We also discuss the improved AI the team was striving for, a Ratchet & Clank demo, the inspiration of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, and a woman named La La Anthony.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: patrolling guards and their flashlights that are basically vision cones; a health bar; enemies that can hear you run; tables you can now hide under; improved stealth fundamentals; fluidly moving around the rooftops of these large hub worlds; the brilliance and inconsistency of the Stealth SLAM (and also Silent Obliteration); spending coins in the new upgrades shop, and the fiddliness of equipping those upgrades; pickpocketing and too much of a good thing; Bentley’s strong but heft-less tranq crossbow; the fists of The Murray; boss battles; the mission structure and how everything you do is in service to a big heist; a duration that is way too long and impacts everything; a mini-game mixed bag; going back to the base to switch characters; one of the world’s biggest drug operations; and a narrative that is both dark and contains a lot of nice lads being nice.

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 Sly 2: Band of Thieves 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 Untitled Goose Game on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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A decade ago, a small indie developer called Dynamighty got a phone call (NB: don't know if it was a phone call.... could've been an email, a fax, carrier pigeon, or many other multiple means of communication) from a large publisher called Sony. And a game about the cold war was born! We're going back to 2014 to look at a 2D stealth-action game about a spy that infiltrates superpower bases. We're talking CounterSpy.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we discuss how the team was influenced by Bond (but apparently there was a much darker version of CounterSpy in the works at one stage, too). We also chat about the founders LucasArts and Pixar heritage and whether or not they named their company after early 00s British singer/rapper Ms. Dynamite.

In our review, you'll hear some chat on the Lacanch Range Master; you go from left-to-right, but enemy guards are living in 3D; trying to figure out a safe distance; blowing up safes around the ever-suspicious guards; no real way to break up the pack; cruel AI; the importance of the constant DEFCON levels; isolating and threatening an officer; going into cover when trying to dodge roll or dodge rolling when trying to go into cover; looking at the world from a different perspective (and finding the aiming fiddly) when you're in a shootout; shopping for new weapons and level buffs; Wile E. Coyote; the limits and repetition of procedural generation; PSP video game Coded Arms; the thrill of running for the end of the level once the countdown starts (and also the annoyances you run into here); breezy satire; and big capital v Vibes.

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 CounterSpy 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 Sly 2: Band of Thieves on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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Independent developer Airtight Games partnered with Square Enix around a decade ago to prove that the hardest murder to solve is in fact your own. In many ways, that is a factual statement. In relation to this game, however... not so sure. We're going back to 2014 to look at a third-person adventure game about a ghost detective. We're talking Murdered: Soul Suspect.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at Airtight's difficult beginning, middle and end, with some higlights including Dark Void and the Ouya. We also chat about how a considerable amount of this game's pre-launch marketing really positioned Murdered as a horror game, and Die Hard.

In our review, you'll hear some chat on why this game even has stealth sections where you're bothering crows, hiding in spectral residue pockets, and sending demons back down to Hell via QTEs; escort missions where you must turn on specific printers and TVs; L.A. Noire; pixel-hunting at a crime scene and then selecting solutions until the game allows you to move on; Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective; the sheer possibilities of being a ghost vs a shoddy teleport or controlling a cat for a bit; ghost walls; reading the minds of Salem's residents; the newspaper that explains how the beach woman died so she can go to Heaven; a central mystery that does just about enough to keep the interest; a very normal Salem; a fancy hat, tattoos, and cigarette does not turn Ronan O'Connor into a protagonist for the ages; and Julia's Thoughts.

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 Murdered: Soul Suspect 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 CounterSpy on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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20 years ago, Starbreeze Studios was going through some tough times, and they were looking for one of their games to be the hit they needed. Across the water, Hollywood actor Vin Diesel was looking to get into video games with his new company called Tigon Studios. So, they decided to come together, and they launched a stealth-FPS in 2004. We're talking The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the developer's really rocky path to their first Riddick game, and discuss whether the general public would be excited about seeing Normal Mapping on the box. We also mention late 90s / early 00s rapper Xzibit and his thoughts on Pac-Man.

In our review, you'll hear some chat on how this game is as dark as Splinter Cell and Thief, but not as deep; the oddity that is Eyeshine; our feelings towards the trade off of a sleek and minimal HUD vs ambiguity when it comes to the safe zone of an enemy’s vision cone; Adam’s preview of Assault on Dark Athena; being a Batman-like predator; trigger happy guards that are standing behind a door waiting for you; some of us think the shooting isn’t very good, some of us think the shooting is good, but all of us quite liked it for some reason; The Darkness; a more involved melee system; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; side quest-giving NPCs; where the prison guards live and shop; a little story about a horrible place; NanoMED treats you right; Richard B. Riddick is a nasty piece of work; and an outrageously sexy menu cube.

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 The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay 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 Murdered: Soul Suspect on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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