Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Dynamighty
Platforms: PS4, PS3, PS Vita
Release date: Available Now

The PlayStation 4?s downloadable game library continues to grow with the latest entry CounterSpy, a side-scrolling action-stealth game set during an alternate version of the Cold War. Releasing as part of Sony’s Summer Play promotion and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, CounterSpy is the first game from a small independent studio called Dynamighty.

In this alternate Cold War reality, players take on the role of an agent of C.O.U.N.T.E.R.  This rogue organization answers to no government,  functioning as an independent spy agency.  In CounterSpy, the C.O.U.N.T.E.R. agency is looking to stop a global nuclear threat.  Doing it will entail collecting launch plans from procedurally generated levels, which are ultimately used to stop the Imperialist and Socialist superpowers from destroying the moon with nuclear armaments. While the real threat of nuclear war was perpetually scary, CounterSpy makes light of the era in unique ways by focusing on the Cold War's overall absurdity. Visually, CounterSpy is impressive as it leans on a retro aesthetic wonderfully. Dynamighty captures the 50?s/60?s Cold War vibe pretty accurately in the game’s visual and audio presentation. Mixing side scrolling action with third person shooting and stealth gameplay, CounterSpy is an intriguing game that successfully holds your attention via its campy nature of the environment and dialogue.

To complete the campaign, players have to gather twenty-five components of the nuclear launch plans (divided into sections of five) by playing any combination of Imperialist or Socialist levels. Players can hop between procedurally-generated stages on either side of the conflict, allowing the difficulty to depend highly on how daring the player wants to be. CounterSpy‘s alert and life systems are unified into a single DEFCON rating that counts down from five to one, before initializing a “60 Seconds to Launch” sequence, based upon detection and player death. The DEFCON meter stays with you from level to level.  DEFCON five being the lowest, and one being the highest.  When at DEFCON One, levels are very hard to get through as there is no room for error.  Think of these levels as lives, or the amount of times that guards can be alerted.  When guards are on full alert, a countdown timer begins which will effectively end the mission if it gets to zero before you reach the end of the level. There are a number of ways to trigger alerts. You can alert guards by being seen, by being heard, or by being spotted by the many security cameras found in each level.  So along with the scavenging of these vital documents, players will also need to use methods to keep DEFCON levels low, and that is done via both gameplay elements, and unlockable items and schematics that are found throughout each level procedurally generated level. If there was one element where the game felt dated it was thru its old school shooting mechanics. There are times where it felt like I was playing a shooter straight out of the nineties. There are also problems with the enemy A.I. which was inconsistent at times. Sometimes enemies will spot you and other times they won't, even if you are doing the same pattern of moves. Because of the lack of predictability this hurt CounterSpy in the stealth department.

 

The XXL Endgame

CounterSpy does have some things going for it like its presentation, its look and sound which are all good, but the generic gunplay and frustrating A.I. hold the game back from being as good as it could've been.—written by DJ Rhude (@DJRhude)

XXL Rating: M (Decent)

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