Wille on 24/7/2008 at 21:20

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I wonder what's with the ugly highlights, they seem to be another useless effect like lensflare (Bioshock, TDS, Assasins Creed etc.) :p.

Rogue Keeper on 25/7/2008 at 07:28

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It's sort of ARTIST EXPRESSION.

thiefessa on 27/7/2008 at 22:21

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^
Not ugly highlights. Its a different approach to having a 'light metre'. She only glows purple when completely hidden in the shadows. ;)

Anyway, I've managed to find another user review on Velvet Assassin over at AskMen.Com. The review highlights some further points about the game mechanics and environment.

Introduction:
Inspired by the real-life story of Violette Szabo, a British secret agent during World War II who undertook two missions into German-occupied France before being captured and executed at the age of 23, Velvet Assassin is a stealth game that tries to recreate the danger of her life. In it, you play as Violette Summer, a woman in much the same position. Working with MI6 she's charged with helping take down the Third Reich, one mission at a time, so over the course of the game you'll infiltrate a number of locations to do things like assassinate VIPs, destroy docks and- presumably- rescue fellow allies.

Gameplay Mechanics:
The gameplay mechanics are centered around sneaking, and Velvet Assassin employs a very cut-and-dry system. Here's the skinny - if Violette's moving while crouching (aka sneaking), she can't be heard. If she's moving- even slowly- standing up, she'll make noise and can attract guards. If she's in the shadows, she'll glow with a purple outline and be effectively invisible. Similarly, guards have three states- passive, suspicious and alarmed. If a guard is suspicious you'll be able to get him back to passive if you can hide quickly enough, whereas once a guard is alert he'll call in other guards.

The system, while far from subtle, does mean that you always know where you stand. It also means you can stand in the shade of a fence - outside, in the middle of the day - with a guard only a few meters away, completely safe. Guess that must be why there's no cover system... apparently you don't need to hide. Nonetheless, the basic gameplay is much the same as many stealth games- stick to the shadows, observe the guards and watch their routines, then wait for your moment to systematically take them out, being sure to move any bodies out of sight.Stealth kills are as simple as creeping up behind a guard and hitting a button, and they're pretty gruesome. Ever knifed a Nazi savagely in the groin from behind, then slit his throat as he drops to his knees? Ever crept up behind a guard, pulled the pin on the grenade on his belt, then laughed as he exploded?

The Morphine System:
There's another major mechanic in the game, and that's the morphine system. Occasionally you'll come across syringes in the game world, which can be used to stop time, letting you stroll up to any guard and brutally execute him. It's perfect for getting out of a bad situation after you've alerted a guard.Now, before the family groups get up in arms, the reason you're taking morphine is tied into Velvet Assassin's story twist. Violette, you see, is actually in a coma. The events of the game are simply her recollections as she lies in her hospital bed, so somehow when she injects herself in the game she's actually being injected in the hospital. Or something. In any case, it's a pretty cool effect when you take morphine in the game- red blood cells float about the screen, and Violette is suddenly in her nightie.It also means there's plenty of potential for interesting story elements that tie together Violette's WWII operationsandwhat happens in the hospital.

Stealth/Attack System
It's not all stealth kills of course. Violette packs a pretty decent arsenal, including Colts, Lugers, MP-40s, shotguns, flamethrowers and grenades. There's also the option to avoid killing almost completely. Violette's able to whistle to lure guards away from their positions, and she can also use silenced weapons in a similar way. Simply shoot a wall near where you want the guard to go and he'll hear the sound of the bullet hitting the wall, as opposed to the shot itself, and investigate. Scientifically inaccurate, sure, but a nice touch.So how does the gameplay progress? Well, experience points can be retrieved from dead guards, which are then used to level up Violette. You can increase the speed of her sneaking for instance, as well as increase her health and how long morphine lasts.

Environments:
Replay Studios have modeled many of the buildings and locations in the game on real life, including Hamburg harbor. The environments feel pretty lived in- clothes strung between windows, buildings shattered by bombs, executed bodies splayed on the ground. You'll also notice other chilling touches such as flashes of light from individual rooms in surrounding buildings- the gunfire of Nazi squads clearing the buildings out.Don't expect Velvet Assassin to be overly realistic in its presentation, however. It's much more hyperreal- particularly in terms of colour, which is used very effectively. We particularly like the rich autumn reds used in many of the outdoor areas of the code we played. The real-time lighting is used reasonably too, from the dynamic shadows cast by walkways underground through to the glare off windows as the sun sets outside, Velvet Assassin often impresses visually.

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Sounds very promising to me. :cool:

Muzman on 28/7/2008 at 00:03

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One day the whole "living breathing world" business will be good enough to just do a proper S.O.E. game.

Phatose on 28/7/2008 at 00:10

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So, this is essentially chronicles of Riddick, set in WW2 with drugs that give you lingerie-bullet-time?

This is going to involve a 'fuck the nazi for secrets' minigame, isn't it?