I picked a lock or two and grabbed the Death to Spies preview from Nobilis and 1C (publishers) and Haggard Games (developer) for a quick peek into why the spies should die. What I found out was it's because they're frustrating but the game does a good job of pulling the gamer in after only a few minutes of play.

Death to Spies is a combination stealth action and third-person shooter. Of course if you really are a good spy you're not shooting all that many people. Then again, if you're me you end up killing a ton of guards and setting off alarms left and right. Then you start the mission over because it's easier to try again.

The game takes place during World War II and you take on the role of a Soviet spy. There seems to be a fairly decent story to follow and it helps to enhance the gameplay.

The game looks nice as well and has a variety of things to be done in it. The very first mission requires you to first steal a uniform, then steal a truck and finally sneak into a heavily guarded Nazi facility. If you think that sounds challenging you must continue on and capture a high ranking Nazi officer, get the key to his office, take out and use the uniform of another officer and collect some data files.

Of course there are always problems in a game like this (see image) and glitches happen I suppose, but someones legs sticking through the bottom of the stairs and me being able to kill him was just not enough for me to stop playing. Although I did notice the bad guys can shoot your through walls if they know where you are, that was really irritating since they were cinder block walls.

The game is fun and challenging and I put in several hours before I even realized it. Some of those hours were me re-doing things that I had screwed up, like putting on a German uniform but carrying around a Soviet backpack. Surprisingly the soldiers realized it and shot me full of holes. That's a surprisingly small detail for the game to pick out and I was actually laughing because the game warned me I was suspicious looking but I ignored it. Well live and learn or is it live and let die?

The  AI in the game is worth noting as well. There is an interesting interface at the top center of the screen that tells you if you look suspicious, if someone will become alarmed and attack you and whether or not people can see you. I really think they did an excellent job in creating that interface.

The graphics in the game are well done also and include a diverse array of textures. While I was dressed as a German soldier I was able to walk up to other soldiers and check out their uniforms, because I was looking for an officer to knock out with chloroform so I could 'borrow' his duds. Everything has an authentic-ness about it that I noticed as I played and I really felt like I was trying to sneak around a German military base.

The sound is equally well-balanced and authentic. When you have the time to walk through the forests you will hear assorted sounds of animals and nature and when you arrive at the military base the sounds change to Nazi music and such. When the alarm sounds you really just wish it would be turned off because it's frighteningly loud and annoying, as an alarm should be. The only thing I really noticed missing was the sounds of soldiers chatting with each other. A couple were engaged in some animated conversations, yet there was no conversation to be heard.

Overall I think the game is extremely well made and a lot of attention was given to the details even though a few minor ones might have slipped through the cracks. It's a shame that this game probably won't be readily available in Germany due to all the Nazi symbolism and such in it because they will really be missing out on what could be a really great game.

Even with the small problems I mentioned I was determined to get through the level and I found that eventually I was more engrossed in succeeding than worrying about small graphics glitches and such. I look forward to seeing the whole game now.

The game is all about violence and wouldn't be suited to anyone under their teen years. The game has a PEGI rating of 16+ which I think is fitting. Too violent and complicated for anyone younger, plus you must methodically plan how you will take out the bad guys though you could probably do an entire mission without killing anyone.

Format:       PC
Out:          NOW
Publisher:     1C Company
Developer:     Haggard Games
PEGI:         16+  Depicts violence

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