Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Ghost of Tsushima is many things. A great action-adventure title with stellar sword combat. A well-told story with strong characterization and memorable events. And to top it all off, the stealth is incredibly on point, whether assassinating enemies from above, poisoning them from afar, or using smoke bombs to slit their throats at close range. While stealth helps trivialize the game as one gets further in, it helps reinforce the legend of Jin as the Ghost, becoming a fiercer foe as his skills improve.

Desperados 3

THQ Nordic’s Desperados 3 is a unique game in the fact that it uses its popular Wild West themes to create a compelling stealth experience. As one of five playable characters, Desperados 3 offers a wide variety of weapons and skills to conquer the many different combat scenarios it presents players with. It plays primarily like a tactics game, and you can either take your enemies head-on or employ more creative strategies which usually involve stealth. Another important point worth mentioning is that the game is a prequel to Desperados 2 and as such fans would, of course, have to know the basic plot before jumping into the game.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The Metal Gear Solid franchise had always been known for its cinematic story-telling and excellent stealth mechanics. But Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater took things in a somewhat different direction, removing the series’ signature radar and emphasizing the environment as one’s greatest tool. Camouflage, CQC mechanics and even some light survival mechanics also added to the feeling of being behind enemy lines while delivering the signature characterization and complex plot that fans loved.

#15. ARAGAMI

Fans of Tenchu games, you don’t want to miss this one. Aragami is not flawless, and with a little more polish, it could have been a significantly better game, but when it works, it works very well. It’s a strictly stealth-oriented game through and through, which is something that old school stealth fans will appreciate greatly, and it looks beautiful to boot. Developers Lince Works are currently working on a sequel, and if they can take the first game’s solid foundation and introduce some smart improvements, they might have a real gem on their hands.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Yes, the story-telling was uneven and the ending was kind of disappointing. However, Kojima Productions’ Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain absolutely delivers on the promise of systemic stealth gameplay. Guide a robot arm into a guard’s face. Sabotage convoys with horse dung. Wait till dark for more cover and exploit every aspect of the environment to succeed. All of this only scratches the surface of what’s possible with Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.

It’s been a long time coming, but the PS4 version of Volume is almost here. It will be launching on the handheld on January 5 in North America, and January 6 in Europe. Volume has been available for PC and PlayStation 4 since August this year, but the Vita version was delayed so the developer would have more time to focus on polishing the game and get it to run on the handheld without any compromises.

The PlayStation version of Volume will be Cross Buy, meaning if you bought it on PS4, then you already have the Vita version available; similarly, if you end up buying the Vita version, you’ll get the PS4 version too. The developer also hinted in the blog post where they made the announcement of the release date that Volume may go on sale before it launches on the PS4- in which case, fans can pick up the PS4 version of the game for cheap, and get it on the Vita too, essentially leading to being able to cheat their way into buying the game on Vita at a discounted price on day one itself. Plus, the game is also on sale on Steam right now.

Good news all around.

Mike Bithell’s Volume will be receiving a free expansion called Coda in 2016 for the PlayStation VR. The expansion will take place after the events of the first game and puts you in the role of The Troubleshooter, who has been hired by the core antagonists following Robert Locksley’s heists and revolution.

Volume: Coda will feature quite the array of new features including new voice actors and characters. The game will employ VR mechanics and it seems that players will also be able to experience the original campaign in VR as well. User generated levels and curated Staff Picks levels will also be playable.

The base game has done very well since its launch – it was reviewed positively and just received the Checkpoints update on PS4 which adds even more modes and leaderboards focused on stealth.

Volume: Coda will be out next year with the launch of PlayStation VR. What are your thoughts on exploring the VR levels through the use of actual VR tech? Let us know below.

Broadcasting these traipses from the Volume is a dangerous endeavor though as Gisborne’s forces are quickly descending on Rob through the course of the game. Even if Rob himself isn’t in danger during these simulations, he’s by no means safe. There are also the moral ramifications of his crusade. In order to ensure the collapse of the current society, is Rob justified in empowering people to become criminals? What about risking their own safety in the process? Is he really stealing from the rich and giving to the poor or pushing his own ideals on the world, much like Gisborne has?

"It’s to creator Mike Bithell’s credit that he’s created both a compelling world and history from scratch along with an utterly ingenuous level of progression in the game’s 100 campaign levels."

