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Stealth Boom Boom: A Stealth Video Games Podcast
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review | Breaking Posture, Shinobi Deathblow, It Is Hard
Season 2, Ep. 7
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After effectively creating the Soulsborne genre and having a wild amount of success with it, one of the most celebrated developers of the 21st century decided to tinker the formula once more. And, again, to great success. We're going back to 2019, to a stealth action game that picked up so many game of the year awards that particular year. We're talking Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the early days of FromSoftware and how it took the studio close to two decades to achieve overnight success. We also discuss a YouTuber making the Loaded Axe and Loaded Umbrella in real life, as well as the link between this game and Tenchu. Of course, there's some chat on the differences between this game and Dark Souls / Bloodborne that were highlighted in pre-launch interviews... and there's some talk on the dreaded difficulty discourse that comes up around every From Software game launch.
In our review, you'll hear some chat on the advantages of taking a stealthy approach and then giving a boss a Shinobi Deathblow, luring moronic enemies away from the herd, the sheer relief after you've stabbed an enemy and downed them, the frustratingly good peripheral vision of enemies, trying to pick off a group one-by-one, lobbing bits of pot off a wall, eating sweets to remain unseen, being a Sengoku Spider-Man with the grappling hook, The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise, feel the rhythm to break the other guy's Posture (and the joy when that happens), nonstop trial-and-error, Perilous Attacks, breaking rhythm with the Mikiri Counter, the Nighjar's acrobatics and woo, dirty tactics with the Shinobi Prosthetic, Dragonrot and resurrection, the sheer amount of items and skill trees and menus, grinding for skill points, Genichiro Ashina (and then Genichiro, Way of Tomoe), the autumnal environs of Senpou Temple and immortality, a story that's out of time (and has cutscenes), micro narratives, and one nasty sword.
After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.
For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Hitman GO on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.
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18. Alien: Isolation Review | A Chaotic Xenomorph, Being Terrified, Sevastopol Sound
02:44:45||Season 2, Ep. 18In 1979, the screenplay of Dan O’Bannon was turned into a movie directed by a fledgling English filmmaker named Ridley Scott, and starring a young actress called Sigourney Weaver. It did alright. There were some more movies, some comics, some books, loads of merch, and even a few video games. We’re going back to 2014 to look at a first-person survival horror game that divided opinion. We’re talking Alien: Isolation.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at a phone call that lead developer Creative Assembly to working on FIFA International Soccer, all the way to the Sega acquisition. We also discuss how the difficulty was being addressed before the game came out; Harry Dean Stanton’s reaction to how old the original film was when he was being interviewed, and how the team really wanted to distance themselves from Aliens: Colonial Marines.Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: a nameless Tesco employee; a strong, scary, smart, stomping xenomorph; feeling absolutely petrified; a rulebook that’s occasionally ripped up; a feeling of vulnerability rather than power while hiding; the risk and reward of the Motion Tracker; patience; simple mini games made stressful; the relief of coming upon a phone box to save your game; peeking at humans; a hefty duration; the Working Joes; thinking about your ammo, location, and loudness before firing your gun; THE FLAMETHROWER; confusing crafting menus; MacGyver; the 1979 sound of the Sevastopol; Tom & Jerry; the San Cristobal Medical Facility; a killer premise that doesn’t deliver on its promise; secondary characters that are merely quest-givers; a fixer upper of a space station; Seegson X Ryanair; Blade Runner; and the split between America and the UK on this game.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Alien: Isolation is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Mini Ninjas on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
17. Untitled Goose Game Review | Annoying Villagers, Vague Jobs, Mostly Honking
