Stealth Boom Boom: A Stealth Video Games Podcast

25 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

In 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

After 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

Being done with Syphon Filter, and having some successes with a Resistance spinoff and an Uncharted spinoff, Bend Studio got to work on Sony's next big PlayStation exclusive. We're going back to 2019 to take a look at an open-world action-adventure game. We're talking Days Gone.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at how folks at the studio just could get people to understand that this definitely isn't a zombie game, but how they also had to fight zombie fatigue in potential customers. We also discuss – in a rare move for us – some post-launch Days Gone news and some of the comments made by people who worked on the game.In our review, you'll hear some chat on more on-screen stealth indicators than anticipated (that are often irrelevant because they just repeat information you can get elsewhere); avoiding revving your engine; sneaking around enemies that may or may not see you; throwing rocks; a rigid and dull system when up against humans vs a more tense time when up against the Freakers at checkpoints; eavesdropping on very long NERO conversations; a steady-handed sniper rifleman; an unused crossbow; the Chicago Chopper, as seen in The Mask; the splat when an axe meets brain; placing traps and planning your attack on the first horde, 30-ish hours in; the joy of going for a ride on the Drifter Bike; a ludicrous amount of petrol and motorcycle enthusiasts; surprises on the road; the beauty of Oregon; the jobs are very samey, but the currency makes sense; collecting ears for some reason; a gigantic bear; using Gabe Logan espionage to get into an encampment; the sheer length of the thing; delayed story resolutions; cringey dialogue; a wedding; Courtnee Draper as Sarah Whitaker; the Syphon Filter connection; walkie-talkie woes; and Lewis Capaldi.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 Days Gone 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 A Plague Tale: Innocence 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

Square Enix Montreal were initially going to be making the next big PC and console game in the Hitman series, until they were put on mobile phone duty. A third of the team left because they were so gutted. And then the remainder created a 2014 turn-based puzzle game. We're talking Hitman Go.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the formation of the studio, and the board game idea was first prototyped. We also discuss the golden era of mobile games and whether we played them, as well as a nice physical model and whether or not this game might've grabbed a few Candy Crush or Words With Friends In our review, you'll hear some chat on enemies with different coloured jackets and narrow vision cones, giant potted plants to hide in, okay instafail because of a quick restart, translating the parts of big Hitman for small Hitman, they move only when you move (but can you make fewer moves), optional objectives and replayability, firing your sniper rifle at a statue (or getting a double-kill), the relief of killing a baddie (and then not hiding the body), perfect motion sensor air freshener-esque mood-setting music, Ave Maria, dummy items in levels, an Eyes Wide Shut get together, trap doors, walking escalators, character rich static scenes that prove divisive, the wealthy, and major problems with a mouse.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 Hitman Go 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 Days Gone 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

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.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

Around 20 years ago, J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner came together to produce one of the most popular shows on TV for a number of years. What's the next logical step? Make a game based on it, of course. We're going back to 2004 to a stealth action game that based on a hit ABC TV programme. We're talking Alias.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we take a look at the topsy-turvy history of Acclaim Entertainment. We also discuss a trailer that had quite a few live-action shots of the TV show in it, as well as a featurette that includes a celebrity being genuinely excited about the video game they're in.In our review, you'll hear some chat on crab walking and competency, mission-specific spy gadgets, semi-involved hacking puzzles, enhanced vision, some Hitman-like wardrobe changes (and the outrageous outfits), split screen moments, punching and kicking that has a bit to it but is ultimately very clunky, weapon degradation that is astoundingly represented via in-game visuals, Broom or Fist, museums and embassies, a story that takes place between episodes 19 and 20 or season 2, a drop of Milo Rambaldi's blood, some lost charm, and the truly awful Marshall Flinkman.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 Alias 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 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 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

The game we're discussing today may have the most star-studded cast of any game we'll ever review: Mya, Shannon Elizabeth, Heidi Klum, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Willem Dafoe and Pierce Brosnan. We're going back to 2004 to an action-adventure game starring one of the world's most famous fictional agents. We're talking James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we look at the early days of Visceral Games (when they were still called EA Redwood Shores). We also discuss a teaser trailer that doesn't have Bond's voice and gives GoldenEye vibes, as well as some top celeb interviews about facial expressions and the size of controllers when in the hands of Richard Kiel.In our review, you'll hear some chat on the co-op campaign that Josh enjoyed 20 years ago, a decent amount of opportunities to employ serviceable stealth, how we see the character fitting in stealthy scenarios, the Q Spider and your modest assortment of gadgets, the Nano Suit and a draining battery, an INVISIBLE CAR (but can the enemies hear it?), solid cover shooting before the golden age of the third-person shooter, the safety of fine-tuning your aim behind a wall, difficulty spikes and trial-and-error set-pieces, the coolness of the rappel gun, trying to read the map while shooting missiles and breaking the speed limit in your Need for Speed car, optional Bond Moments, lobbing spanners at heads, Jaws what are you doing here, fireworks in Peru, flamethrowers attached to motorbike, absolute popcorn nonsense, nods to old movies, a checked out Brosnan, a poor supporting cast, a tingling Bond Sense, and where does Everything or Nothing by Mya rank on our list of THE GREATEST BOND SONGS EVER!?!?!?!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 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing 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 Alias 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

Five years ago, there was a little bit of buzz around a game that Square Enix was publishing. Some of the people involved in making it had worked on Dark Souls, Armored Core, Metal Gear Solid. But, then it came out, and people were not happy one bit. We're going back to 2019 to look at a stealth-action survival game that was a Front Mission spin-off. We're talking LEFT ALIVE.On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we look at how something resembling a bit of a dream team was brought together to make this game at developer Ilinx. We also discuss how Toshifumi Nabeshima was fielding questions about how hard the game was before it was even released, as well as that initial response from the general public.In our review, you'll hear some chat on the trouble with normal difficulty, the enemies' exceptional vision, the red laser sights of 100 guns pointing at you, Casual Mode and how it actually allows you to perform stealth takedowns, flying drones (that can move at speed on the ground), running away from soldiers that lose interest, uninteresting challenge, the question of whether enemies can hear you or not, stealth in an open warzone, the Enemy Sensor, CAN MAN, escorting survivors that will inevitably be seen and lead to your downfall, bullet sponge baddies with bulletproof heads, awful aiming, harmful (but not fatal) Molotovs, three different kinds of landmines and the overly-complicated crafting menus, the fun to be had in one of the few agile Wanzer mechs available to you, battering a guy from behind with a pipe as a treat, a solid and silly premise that is treated with far too much seriousness in its story, the dweeby twerpy dorky loser Mikhail, a loan company, pristine posters for World of Tanks, and CAUTION: THE ENEMY IS APPROACHING.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 LEFT ALIVE 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 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing 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