Microsoft has announced its first wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this February, starting with Ghost of a Tale (PC) along with Project Winter and The Falconeer (Android, PC, console) on February 4th. Project Winter serves as a nice alternative to Among Us, especially with its survival mechanics. The Falconeer, meanwhile, was a decent launch title for Xbox Series X/S especially with its aesthetics.

On February 11th, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age (console and PC) and Frontier’s Jurassic World Evolution (Android and console) arriv on the service. The underrated Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones (Android and console) is also available on the same. Wolfenstein: Youngblood for Android rounds out the list.

Thankfully, not too many games are leaving this month. De Blob and Ninja Gaiden 2 are leaving from the console side along with World of Horror on PC from February 15th. Cult classic Shadows of the Damned will be gone on February 16th. Stay tuned for more details on other Game Pass announcements later this month.

Along with talking about the shift in platforming style to a more Metroidvania approach, Clarke and Lockwood also discuss difficulties (or lack thereof) in translating the game to other platforms from the Wii U.

"Our intention was for the game to eventually reach that challenging level but to have a far more smooth difficulty curve compared to the first game. As previously mentioned, the exploratory world aims to ease the player in."

Rashid K. Sayed: Stealth Inc. 2’s story feels more involved and personal than the first game. What influenced the plot and overall atmosphere of the sequel?

While the first game doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, it does raise certain questions about the facility the game takes place in. What kind of person runs this place? Why are they so cruel and uncaring towards all the clones? The larger Metroidvania world allowed us to spend more time answering those questions. Having that extra space allows the player to develop more of a fondness for the trapped clones, and we can do that by showing how poorly treated they are rather than just telling the player about it. I think this creates more of a rich atmosphere and personal story.

Rashid K. Sayed: What was it like to shift from a platforming style game to the Metroidvania genre with Stealth Inc. 2? What kind of different mechanics did it allow for within the story’s context?

Stealth Inc. 2 still has those puzzling, platforming levels spread throughout the world, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into for that part of the game. The Metroidvania world was challenging to design because we hadn’t made such a large continuous world before and it also had to serve a different function to the levels. The Metroidvania world is more about exploration and storytelling than hardcore puzzle-platforming and stealth so it became the “downtime” between levels. I think it makes for a more enjoyable game because the game isn’t constantly stressful.

Rashid K. Sayed: What are your thoughts on criticisms of the game relying too much on trial and error? Was the intention to keep it incredibly challenging, even with the new exploration elements?

Our intention was for the game to eventually reach that challenging level but to have a far more smooth difficulty curve compared to the first game. As previously mentioned, the exploratory world aims to ease the player in. In addition to that, as soon as the game begins we try to create the expectation that you will see many clones die, including yourself, but there isn’t a penalty for it. You have infinite lives and we try to be as generous as possible with checkpoints which we hope will encourage players to test traps without the fear of punishment for dying. The trial and error is intended to be a learning process which is vital to the game.

"The editor has been simplified for use with a controller, but really the only differences between it and our version are things like triggers to control NPCs, cut scenes, music and other things for the campaign."

Rashid K. Sayed: Did you face any trouble in translating the control and gameplay settings to the other platforms, given the Wii U’s unique set-up?

No, that was all very straight forward. The Wii U gamepad capabilities were mostly used for co-op so that couldn’t be included on the other platforms. The clone player was always just being controlled using the regular method of sticks and buttons so it worked right away on the other platforms.

Rashid K. Sayed: How will the level editor’s toolset be expanded upon in the coming months given the game’s availability on a larger number of platforms?

The editor was finished for launch so that won’t change in the future. The editor has been simplified for use with a controller, but really the only differences between it and our version are things like triggers to control NPCs, cut scenes, music and other things for the campaign. We’d often make levels that were too weird to be an official level and didn’t make it in, so there’s definitely enough in there to create never before seen ideas. It’s always exciting to see what the players create though and new levels are always being added to the community.

Rashid K. Sayed: Thanks for your time. Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

That just about covers it! I would encourage players to try out the level editor and the community levels. It’s very interesting to watch a friend play your level after you’ve made one – you’ll learn a lot about level design that way! Here’s a video tutorial to help you get started.

Curve Digital found fame with their multi-platform stealth puzzle platformer, Stealth Bastard, which was renamed Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark in order to bring it to PS3 and PS Vita platforms.

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is available exclusively by way of digital download through platform specific online stores. At this time, the game has been launched on the Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PS Vita and PC. It’s not yet known if the game will receive a digital release on Xbox 360 or if the game will be ported to Linux or Mac OS.

It launched first on the Wii U in October 2014 in North America, Europe and Australia. On April 3rd 2015, it launched worldwide on PC and Xbox One, later coming to the PS3, PS4 and PS Vita on April 7th and 8th.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

One of the most surprising things about Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is that it’s lead platform was the Wii U. Not only that but Curve Digital have pledged to bring four games to the Wii U before the year is out. Speaking about the choice of platform, Rob Clarke of Curve Digital has said, “We’re big fans of the system, our history with Fluidity proves that. We’ve been seen as ‘PlayStation guys’ for years but while we love working with Sony, we’ve always considered ourselves ‘platform agnostic’ – one of the great things about being an independent developer and publisher is that you never have to tie yourself to one system.”

Praising Nintendo, Clarke added, “Nintendo, more than any other platform holder, really love games, and it’s refreshing that they don’t really make the distinctions or labels that other people make. They don’t see us as ‘indie’ or small, they treat us like they might treat Ubisoft or Platinum, and that’s really awesome.”

A feature included in the game is a level editor. The point of this level creation tool is to help players and intrepid level designers create more content for the community. effectively given the game a near unlimited amount of playable content.

Story

The plot of Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones revolves around scientists creating clones with the intent of killing them. It’s your job to save the clones and find out the motives of the various scientists.

Gameplay

As mentioned above, Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is much less linear than Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark. Where the latter is a very linear and player driven experience through consecutive stages with a growing difficulty level, the former is a much more open game with the bulk of content being unearthed thanks to exploration and experimentation with the equipment you find.

The Wii U build of the game, which was the first launch of the title, is seen to be the best version, giving players the ability to manipulate and manage skills and equipment from the Gamepad screen. This keeps gameplay much more fluid and more akin to actually managing an important inventory.

Speaking about bumping up the gameplay style, managing director Jason Perkins and design director Jonathan Biddle have said, “One of the things with the original is because the levels are very short and built around this punishing loop, where you make a mistake and get sent back a very short time. They’re very cerebral, but also very precise. If you play too many of those levels in a row then you get burnt out very quickly.”

Going on to talk about how the game will be approaching things from a metroidvania perspective, Biddle said, “What we’re doing with the sequel is still having that test chamber-based gameplay, but we’re pulling back. A clone will escape from the test into the facility at large, and then we’ll have a Metroid-structured game that sits in front of the test chambers. So you’ll explore the facility with a classic Metroidvania structure using abilities, getting to different areas and enemies in the exploration structure, but it’ll be more leisurely paced as regards the test chambers that you find and then enter in order to rescue the clones from within.”

Another part of the Wii U’s integration with the game is using the Miiverse to post messages directly into the game world.

Characters

The player takes control of a clone who is but one of many in a long line. Your clone, however, breaks free of his lab testing scenario and sets out with the intent of freeing his brethren.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.