01:52:44||Season 2, Ep. 17How many Slack conversations have you had that have been life-changing? If you answered anything other than “zero”, you are a liar. OR you are a member of the team that made the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2019 to look at a stealth-puzzle game that became a phenomenon. We’re talking Untitled Goose Game.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at developer House House’s confusion around why people didn’t like the bird made up of two colours. We also discuss the use of sandbox on the physical box; three minutes of gameplay that put the game on people’s radars; and celebrities like Mark Hoppus, Chrissy Teigen, Kyle MacLachlan and Beaker.Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: being seen on purpose to manipulate and misdirect villagers; too many opportunities to brute force; HONKING; taking a corner like a car; a slapstick, warm Hitman; a stellar Hyacinth Bucket impression; maintaining eye contact; lineless, pastel CBBC characters; a reactive silent movie-like (also Breath of the Wild) piano; the weight of the waddle; grabbing things in your gob because you don’t have hands; gliding along the water; a gorgeous and also sometimes ambiguous to-do list; a bin toothbrush; getting on TV; model villages; walking with a bell in your mouth; the post-game; and being a horrible goose.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Untitled Goose Game is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Alien: Isolation on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
16. Sly 2: Band of Thieves Review | Huge Heists, Playable Pals, Big Bloat
02:17:39||Season 2, Ep. 16There were a lot of big games out 20 years – many of those games we’ve reviewed on this podcast, this year. But this game involving a raccoon, a turtle and a hippo is a special game for us, as it is the first time we are going back to a series for a look at a second game. We’re going back to 2004 to look at a 3D platformer that has big Ocean’s 11 energy. We’re talking Sly 2: Band of Thieves.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at what developer Sucker Punch Productions were thinking going into this sequel, including how they really wanted to put a big emphasis on the game’s heists. We also discuss the improved AI the team was striving for, a Ratchet & Clank demo, the inspiration of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, and a woman named La La Anthony.Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: patrolling guards and their flashlights that are basically vision cones; a health bar; enemies that can hear you run; tables you can now hide under; improved stealth fundamentals; fluidly moving around the rooftops of these large hub worlds; the brilliance and inconsistency of the Stealth SLAM (and also Silent Obliteration); spending coins in the new upgrades shop, and the fiddliness of equipping those upgrades; pickpocketing and too much of a good thing; Bentley’s strong but heft-less tranq crossbow; the fists of The Murray; boss battles; the mission structure and how everything you do is in service to a big heist; a duration that is way too long and impacts everything; a mini-game mixed bag; going back to the base to switch characters; one of the world’s biggest drug operations; and a narrative that is both dark and contains a lot of nice lads being nice.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Sly 2: Band of Thieves is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Untitled Goose Game on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
15. CounterSpy Review | DEFCON Delights, Proc-Gen Repetition, Big Vibes
01:36:54||Season 2, Ep. 15A decade ago, a small indie developer called Dynamighty got a phone call (NB: don't know if it was a phone call.... could've been an email, a fax, carrier pigeon, or many other multiple means of communication) from a large publisher called Sony. And a game about the cold war was born! We're going back to 2014 to look at a 2D stealth-action game about a spy that infiltrates superpower bases. We're talking CounterSpy.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we discuss how the team was influenced by Bond (but apparently there was a much darker version of CounterSpy in the works at one stage, too). We also chat about the founders LucasArts and Pixar heritage and whether or not they named their company after early 00s British singer/rapper Ms. Dynamite.In our review, you'll hear some chat on the Lacanch Range Master; you go from left-to-right, but enemy guards are living in 3D; trying to figure out a safe distance; blowing up safes around the ever-suspicious guards; no real way to break up the pack; cruel AI; the importance of the constant DEFCON levels; isolating and threatening an officer; going into cover when trying to dodge roll or dodge rolling when trying to go into cover; looking at the world from a different perspective (and finding the aiming fiddly) when you're in a shootout; shopping for new weapons and level buffs; Wile E. Coyote; the limits and repetition of procedural generation; PSP video game Coded Arms; the thrill of running for the end of the level once the countdown starts (and also the annoyances you run into here); breezy satire; and big capital v Vibes.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether CounterSpy is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Sly 2: Band of Thieves on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
