Velvet Assassin

By Flynn De Marco
September 22, 2008 13:15 PM PST
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GamePro goes dark and stealthy in GameCock's historical espionage action game.

Velvet Assassin is a stealth action game that takes place in World War II. A female protagonist, the use of morphine, a heavy stealth element and its blending of fact and fiction make it a game worth a closer look. The heroine of the game, Violette Summers, is based on a real-life WWII spy, Violette Szabo. Velvet Assassin is by no means historically accurate, but Szabo's story makes a great launching point for what could turn out to be an interesting cult title.

The story of Velvet Assassin is told in flashback. We see Violette lying wounded in her hospital bed and her thoughts take us back to the beginning of the story. A brief voiceover tells us that her husband was killed in the line of duty and his death is what launched her spy career. Unconscious, Violette slips into her dreams of the past and the game begins.

Stealth Game

In the world of Velvet Assassin, stealth is crucial. As Violette makes her way through the game, a purple aura appears around her, indicating that she is hidden from any enemies that may be lurking. Once an enemy is spotted, Violette can sneak up behind them and with a single button press, take them out with a knife to the back or throat. Once the killing is finished you are given the option to search the body or drag it elsewhere, Solid Snake style. It is usually a good idea to get the body out of sight so that other soldiers won't find it. If they do, they will begin searching around for the cause of death. This searching only lasts a short time however, and if Violet can remain hidden she will be safe. If she gets caught, then the fighting begins. Fortunately, Violette can collect other weapons besides her trusty knife, so if things get hairy she will have fire power at her disposal.

The Power of Morphine

One of the oddest mechanics in the game is the use of Morphine, a highly potent opiate drug primarily used to relieve pain. When put in a sticky situation, Violette can make use of the drug by injecting herself with it, causing time to slow down around her an allowing some extra time to position herself for the kill. While in Morphine mode, the scene takes on a velvet bloom effect with bright white light and red blood cells floating about the screen. The blood cells seemed a little confusing at first until it was made clear that not only was Violette taking the morphine in her memories, but it was actually being administered to her in her hospital bed. Remember, this is a flashback and what happens in real life has an effect on her memories and vice versa.

Our time with Violet was short lived, but what we saw was enough to convince us that this is a title worth watching. World War II as a scenario is becoming a rather old hat, so it's good to see a different tact when dealing with it. Some actual hands-on time with the game will be required before making a final judgment, but we'll be sure to update you as soon as we can get our stealthy paws on it.