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[h1]Overall Rating - Seriously Flawed ★★☆☆☆[/h1]
[h1]First Impressions[/h1]
This probably makes me look stupid, but as I started up Master Spy (MS) and saw the choices on the start screen, I wasn't really sure what the differences were. Narrative, Novice, Operative, or Master. Honestly, they probably should have copied this idea from other developers, and put a summary of what changes between each option. Ultimately, I went with Operative, as it sounded like the most “normal” choice.
[h1]Gameplay[/h1]
For being a master of his craft, he has very few tools at his disposal. In fact, he's a one-trick pony. All he can do is pull an invisible cloak over his body like Harry Potter. Otherwise, he's not even particularly fast or competent at platforming. He must also have sworn a strict vow of non-violence, as he won't even fight back to save his life. These factors make playing as this spy a hindrance, but it's not impossible to slip past all the guards, cameras, and trained animals. Although many situations sure feel like it might be. To be fair though, having to detour for security cards and folders is the real nuisance, since they often lead you right into a hotbed of traps. Too bad you can't just make a quick break for the exit.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3476988066
[h1]Controls[/h1]
Overall, with the strict requirements for getting past certain obstacles, I think the controls are sufficient for most situations. The developers really pushed matters to the limit though, as I swear there were numerous times my character was inhaling an enemy's carbon dioxide, and should have been caught. What can be fussy is minute movements the game expects you to make. For instance, not catching your head on a ceiling, because you were one too many pixels over.
[h1]Story[/h1]
Matters seem pretty straightforward initially, as you break into a high-security area in order to make contact for your actual job. From there, you're trying to track down the latest, ground-breaking technology so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Best case scenario, WWIII starts, so things could go really poorly if this waifu AI isn't retrieved. However, there's secret levels you can unlock, which reveals the truth behind what's taking place. Frankly, with the difficulty I faced just trying to do things the simple way, I wasn't that interested in doing what was needed to find hidden stuff.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3476989399
[h1]Visuals[/h1]
I was never that fond of spy movies, so with the stylized cutscenes and way of conveying the story, I imagine it's referencing something I'm not aware of. Otherwise, they took a really bold direction all on their own, and I'd applaud it, even if I didn't care that much for the art style myself. If anything was an inspiration, I'd imagine it's the Ninja Gaiden series, known for both its incredibly difficult levels, and the striking cutscenes. Since this isn't limited to NES hardware though, the gameplay sections are improved visually from that release, although I'd say it's only as advanced as the next console generation, since the 2D portions aren't as crisp or refined as I think they could be. Maybe it's the color palette, but something about the game's appearance strongly reminds me of Sega Genesis titles
[h1]Sound Design[/h1]
Every mission has its own song, that somewhat matches the location you're infiltrating. For instance, the fourth mission is centered around a factory, heavily guarded by machinery, and has the most robotic influence in the music. However, I'd say none of the tunes strongly fit the spy motif. Maybe if the gameplay was more action-oriented, with you running in guns blazing, it'd match better. However, the passive, stealth-focused gameplay doesn't pair up strongly with such intense songs. At least the tunes aren't interrupted each time you get caught, as that'd get pretty old. As far as annoying sound effects, pausing the game makes an oddly loud noise, which is fairly unpleasant. Ironically, with the game's volume in mind, it seemed louder than I'd have expected from such a title.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3476987571
[h1]Pros[/h1]
🌟 Overall, stages are fairly short. However, the ones that'll stand out for being the most annoying, have irregular checkpoints that require you to clear multiple tricky areas in one successful run.
🌟 When you succeed, you do feel pretty sneaky.
[h1]Cons[/h1]
❌ Trying to make certain jumps will feel awkward, due to the controls. It's because the developers intend for you to follow a specific route, so if you jump from one spot instead of another, you'll likely clear it properly.
❌ For having such small, simple levels, and a small download size, the game takes a long time to load.
❌ Some sections require incredibly tight timing and precision to slip past.
[h1]Tips[/h1]
🔍 The invisible enemies are pretty easy to deal with, as long as you're aware of their location. Your own visibility is irrelevant, as they act like Boos. If you face them, they'll chicken out and stay still. They can be easily kited away from their spot by turning away.
🔍 Although tigers are incredibly fast, you can actually jump quickly enough that they won't pounce. Stages are usually set up so they need to be led away though, so you'll have to pause a split second before jumping.
🔍 You can slip your cloak on and off, even while in the air. Doing things like this will be necessary to get past tricky situations.
[h1]Final Thoughts[/h1]
From other reviews, I was under the impression this spy had a few more tricks up his sleeve than a single gimmick that's not even all that effective. Not when he has to manually hold his invisible cloak tight against his body, and slow down his movement speed to that of a turtle. I wasn't expecting Metal Gear Solid on a shoestring budget, yet the game still requires me to be just as skilled a spy, making multiple precise moves to get past all obstacles. It felt more like a hassle to clear stages than this epic adventure where I was pulling out all my best moves and skills. Since it's not all that exhilarating, I wouldn't recommend this game.
[table]
[tr]
[th]PC Specs[/th]
[th]Performance[/th]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ryzen 2700
RTX 2070
16GB RAM
ADATA SSD
1920x1080
[/td]
[td]The game ran without incident on default settings.
💖 - MS is healthy
[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]