14. Murdered: Soul Suspect Review | Join The Dots Detective Work, Boring Demon-hunting; A Walking Fedora
01:42:44||Season 2, Ep. 14Independent developer Airtight Games partnered with Square Enix around a decade ago to prove that the hardest murder to solve is in fact your own. In many ways, that is a factual statement. In relation to this game, however... not so sure. We're going back to 2014 to look at a third-person adventure game about a ghost detective. We're talking Murdered: Soul Suspect.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at Airtight's difficult beginning, middle and end, with some higlights including Dark Void and the Ouya. We also chat about how a considerable amount of this game's pre-launch marketing really positioned Murdered as a horror game, and Die Hard.In our review, you'll hear some chat on why this game even has stealth sections where you're bothering crows, hiding in spectral residue pockets, and sending demons back down to Hell via QTEs; escort missions where you must turn on specific printers and TVs; L.A. Noire; pixel-hunting at a crime scene and then selecting solutions until the game allows you to move on; Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective; the sheer possibilities of being a ghost vs a shoddy teleport or controlling a cat for a bit; ghost walls; reading the minds of Salem's residents; the newspaper that explains how the beach woman died so she can go to Heaven; a central mystery that does just about enough to keep the interest; a very normal Salem; a fancy hat, tattoos, and cigarette does not turn Ronan O'Connor into a protagonist for the ages; and Julia's Thoughts.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Murdered: Soul Suspect is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting CounterSpy on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter📸 Stealth Boom Boom on Instagram🎵 Stealth Boom Boom on Tiktok🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
13. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Review | Darkness, The Prison, Surprises
02:11:24||Season 2, Ep. 1320 years ago, Starbreeze Studios was going through some tough times, and they were looking for one of their games to be the hit they needed. Across the water, Hollywood actor Vin Diesel was looking to get into video games with his new company called Tigon Studios. So, they decided to come together, and they launched a stealth-FPS in 2004. We're talking The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the developer's really rocky path to their first Riddick game, and discuss whether the general public would be excited about seeing Normal Mapping on the box. We also mention late 90s / early 00s rapper Xzibit and his thoughts on Pac-Man.In our review, you'll hear some chat on how this game is as dark as Splinter Cell and Thief, but not as deep; the oddity that is Eyeshine; our feelings towards the trade off of a sleek and minimal HUD vs ambiguity when it comes to the safe zone of an enemy’s vision cone; Adam’s preview of Assault on Dark Athena; being a Batman-like predator; trigger happy guards that are standing behind a door waiting for you; some of us think the shooting isn’t very good, some of us think the shooting is good, but all of us quite liked it for some reason; The Darkness; a more involved melee system; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; side quest-giving NPCs; where the prison guards live and shop; a little story about a horrible place; NanoMED treats you right; Richard B. Riddick is a nasty piece of work; and an outrageously sexy menu cube.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Murdered: Soul Suspect on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter📸 Stealth Boom Boom on Instagram🎵 Stealth Boom Boom on Tiktok🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
12. Ape Escape Review | Monkeys, Gadgets, Regional Accents
02:09:55||Season 2, Ep. 1225 years ago, a PlayStation-exclusive was released that required a new peripheral called the DualShock It had not one, not three, but TWO ANALOG STICKS. So, this one definitely made an impact at the time. We're going back to 1999 to look at a 3D platformer chock full of puzzles and monkeys to collect. We're talking Ape Escape.