Most games set in World War II follow a common thread: Lock and load, shoot Nazis, repeat. And while Velvet Assassin (South Peak Studios) does stick to this theme of killing the enemy, it does so with cinematic grace, thanks mostly in part the dark, shadowy setting and tactile pacing.
Taking on the role of Violette Summer, a female British spy, you’ll work covertly in Nazi controlled Europe taking careful strides to sabotage various operations the organization has set up. Velvet Assassin is shrouded in darkness and since you’re a spy, you’ll need to tip-toe and skulk in the shadows in order to snake through missions, kill enemies and achieve your goals.
Most of the hand combat requires you to move behind enemies – which are seemingly always patrolling around you – in order to off them and trigger the stealth kill cut-scene. Overall, the key to winning is patience. Within the game’s 12 missions, you’ll need to stalk your enemies, observe their movements and time your attacks to ensure a seamless kill. Velvet Assassin approaches combat with well paced tension and lets the player utilize their creativity in order to reach the end of the mission, ensuring that scenarios can play out differently. While you’ll be armed with a knife, at times, you can use a gun to execute enemies, but the targeting system can be frustrating as aiming your weapon often proves to be difficult.
Despite a few missteps in the weapon targeting area, Velvet Assassin proves to be a solid effort, combining stealth play with gritty visuals and grim setting that serves as a reminder not all wars are fought on the battlefield. Some are silently waged in the shadows.
Velvet Assassin is available now on XBOX 360