Stealth Inc.: A Clone in the Dark Review

The Vita really has carved a niche for itself by becoming the indie darling of 2013. There have been plenty of indie games released on the system; some of which have been massive hits, and some that get an incredible amount of exposure just by being on a hi-tech handheld. One such game is called Stealth Inc., aka Stealth Bastard as it was formerly known as when released on the PC.

There is a reason why the Vita is so attractive to indie developers. It’s easy to create games, it contains impressive hardware grunt for a portable device, and the touch screen simplifies a lot of controls. There’s a certain joy of playing a platformer on your bed with your Vita, and while Sony may have devised grander things for the system, this is something that really makes it desirable.

Stealth Inc. is a unique platformer that blends in stealth and puzzles. The game is set in a prison sort of setting and the main protagonist doesn’t really strike out as interesting, but the whole point of the game is clearing levels and testing your wits anyway.

It’s nice that something like this has been released on the Vita since I found the game to be really addictive since there are some fantastic puzzles here that will test you a lot.

"The checkpoints are pretty generous. You will start really close to the point you died, so if you are stuck at a place then it won’t be that annoying."

The gameplay mechanics are quite simple. You need to get to the exit at the end of each level. It won’t be easy though, if you miss a step and step into the radar of a turret, then that means instant death.

The stealth mechanics are nicely done too. You can either create your own shadows to activate panels or use existing ones to hide behind. There are other floor or wall switches that you can press to create ways to finish the level.

These panels will almost always be placed near a turret so if you are visible in its range, you will die. Thankfully, the checkpoints are pretty generous. You will start really close to the point you died, so if you are stuck at a place then it won’t be that annoying. It’s actually fun to solve a puzzle and see the time you accomplished the level in.

"I didn’t complete the entire game due to the sheer amount of levels on offer, but from what I have played, Stealth Inc. is a quality game and very worthy of a purchase."

The early levels are quite easy and you don’t have to struggle a lot to beat them. The difficulty increases as you keep playing which is something that you would normally expect from a game like this.

There are a ton of levels here, almost 80 odd. The later levels are complex and even if you are in a courageous mood, it will take a noticeable amount of time to clear each one. At the end of each chapter or so, you will face a boss fight. This should be the same as the other levels but the difficulty is ramped up significantly, however, by carefully studying your environment and finding ways to open the exit will prove to be the deciding factor.

As you keep playing, there will be objects that you need to dodge during platforming, and all this makes the game really tough but fun to play. The amount of content and the smoothness of controls on the Vita really makes it a joy to play through the game. The game also features difficult puzzles and you might be stuck in a level for hours like I did.

I didn’t complete the entire game due to the sheer amount of levels on offer, but from what I have played, Stealth Inc. is a quality game and very worthy of a purchase. I’d go as far to say that the Vita version is the best version, and the game truly showcases the abilities of the handheld in a not so gimmicky way.

This game was reviewed on the PS Vita.