Posted February 04, 2009
For a 9 year old game In Cold Blood reminds me of many more modern titles. Its narrative reminds me of the first Prince of Persia: Sands of Time where the story is told like an account from memory. Its deep storyline and stealth action reminds me of Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell though far simpler in execution. Its tank like controls and pre-rendered background reminds me of the Resident Evil series.
I was attracted to the title because of its genre - stealth action - a genre rarely seen in today’s games and dominated by few. Okay, it does have a lot of adventure elements but its control and overall feel makes it a steal action game in my book.
In Cold Blood you play as John Cord, a British agent on a mission to rescue Scott Kiefer, an American MIA in the mines of Volga. But all is not as simple as it seems and John finds himself deep in a conspiracy to destabilise the powers of the world, alone with no one he can trust.
I really like the story in this game, and the excellent dialogue and voice acting helps allot. I was surprised at In Cold Blood usage of sound effects. Ambient sounds for example from machinery seems to be in relative to John’s position on screen. Dialogue’s however is always clear even if you go into the next room in mid conversation.
I find that the one “clatter-clank” footstep sound used no matter what you are walking on can get annoying.
The tank like controls however could be a deal breaker for some. That plus the changing fix perspective of each scene makes some steal moves, like knock out, hard to pull off. John, being an excellent shot and his wrist radar that doubles as a map makes some tasks a bit easier though.
Overall, In Cold Blood is average. There are some highlights and there are some low points. Stealth Action lovers should give this one a try. It is simplistic compared to what we are used to so keep that in mind.
I was attracted to the title because of its genre - stealth action - a genre rarely seen in today’s games and dominated by few. Okay, it does have a lot of adventure elements but its control and overall feel makes it a steal action game in my book.
In Cold Blood you play as John Cord, a British agent on a mission to rescue Scott Kiefer, an American MIA in the mines of Volga. But all is not as simple as it seems and John finds himself deep in a conspiracy to destabilise the powers of the world, alone with no one he can trust.
I really like the story in this game, and the excellent dialogue and voice acting helps allot. I was surprised at In Cold Blood usage of sound effects. Ambient sounds for example from machinery seems to be in relative to John’s position on screen. Dialogue’s however is always clear even if you go into the next room in mid conversation.
I find that the one “clatter-clank” footstep sound used no matter what you are walking on can get annoying.
The tank like controls however could be a deal breaker for some. That plus the changing fix perspective of each scene makes some steal moves, like knock out, hard to pull off. John, being an excellent shot and his wrist radar that doubles as a map makes some tasks a bit easier though.
Overall, In Cold Blood is average. There are some highlights and there are some low points. Stealth Action lovers should give this one a try. It is simplistic compared to what we are used to so keep that in mind.