CounterSpy
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for CounterSpy
Dynamighty's stealthy spy side-scroller 'CounterSpy' has infiltrated PSN but should players choose to accept this mission, or disavow all knowledge of the game?
Cold War-esque side-scroller CounterSpy has a great concept and a lot heart, and also a few issues worth noting.
The early hours of CounterSpy's stylish combo of stealth and shooting are worth a playthrough, but after it leaves its sneakiness behind, it's a sub-par cover shooter that's half as fun.
CounterSpy is short, but its stylized presentation and alluring gameplay hooks make it too sweet to pass up.
CounterSpy has two faces. Its presentation, its look and sound, is a victory hard to ignore. But its interactivity is ugly enough to make for an unfortunate pairing when the balance is measured.
Counterspy successfully gives you the feeling of being a powerful and deadly third wheel in a Spy vs. Spy game of one-upmanship. Moving to and removing your target of choice amounts to the most gratifying stealth since 2012's Mark of the Ninja. But the problems start flying as soon as the bullets do. Gunplay frequently feels more awkward than enjoyable, and you'll die more times from a cheaply laid out level than you will your own lack of skill.
Arguably a better fit for the Vita than the larger consoles, the cross-save function negates any need for favouritism and allows you to continue your fight against tyranny wherever you are. Humorous and well-designed, Counterspy is certainly worth investigating if you like your espionage in short, fast-paced chunks.
If CounterSpy doesn't look like the kind of game you'd want to play, don't. Even for indie fanatics it's missable, though I doubt you'd want to give up the visuals or the procedurally generated levels.