About a month ago developer Sweet Bandits Studios showed off gameplay for multiplayer spy war title DSave Inc. This is where the game first caught my attention, as its smooth spy vs spy-like gameplay offered something that hadn’t really been tackled in the gaming market for quite some time. Visit today and I have the luxury of trying out the game and experiencing how its multiplayer system works.
For those who don’t know, Deceive Inc. is a purely multiplayer game in which spies (or teams of spies) must secure and remove a location with a single target (a golden briefcase). The catch is that each spy in the lobby has the same objective, meaning you get a true tug of war style of strategy, where everyone tries to deceive each other and progress to the other person by taking a leg. Receives and uses traps and abilities as well. deceive each other. It is a free-for-all gameplay style that requires the player to keep their eyes open as a civilian can actually be a rival agent disguised for the ability to mimic, as can a plant pot.
The catch is – apart from enemy spies that will give you trouble – the target just isn’t open. Rather, it is deep within a vault that can only be accessed by activating the three vault terminals on the map. These vault terminals are also in rooms with extra security that can only be opened by keycard (or hacking), which means you’ll have to find new disguises that will let you into restricted areas without annoying the AI. In addition to staying secret and avoiding the suspicions of rival spies, gather intel to make sure you can hack doors. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the line of fire.
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and Deceive Inc. It takes it a step further by having a group of agents, all of whom can do different unique things and equip themselves with a bunch of different gadgets. For example, Larkin is of the Scoundrel class type and excels at causing trouble for other agents by being invisible and able to steal objects (even targets) with melee attacks. The Cavalier, on the other hand, is a tracker and is better at following up on clues left by rival agents in order to blow up their cover and eliminate them. Stack it with gadgets that can be used either for utility purposes (like bounce mats to propel you to new heights or break a fall) or as tools of aggression (i.e. auto turrets that automatically shoots at targeted agents) or for defense (take a defensive umbrella shield that blocks bullets as an example), and you get a game with lots of moving parts to manage.
But unlike a traditional shooter, where too much complexity often becomes a deterrent, Deceive Inc. The large amount of options in the game works in its favor as it opens up a wide range of playing styles. Since you only really care about yourself in the game (unless you’re playing a team mode), you can play the game at any pace you want. If you want to be an aggressive playmate, you can focus on opening the vault so that you hit the target first. Similarly, if the long game is more than your speed, you can wait for someone else to hit harder and then try to take them while they await extraction. The choice is yours, but one thing that remains constant is that unless you are the final agent, you are most likely in someone’s crosshairs.
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Deceive Inc. Resonates with a slick ’80s detective feel. This is not a modern-day espionage war where James Bond is essentially a hitman. No, this game is like the Roger Moore era of Bond, with splashes of Magnum Pi, where wacky gadgets, subterfuge, mustaches and turtlenecks were cool. And because of that, the gameplay, as with the shooter system, is more about staying calm and collected and not panicking when all hell breaks loose. And it works really well.
Sure, there are areas that bother me a little. Most notably the fact that you literally don’t have to do anything except take out with the goal of winning, which means that some players can do very little and still capitalize on the endgame chaos, Despite the fact that others have gone around. Knocking targets left and right on the map to allow the game to progress to this point. Likewise, the loot nature feels a bit pointless, as you can pretty much get pretty much anywhere on the map without major obstacles, which makes you wonder why you spend time opening drawers and turning off computers for information hacks. When you can instead just find a suitable disguise and move around freely on the nearby map.
But overall, Deceive Inc. My time with the game proves that this is a game that’s becoming a lot more fun – even more so when there are more places to discover and game modes to win. Gameplay Variety and Exclusivity Deceive Inc. feels fresh and fun, and that’s why I look forward to release day, whenever it happens.
