CounterSpy Reviews
While CounterSpy's unique aesthetics and fun plot are sure to intrigue some, its frustrating and unfair gameplay make it hard to recommend to anyone but diehard fans of the genre.
"Counterspy" begins as a novel approach to 2D stealth when the levels begin with a simple layout. The gameplay declines in the later levels when it becomes a shoddy shoot 'em up. The action in small doses is tolerable, but the final level tries its hardest to ruin the entire experience.
CounterSpy does not last long enough, but the time you have with it is an absolute blast. The implementation of the DEFCON system and cover mechanics freshens up an increasingly bland genre, with the spot-on atmosphere and witty writing, feeling like icing on a delicious cake. Throughout CounterSpy's lifespan, you will die a whole lot, and with that comes frustration. But on the other end of that frustration is an immense feeling of satisfaction as you get one step closer to saving our precious little moon.
If you enjoy classic cold war era spy action, Counterspy is oozing with style and integrity. The enemy AI is a little inconsistent and can cause frustration with the defcon system, and the game is maybe a bit too short, but these things don't bring down an otherwise great game.
CounterSpy revels in the consistency of its chaos. When its directed assemblage of menacing systems are behaving with candid sincerity, CounterSpy is an exciting model of action and reaction. When its pieces collude together in a remorseless coincidence, CounterSpy feels like it's coming apart at the seams. Drawing inspiration from a satirical appreciation of the Cold War, it's fair for CounterSpy to teeter on the edge of principled oblivion. Finding value in its eccentricity, however, controls whether you can hang on or fall off.
The crisp visuals render beautifully on the smaller [VITA] screen and the slick, fairly basic controls are well polished. However it is harder to recommend on the bigger sibling consoles due to short depth of gameplay and irritating AI.
CounterSpy is an excellent addition to the PlayStation Network with enough style and unique gameplay mechanics to make it stand out from the pack of side-scrolling platforming/action titles. Those of us who are old enough to remember the Cold War will particularly appreciate the game's style and humor, but it's an entertaining title for anybody who likes some good old-fashioned stealth action. Its later levels can be a bit frustrating, but its espionage challenges are enough fun that you'll want to keep trying until you reach the final mission.
CounterSpy has a lot going for it, its unique take on the Cold War is one we very much enjoyed and the cel-shaded art style definitely caught our attention and demanded we admire it. However, a few too many annoyances got in our way of truly enjoying the game, such as the occasional awkward placement of an enemy and the unfair situations you can find yourself in when you are overwhelmed with guards. If these flaws had been refined and tweaked with just a little during development, CounterSpy could have been something truly fantastic.
CounterSpy could use more finesse with its controls, however: I had occasional inputs register incorrectly, which adds a frustrating layer of clumsiness. Luckily, it's not enough of an issue to take the shine off of this smart spy affair, which can pump some tense, tactical action into your day's more mundane moments.
The Cold War goes hot in Sony's CounterSpy.
Counterspy is a fun, quick-paced side scroller that draws players in quick by promoting bite-sized gameplay and a high replay value.
The aesthetics of CounterSpy are probably what had me hooked. It uses simple shapes, pasted with a bold colour palette, to create a really simple and yet satisfying art style
Had it gone with a more crafted experience, zeroing in on a consistent tone and a series of clearly defined challenges, CounterSpy could have been more Three Days Of The Condor rather than This Means War. All it needed to do was remember the 7 Ps, one of the British military's enduring adages: Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.
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.
CounterSpy may have it flaws but what makes it stand out is the visual style and design. It is, however, short but with cross buy and cross save on PlayStation it might just be that Spy-filler your looking for.
CounterSpy is a nicely designed and presented game with a lot of appeal. You'll have a lot of fun sneaking through these challenging military installations, and you'll appreciate the character customization and relative depth. It's clear the designers spent a great deal of time crafting a cohesive, highly enjoyable stealth/action game, and for the most part, they succeeded.
One might be quick to dismiss CounterSpy as nothing more than a half-broken stealth game, but you'd be remiss for doing so. I for one prefer to look at it as a half-working stealth game, one that has passion and enthusiasm where it counts. Dynamighty may not have hit a home run the first time around, but based on the love of the medium of the team there, I wouldn't count them out just yet.
CounterSpy is an interesting stealth-game, with a mix between 2D- and 3D-gameplay. The graphical style and music top this amazing, little game off.
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