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at how Japan Studio had to communicate how players would use their new controller, and some big TV ad campaigns that ran in the States. We also take a look at some Japanese adverts that we would've welcomed on out television screens back in the day.In our review, you'll hear some chat on a giant satellite dish called a Monkey Radar that tells you where the escaped apes are (as well as how quick, powerful, and perceptive they are); an enemy’s trousers tell you a lot; the Metal Gear Solid similarities in the game’s visual language; going into the foetal position and being “nearly invisible”; catching a monkey sneakily vs them seeing you and jumping into a spaceship; the joy one can derive from catching a misbehaving time traveller; swinging gadgets around via the right analog stick; swimming in a 3D space with your Water Net; whacking those cheeky little guys over the head with Stun Club more than you need to; a Hoop, a Sky Flyer and an RC Car for puzzle-solving; the art of rowing a boat; phenomenal level design; trashing sandcastles; a big dinosaur; Specter doesn’t want to go back to Monkey Park; two different English-voice casts with two different scripts; a much more fun Watch Dogs profiler; an AI construct called Casi; Spike’s Shinobi Deathblow; and a soundtrack that doesn’t fit but definitely fits.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Ape Escape is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter📸 Stealth Boom Boom on Instagram🎵 Stealth Boom Boom on Tiktok🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
11. Watch Dogs Review | Hacking, Online Privacy, Iconic Aidan Pearce
02:47:04||Season 2, Ep. 11In June, 2012, almost every member of the general public decided they witnessing something special. The dissenting voices were few and far between. And then it came out two years later and opinions changed somewhat. We're going back to 2014 to look at an open-world, action-adventure hack-a-thon. We're talking Watch Dogs.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at that big E3 2012 reveal, and the connections this game has to Driver. We also chat about pockets, a behind closed door session that took a turn, a hidden-camera bit where everyone was probably an actor, some parkour (for some reason), Jimmy Fallon, an iconic special edition, and a PR stunt gone wrong.In our review, you'll hear some chat on Colm's first gaming PC; completely fine standard stealth that also has plenty of limitations; travelling around a space via CCTV cameras, and setting off car alarms, all while standing outside the gate; Astral Projection from Second Sight; hiding in the front seat of a car; weapons that are a means to an end; the option to run away like a coward; a decent GTA style driving experience; how easy it is to hack traffic lights while driving vs the thrill of a car chase; a spin on the Ubisoft tower; differing opinions on Chicago; a nightclub; a revenge plot that is overly complicated; the gravelly-voiced and not terribly compelling Aidan Pearce; the profiler; a peek behind the curtain that is both childish and nasty; and just the staggering amount of people playing Watch Dogs in 2024.After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Watch Dogs is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Ape Escape on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter📸 Stealth Boom Boom on Instagram🎵 Stealth Boom Boom on Tiktok🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky
10. A Plague Tale: Innocence Review | Amicia & Hugo, Rats, The Final Boss
02:30:11||Season 2, Ep. 10After years of being a support studio on Pixar games, and dabbling in new technology like the Kinect and HoloLens, French developer Asobo Studio got to work on the game that would be their breakout hit. We're going back to 2019 to take a look at a stealthy, puzzly action-adventure game. We're talking A Plague Tale: Innocence.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the big The Last of Us vibes this game was giving off pre-release. We also talk about why Sean Bean is in one of the trailers, the fact they employed kids to voice the characters, and the fact this game is not completely based on fact.In our review, you'll hear some chat on no frills stealth that some think is fine, some think is boring, but everyone thinks works; a tension that never lessens; curated scenarios that don't allow for a ton of experimentation; flinging rocks, sneakily, at the heads of The Inquisition guards with your sling; the glorious filth bag rats that are sometimes your enemy, sometimes your friend, sometimes something that can change a physical space, and just how good they are; spiders in Uncharted 3; trying to aim a headshot while an enemy is rushing you; upgrading your equipment vs being an alchemist; Naughty Dog-style chase sequences; the mental lightbulb being separate to the physical graft in puzzles; Ghost Recon: Rodrik; the ludicrous BioShock-esque final boss that fires rat tornados at you and might be called Life Benevolent; the relationship of Hugo and Amicia de Rune; 'Allo 'Allo! accents; you only understand child characters after you have a real child or something; a manky and swanky score; incredbile environments (plus a Ghost of a Tale shout out); and a celebration of AA. After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether A Plague Tale: Innocence is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Watch Dogs on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS🎧 Subscribe to Stealth Boom Boom🐦Stealth Boom Boom on Twitter📸 Stealth Boom Boom on Instagram🎵 Stealth Boom Boom on Tiktok🌤️ Stealth Boom Boom on Bluesky