In the midst of these compelling ideas – Let’s Play walk-throughs and Metal Gear Solid-like overhead stealth and sneaking combined with clean, Biodigital Jazz visuals that range from cool blue to burning orange – Volume is still a very easy game to get into. When conducting simulations, Rob will have to sneak past guards, collect jewels to open up the exit and then safely leave. Since guards can’t be killed, Rob must instead rely on various means to distract and sneak past them. In the beginning, this is possible through the use of sounds like whistling or leaving a tap on to attract their attention.

Later, you’ll find more sophisticated tools like a ricocheting projectile which can be detonated to trigger sounds in otherwise inaccessible areas; a gleaming oddity which catches a guard’s attention for a certain period of time; and even a noise-cancelling, speed boost which helps you bypass pressure-sensitive plates later. The guards won’t make it easy, of course – as you graduate from stationary and patrolling guards to guard dogs and turrents, you’ll have to make well-timed and split-second decisions in order to succeed.

It’s to creator Mike Bithell’s credit that he’s created both a compelling world and history from scratch along with an utterly ingenuous level of progression in the game’s 100 campaign levels. Considering the fact that each level is essentially made of blocks and tiles, each stage feels unique and special in its own right. The difficulty is slowly ramped up as new mechanics and combinations of such are thrown together. Whether it’s a new tool, a new enemy type or even an intriguing new plot development, Volume sustains your attention without overloading you with information.

"Enemies have a fixed field of vision and won’t investigate anything outside of it. It also doesn’t help that guards upon being alerted will give up looking for you if you’re outside of their vision for a few seconds."

The story itself is presented through in-mission conversations and you’ll discover various notes throughout the simulation regarding the history of Gisborne Industries, its employees and the various Volume AIs that were created. One can appreciate this mix of story and lore – especially in the witty interactions between Alan and Rob or Gisborne’s menacing speeches (as portrayed flawlessly by Andy Serkis). Whether you want to learn more about the game’s back-story and setting throughout missions or simply run through the simulations, you’re always intrigued about what happens next. While there is certain romanticism to Rob’s actions, it’s certainly not all black and white and the plot serves to convey this well.

Volume isn’t flawless though. While in-mission conversations covering up vital parts of the screen as you play are annoying – and the only alternative is to wait for them to finish, wasting seconds on your completion time – there are other issues that serve to unbalance the game. For instance, enemies have a fixed field of vision and won’t investigate anything outside of it.

Even if you move beside them, they won’t react at all if you’re outside their FOV. Which is fine in a simulation but aren’t real people imitating these actions in the real world? Story nags aside, from a gameplay perspective, it does serve to break the sense of tension one could feel. It also doesn’t help that guards upon being alerted will give up looking for you if you’re outside of their FOV for a few seconds.

"Whether you’re looking for an intriguing story to sink your teeth into, a challenging stealth puzzler or just in the mood for something low-fi, complete with an awesome soundtrack, Volume is well worth looking into."

Then there is the generous littering of checkpoints and while we have nothing against them in theory, in Volume they can be used to simply rush through some sections or escape narrowly. This is because every time you hit a checkpoint and are caught, it immediately spawns you there. So if you happen to run past a difficult instance and hit the checkpoint by the skin of your teeth, you’ll respawn there with guards reset to their original locations. Again, this only negates the overall challenge of some instances and cheapens certain runs.

Overall though, Volume is an excellent mix of stealth, puzzle solving, story-telling and atmospheric visuals. Even if you breeze through the campaign, which takes several hours, there are already a number of user-created levels available to try out. A special section with recommended levels is also available and with the level creator, it’s possible to craft your own insane simulation for the world to conquer.

Volume may not have the advantage of a big budget and bleeding edge realism in its visuals. And heck, for a stealth game, it’s no Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain when it comes to size, scale and whatever else one cares to measure it by. But it has tons of heart, class and a compelling gameplay model that can be both challenging and fun, despite its unevenness at times. Volume isn’t perfect but when it’s good, it’s really good. Whether you’re looking for an intriguing story to sink your teeth into, a challenging stealth puzzler or just in the mood for something low-fi, complete with an awesome soundtrack, Volume is well worth looking into.

This game was reviewed on PC.

