Clandestine is two games in one. It’s both a puzzle/hacking game and a covert ops sneaking mission in one game.
Good Friends are Necessary in Clandestine
Keep one thing in mind before going into this game; you will need a friend you can trust and who can play a puzzle or covert ops game well. Without both of these the game can become rather frustrating because many segments require excellent timing and teamwork to complete properly.
Small notes give you additional insight on the game world.
Clandestine Operations
A hacker and covert ops agent come together with a shadowy organization to root out corruption all over the world. As with any good spy thriller double crosses abound from double agents and they eventually draw the attention of powerful figures across the world.
Knocking everyone out or killing them is also an option in each sneaking sequence, at least until you are badly outnumbered.
Clandestine: Massive Sneaking Missions
During the main sneaking mission Katya Kozlova will infiltrate corrupt sectors of society while saving agents and retrieving data. She can also infiltrate an organization without suspicion by properly using text cues to influence characters before the mission starts.
On top of that there are small mini-games for forcing open doors but it’s not as troublesome as a few in other games. It doesn’t break up the action very much.
Clandestine: Intricate Puzzles
Martin Symborski plays the role of the hacker. His side is a puzzle game where you need to navigate through networks. Meanwhile you’ll open doors, mark enemies for your teammate and deliver vital information about the upcoming area.
Equipment customization gives you that extra boost you might need in single player.
Juggling Both Games in Single Player
For those without a friend of the specific mindset to enjoy this game you can play it by yourself. However the game can be a bit much to juggle as you play both roles so only go into it if you want a real challenge.
As with many secret agent games and movies the main character is a small girl, but also a dominating powerhouse who can handle men twice her size.
A Truly Unique Title
What makes Clandestine stand out is that we’ve never seen a game follow quite this formula. Fusing gameplay styles leads to incredibly innovative titles and this is perhaps the best recent example of that.
Skilled players can shoot their way through most areas but that often makes things much harder.
Clandestine and Difficulty
While we think the game is revolutionary “mainstream” has little to do with it. While you can certainly run and gun through the game in some parts it is much better to take it slow and carefully move through each section. Due to this fact we aren’t sure it will appeal to mainstream gamers who want to just blow everything to bits. Despite that it appears to be a cult classic in the making.
Final Verdict: 4.5/5 – Amazing: There really is no other title out on the market today like Clandestine. With a mix of gameplay that is found nowhere else and an extensive story with interesting dialog choices it is certainly one of the top indie games this year. Only a clunky setup to the single player game (since it was never intended to be played that way) keeps it from being absolutely perfect. Despite this the game is incredibly innovative and could generate an entire genre in the future. Be sure to check it out on Steam for $24.99 USD.
