A Goya-Inspired Stealth Masterpiece?
I have been a fan of the real time strategy genre of games ever since I first played Command & Conquer way back in the day. Ever since that time, it’s a genre I’ve kept a keen eye on.
And it’s this which comes to the fore in the latest from The Game Kitchen and Tripwire Interactive – The Stone of Madness.
This is a game that is much more on the stealthy end of the spectrum, which may be a bit of an issue as I am naturally as stealthy as a car crash, but what could go wrong with creeping about in the shadows and taking in an isolated monastery? Well…
The Stone of Madness has been inspired by the work of the Spanish artist Francisco De Goya, and while I may not be well read on the work of 18th century painters, what I can say is that the visual style in place looks really good. Every character and every backdrop appears to have been hand painted, and with some silky smooth animation, the game looks absolutely great. The design of the characters is also very nicely done, ranging from the child Amelia all the way up to the giant Eduardo; each character model oozes personality.
That visual prowess moves out into the areas that we have to explore too, all well designed, taking place via an isometric viewpoint to ensure there is always a clear view of the action.
A Twisted Tale: Story and Characters
The story is presented in the form of text boxes, and as we move about and meet people, we have to talk to other characters. I’d have liked to have seen a little bit more voice acting, if I’m being honest, but the way The Stone of Madness deals with conversations is fine. The rest of the sound is pretty sparse though, but in return that does aid with immersion. The gibbering as the character’s mental health is affected by the environment is very well done, in particular.
The story found in The Stone of Madness is interesting as well. It takes place in a monastery deep in the Pyrenees; a place that acts as a madhouse, as struggling folk are sent there to try and recover. However, this benign exterior hides a darker secret, and it is up to a ragtag band of inmates to organise themselves and discover what is happening in the dark corners. It isn’t going to be as easy as all that, of course, and each of our characters that we can control has their own unique issues to deal with, and managing their sanity is a vital part of the gameplay.
Stealth and Strategy
It all plays as a stealth based real time strategy game, and what this means is that you will spend a lot of your time hiding from the guards of the monastery. Of course, thinking about it, what sort of hospital has guards wandering around with clubs, ready and willing to beat down any inmate found in a prohibited area or by performing certain actions? Anyway, avoiding the gaze of the guards is very important, as you may have guessed.
Less lethal are the nuns and monks that wander about, but again, they will not hesitate to raise the alarm if you are spotted, so be careful is the watchword. There are other means of dealing with the various NPCs, from knocking them out to full on murder, but the problem with that is that there will be an incriminating body left lying around. Unless you can hide it…
Each of the characters has their own particular strengths and weaknesses, and finding out how they work together to best achieve an objective is a great deal of fun. There are a total of five characters to play with, initially in control of Alfredo, a priest who noticed that something was wrong when he visited the monastery, and ended up a prisoner for his trouble. Alfredo’s strength is that he can interact with clues and solve mysteries, such as finding buttons to open doors, for instance. His weakness is that he cannot stand being near corpses: and for the purposes of the game, unconscious people are counted as corpses – as I found out the hard way!
If any of the character’s weaknesses are triggered, such as Eduardo’s fear of the dark, then they will gain extra mental health issues, which can change the way that the character can be utilised. Keeping everyone healthy and sane becomes increasingly vital.
A Visually Stunning and Intriguing Stealth Adventure
With two campaigns to try your hand at, and a whole day/night cycle to get to grips with, there is a lot of content included in The Stone of Madness. The day/night cycle is particularly interesting, as when darkness falls, there are not only hauntings that appear, but also the opportunity for you to retire to your cell and spend the night patching up your wounds. Each character has a special talent that they can use in the cell, and doing so can help bolster the team, ready for the next day.
The Stone of Madness is a very good game, with a real hook that will keep you coming back to it. There must be a way to get across that open ground without being spotted, right? Well designed, beautifully drawn and with a real challenge, if you have an interest in this genre, then The Stone of Madness will be right up your alley.
Important Links
Merge Games unveil hardcore tactical stealth game The Stone of Madness – https://www.thexboxhub.com/merge-games-unveil-hardcore-tactical-stealth-game-the-stone-of-madness/
Secrets, Sanity, and Survival: The Stone of Madness Will Challenge You on All Fronts – https://www.thexboxhub.com/secrets-sanity-and-survival-the-stone-of-madness-will-challenge-you-on-all-fronts/
The Stone of Madness: Escape a 18th Century Madhouse in This Haunting Adventure – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-stone-of-madness-escape-a-18th-century-madhouse-in-this-haunting-adventure/
Buy The Stone of Madness on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/the-stone-of-madness/9n0rjrf5jrp8
There’s a Special Edition too – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/the-stone-of-madness-special-edition/9N49ZFRZR0BS/0010
