Secret Agents are so cool, aren’t they? From James Bond to Ethan Hunt they epitomise death-defying action with an extreme sense of cool and good-looking threads. They get to travel around the world, heading to exotic locations that us mere folk can only dream about. You never find them in an Aldi meat aisle.
Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage takes the secret agent trope and delivers it all with a nod, a wink and some laughs. It never takes itself too seriously, as you work your way through a mixed bag of action, stealth and puzzles. But is it any good?
Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage is set in 1969, inspired by the weekly spy TV shows that were all the rage, as well as the likes of Mission Impossible. You play the role of Agent 49, a spy working for the good and the great, sent out to foil a villain who plans to destroy the world. You are trying to hunt down the famous Royal Diamond that could stop him from killing everyone.
The journey takes place over seven missions, from the Gulag of Russia to the glamour of Rome. You meet other agents as the plot delivers tons of reference and tongue-in-cheek writing moments, mostly spoofing the James Bond genre. It’s a good plot as well, one that mixes the likes of Golden Eye and Austin Powers.
Gameplay works like a third person action adventure, reminding at times of the old PS1 spy games like Syphon Filter. The controls aren’t the best though, especially when it comes to aiming your gun, with struggles in terms of firing accuracy and speed of the camera. There are no settings to amend in order to slow it down either, so you have to get used to it, fast.
There is a stealth mechanic included though, allowing you to take in certain things like listening in on conversations or creeping behind an enemy to knock them out. The problem with that is I still don’t know the mechanics behind being spotted. Then there is the jumping mechanism, which for some reason allows you to jump fifty feet in the air with one single bound. It’s a strange choice, but then it doesn’t seem out of place with the rest of the game.
The puzzle elements found in Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage are good fun, with strange labs filled with machines that ask you if you want to increase the evil. There are laser trip wires that you have to unarm, pools filled with sharks that you have to escape from and bookcases revealing secret doors. Other agents come in the form of guys ready for a chat, with some of them providing mission objectives. For those looking to fully complete Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage, there are lots of hidden things to do; collecting secret bugs that are laying around, grabbing briefcases or spotting other spies in heavily disguised areas. There is a lot to do here and tons of things to collect. They certainly allow Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage to gain some longevity over the three hour or so running time.
Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage employs some neat visuals via a lo-poly blocky style. It is all monochrome with added bits of colour which does a great job in being able to deliver a distinct tone to the game. The soundtrack is very good too, with a different track for each of the mission areas. For example, the Gulag mission has a choral Russian feel to it, whilst the casino mission is complete with a jazzy upbeat number. It has voice-over as well, something which felt like a surprise for a game of this size.
You may feel that the gameplay in Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage feels basic, a little bit strange with its odd jumping and terrible sensitivity in terms of gun aiming. But that doesn’t matter really because the charm comes in terms of the homage to the very best spy movies. Throw in some jazzy visuals and you may well be won over.
Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage is not going to win the hearts of all, mostly because of some of the gameplay elements, but when you consider the price, it’s worth a punt. In fact, like the inspirations, Secret Agent: Cold War Espionage might well become a bit of a cult classic.
