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Games : Worth a Look
Ranking:
Release Date: August 19th, 2014 Movie Release Year: 2014

CounterSpy

Overview -

Dynamighty, a small team based out of San Francisco, has partnered with Sony to bring their first game-development efforts to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. Billed as a stealth-based action game set in the cold-war era during a twisted space race to nuke the moon, 'CounterSpy' promises fresh gameplay experiences through procedurally generated levels. With a style that clearly resembles the glory years of Ian Flemming's 'James Bond', its focus is on epic espionage. Now it's time to see if 'CounterSpy' has substanc as well as style.

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p
Release Date:
August 19th, 2014

Video Review

Ranking:

The art style of 'CounterSpy' jumps from the screen and is a nice break from some of the more 'realistic' visuals video game developers have been attempting to perfect over the years. It is vividly colorful, while often focusing on the dark and shadow aspects to help enforce the stealth mechanics of the game. When in-between missions, the graphic design of the loading screens did a wonderful job of representing a 1960's vibe. The minimalist visual approach to a world map - missiles launching in the background - further immersed the player into the setting.

I also appreciated the little details that may have otherwise gone unnoticed when compared to the more impressive art style. Flecks of dust and dirt, often associated with reel-to-reel footage, pepper the screen at the most appropriate moments. I couldn't help but feel I was in a dark basement, filled with cigarette smoke, memorizing the infiltration plans one last time before entering the mission.

Audio Review

Ranking:

Further enhancing the overall theme of the game is the soundtrack. Its execution builds upon the stealth and action-based mechanics of the game's foundation. With voice acting limited to an occasional mumble or grunt from the enemies you have dispatched, the soundtrack nicely fills in the gaps with a classic James Bond music style fans of the film franchise have come to know and love.

Final Thoughts

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when first starting 'CounterSpy', but the theme and tone of the game immediately struck a chord that stayed with me throughout the experience. The easy-to-understand controls ensured that I was able to navigate the game quickly, while the shorter gameplay sessions fit nicely into my schedule and allowed me to accomplish as many missions as I may have had time for. I came away impressed with Dynamighty's first game and look forward to future offerings this small, yet determined, team may have in store for the future.