Intravenous

Intravenous is an action-packed top-down shooter that is also a stealth game…. Yeah, when I first heard about this game, I was not exactly sure how this would work, but it is a very cool premise and it makes for a game that is able to be played by people no matter how they like playing games. Want to sneak around and not get seen? You can do that. Want to kick down the door and just start blasting away? Well, you can do that too!

For My Brother

On the Steam page for Intravenous, it says that the game is a “love letter to early Splinter Cell games” which I find rather odd in terms of the story. You see, the plot of the game has you playing as a pretty badass dude called Steve Robbins who is looking for revenge due to his brother being killed by junkies. It sounds like a simple revenge story, but twists and turns are pretty much a certainty.

Sneaking And Shooting

There are two very distinct gameplay styles on offer in Intravenous. The idea is that in each mission/level you need to sneak around and infiltrate an area. If it is dark, you are hidden, but if you make noise, step into the light, open a door, leave a dead body, and so on. The rather clever AI will pick up on this and be alerted that there is something going on. They are aiming for a more “old-school” feel with the way the game handles stealth. It is cool the way you can do stuff like throw a bottle to distract an enemy, follow them and finish them off.

All Guns Blazing!

Of course, any stealth game is eventually going to turn into a firefight and that is the case here too. Thankfully, the action is very balls to the wall, it has some very tight gunplay, and if you have ever played a top-down shooter before you will feel right at home here with what Intravenous is offering. You have plenty of weapons to select from and the game allows you to create a loadout so you can prepare for a mission just the way that you want.

Top-Down Retro Nitty Gritty

The whole aesthetic that this game has is very cool. It has a retro style to the pixel art which is what you would expect from a game like this. I like how dark and gritty it all is and while at first glance the retro visuals may look primitive, but there is an excellent use of lighting here which not only looks neat and adds to the grim style of the game, but it also ties into the gameplay too.

I love top-down shooters and have played many over the years and I think that what is on offer here with Intravenous is really cool. The idea of fighting for revenge for the death of your brother is a cool premise and will help drive you through the game.

Pros:

• The premise of the plot is certainly intriguing
• I like the retro and dark style the visuals have
• The stealth is going to be challenging thanks to the smart AI
• There are plenty of guns and the gunplay is very satisfying

Cons:

• The visuals may be a tad dark and gritty for some
• The AI may be a tad too aggressive if you want to just play the game stealthily