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PS5 Game Review


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Deceive Inc.

 

Format: PS5
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Developer: Sweet Bandits Studios
RRP: £15.99
Click here to buy - store.playstation.com
Age Restrictions: 16+
Release Date: 21 March 2023


Welcome to Deceive Inc., a private corporation with complete monopoly over the international espionage market. You can disguise yourself as anyone you meet in an instant, have access to state-of-the-art gadgets the rest of the world can only dream of and possess skills that would make Hollywood super spies jealous. But you are not alone. Rival spies are after the same objective and every single one of them is as skilled, cunning and well-equipped as you are. Blend in, grab the objective and break out. In the end, only one spy can complete the mission and get the paycheck...

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Live the international life of a spy

With Deceive Inc., developer Sweet Bandits Studios has taken a tried and tested genre, put a new spin on it and delivered something a little different, not to mention painfully addictive.

This is a secret agent game where, for once, you actually engage in proper spy activities. It's a First Person Shooter (FPS) where for the majority of the game the aim is to be stealthy and not engage in any combat unless you absolutely have to.

When I first fired this game up I had a quick play through the tutorial... I ended up getting a little carried away and managed to blow my cover. Restarting, it was a little annoying to discover I couldn't skip the rather long introduction. Again, I messed up by going into the wrong area in the wrong disguise... Eventually I completed the tutorial. And that pretty much sets you up to jump straight into the game.

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Play alone or team up with other players

This is where I hit my first snag. I logged in on the morning of launch day to discover that I couldn't join a match. I put it to one side and returned several hours later and thankfully was put straight into a lobby. Whilst I've had no issues since getting straight into a game, the lack of any offline story mode means that once the player base is gone the game is effectively dead. You would have thought that they'd have included a bots training game at the very least. Whilst there is a "training" level I couldn't see what use it was. It didn't let you play an actual game. It just let you run around the starting lobby.

Starting the game proper you can play alone or with teammates. Each game sees you and a number of other spies thrust into an environment where no one else knows you're a spy (unless you have teammates). As long as you don't run, jump or shoot your firearm, no one will suspect you're anything other than a civilian. You can even change your appearance to that of any of the other characters you meet in the game. The aim of the game is to collect intel and keycards to allow you to access other areas and track down the illusive briefcase which is locked away in a heavily guarded room.

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Try not to blow your cover

How will you play? Go straight for the prize? Or be on the look out for civilians that appear to be acting strangely? Are they an enemy spy? Do you think you can take them down? Will losing your cover mean other nearby spies will be alerted to your presence?

You can unlock new characters as you progress and earn credits. You can also unlock new cosmetic items to customise your appearance, as well as a new arsenal of tools to help you get ahead of your rivals.

I found Deceive Inc., to be a refreshing change. It's addictive, original and a lot of fun.

8

Darren Rea

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