Spy Fiction
Score: 90% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Sammy Studios Developer: Access Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Third Person Shooter/ Adventure/ Stealth
Graphics & Sound: Spy Fiction puts you in the combat boots of two high-tech and super sneaky spies; Billy Bishop and Sheila Crawford belong to the espionage organization "Phantom." The graphics of Spy Fiction were better than average -- they really shined in this game. And the wide variety of character models did a great deal to sell this game to me. The graphics of the cutscenes were also spectacular, and it was obvious that a lot of time went into making and animating these models. The music and sound effects of this game were about par. The background tunes weren't really anything to wow over, and stayed in the background most of the time. Truthfully, I hardly noticed it was even there. As far as the voice acting is concerned -- it was pretty good, though the lip syncing was way off more times than not (and I'm talking about in the cutscenes, not just in-game).
Gameplay: Spy Fiction takes your standard stealth/third-person shooter, throws in a lot of puzzles and a ton of gadgets, and makes a unique spy game that should make a lasting impression. The world is threatened by terrorists, and the only people that can save it are from the secret organization known as Phantom. These people are trained to do whatever it takes in order to complete their mission. They can assume the likeness of any person with a simple click of the 3D camera. They use tons of gadgets to get into the tight spots they need to, and even more to get out. They are the Mission Impossible of the near future. Spy Fiction starts off with a sky-diving level that has you dodging mines in order to infiltrate the base of a terrorist. When you land on the roof, you must sneak your way in and hunt down your target. The story starts off simple enough, but as you progress deeper and deeper into the game, you will learn exactly why it is that Phantom wants this particular villain so badly. In the beginning, you can choose between two different characters, Billy Bishop and Sheila Crawford. The feel of the game doesn't really differ between the two. One of the main differences was that as Bishop -- you couldn't use the 3DA Cam to impersonate a female, but besides that, the game played mostly the same. Many of the gadgets that will be available to you include a stun shaver (thats right, a stun gun that looks like an ordinary electric shaver), a rappelling kit which allows you to make vertical descents. One of my favorite tools was the boomerang cards. They look like your standard playing cards -- but with a flick of your wrist, these cards will fly through the air and slice baddies apart. And there is also the 3DA Cam that I mentioned above. There are parts of Spy Fiction that don't take themselves quite as seriously as other stealth games like Metal Gear Solid. The most obvious of these parts are the Sim-like thought balloons that will appear above a guard's head when they are surprised, knocked out, asleep, suspicious, or any of the other states that you may find them in. These icons did a great job of both conveying to me what another character was thinking, and in lightening the mood some.
Difficulty: Spy Fiction has three different difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, and Expert. The difference between each of these levels is easy to see. In general, the enemies are weaker the lower the setting, and the amount of items you can carry differs depending on which setting you have chosen. Also, in Easy Mode, several obstacles were completely omitted. In addition to the three action difficulty settings, there are three adventure settings: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. These settings change the amount and clarity of the hints you get for the various puzzles you will find throughout your missions. With nine possible combinations, you should be able to find a level that is just right for you. If you are the type of person who loves solving puzzles, but doesn't really get into third-person shooters or stealth games, then an Easy/Level 3 game might be right up your alley. Where as Expert/Level 1 is good for those die-hard action gamers who don't want to put a lot of effort into solving a puzzle before he or she goes after the next baddie. Generally, I found myself playing the game in the Normal/Level 3 setting, and it kept me involved enough to go to Spy Fiction time after time.
Game Mechanics: Spy Fiction's game mechanics are fairly basic once you get into the game. You use the D-Pad buttons to scroll through items in your inventory (after activating the inventory with the Triangle). The L1 button is used for crouching, turning off disguises, and various other actions like eavesdropping. L2 and R2 are used to cycle through multiple targets as well as switch screen-views. The Circle button allows you to use the item you have equipped, while the X button lets you take photos with the 3DA Cam (to make a disguise); and the Square button is used to attack your enemies. Like I said -- the control scheme can get pretty daunting at times. And there were a few occasions when I was in a tight spot and couldn't quite get my fingers to where they needed to be in order to get out. But overall, once you get into the game, it isn't that hard to use. Spy Fiction is a game that will appeal to people who like stealth games and adventures. If you aren't really into both of them, then there is probably a combination of difficulty settings that will give you the gaming experience you are looking for.
-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer
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