After numerous delays, Mike Bithell’s stealth title Volume is finally available on PS4 and PC. It’s already garnering positive feedback from critics and you can pick it up at a 10 percent discount on Steam. The PS Vita version was announced to have been delayed by a few weeks.

Volume is phenomenally different from Bithell’s earlier indie platformer Thomas Was Alone. It focuses on Robert Locksley and acts as a futuristic version of Robin Hood with the former committing numerous heists. The objective is to sneak through levels without being spotted, evading guards in the process and using various tools to distract them. Unlike, say, Metal Gear Solid you won’t have any way to dispose of the guards.

Volume also features a level editor which lets players share their own “heists” with each other. What are your thoughts on the game finally releasing? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

Rare Replay

Released today, the Rare Replay is perhaps the most definitive compilation any single developer has ever released. Containing 30 games, a variety of retro challenges and playlists, and documentaries pertaining to the history of Rare, the Rare Replay offers countless hours of enjoyment.

Whether you want to revisit the shooting excellence that is Perfect Dark, explore the world of the Banjo Kazooie series or even tackle Battletoads, Rare Replay has something for everyone. The retro titles may be a tad too over-challenging for some but this compilation retails for $30 and features Blast Corps. That should be an automatic buy for you but luckily, there are 28 other games to justify your purchase (sorry Perfect Dark Zero).

Rare Replay is currently available for Xbox One.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

When you talk about games we hardly know anything about, The Chinese Room’s Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture stands out. The PS4 exclusive has been developed in collaboration with SCE Santa Monica and using latest CRYENGINE technology. More than anything though, the Amnesia: A Machine of Pigs developer is bringing its signature brand of eerie, atmospheric story-telling to the console.

From what we know, players will experience the story through six key characters during the apocalypse in Shropshire. The game’s title leads us to believe that the Rapture has finally arrived and there are those left behind who must tackle with the consequences. Numerous questions arise but the overall interactivity and influences from British sci-fi fictions make us more and more intrigued with the game each day.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is out on August 11th.

Volume

Mike Bithell’s eagerly awaited stealth puzzler will finally be releasing this month for PC, PS4 and PS Vita. As a combination of LEGO meets Metal Gear Solid, Volume will task players with sneaking through various missions and environments to complete heists. The level editor is especially interesting since it allows players to create their own simulations and share them, thus creating a strong community of user creations over the next several years.

Featuring a unique art style and the brains behind Thomas Was Alone, Volume struck us initially with its concept and atmosphere. It faced several delays over the years but now appears ready to release on August 18th 2015.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong

Futuristic RPG noir returns but this time, it heads to Hong Kong with Shadowrun: Hong Kong. Harebrained Schemes has been killing it with Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Dragonfall, delivering two compelling role playing experiences through Kickstarter funding. Shadowrun: Hong Kong will continue the turn based combat and gameplay style that the series is known for while throwing you into a conspiracy involving mega corporations in 2056. There’s still quite a lot we don’t know about the game but it will improve on the engine introduced in the previous games.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong releases on August 20th for PC, Mac OS X and Linux.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

Normally, I don’t like to include remasters or HD ports since, well, it’s a game you pretty much played several years ago when it first released. Some remasters have defied those expectations like DmC: Definitive Edition but Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is something else entirely. It’s essentially a remake of the original game, improving on the core mechanics will completely overhauling the graphics for Xbox One. Presented in 1080p resolution and 60 FPS, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition has plenty to offer for first time players.

That’s not all though. If you pre-order Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before New Year’s, you’ll receive all four original Xbox 360 games in the series completely free (lacking DLC but hey, can’t have it all). Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is out on August 23rd for Xbox One.

Until Dawn

Honestly, I didn’t have much hope for Until Dawn. Its initial support for PS Move and subsequent fall into development Hell more than a few times made me doubt whether the adventure horror would ever release. Nonetheless, it’s here and it actually looks pretty interesting if you’re looking for an atmospheric and scary game where your decisions decide the ultimate fate of the characters.

B-movie horror fans will find a lot to like here as the story of a group of friends contending with a serial killer on a snowy mountain unfolds. If the cheesy teenage drama doesn’t appeal to you then try experimenting with ways to get these meddlesome kids killed instead.

Until Dawn releases on August 25th in North America and August 28th in Europe for the PlayStation 4.