Deceive Inc. Review

In today's day and age, multiplayer games are a dime a dozen and with so many games to pick from, it can be hard to stand out, so why not blend in? Deceive Inc. is a game developed by Sweet Bandits Studios and published by Tripwire Presents, and is all about subterfuge and going undercover.

Deceive Inc. is only Sweet Bandits Studios’ second game but is already a step up from their first, and you may be asking - "Well, what was their first one?" A strange and surprisingly fun little title known as Coffence, which is essentially a coffee barista fighting game. While Coffence sounds unconventional, it oozes charm and humor, two things that Sweet Bandits must have taken into account as they have pumped Deceive Inc. full to the brim with both.

As for Tripwire Presents, which is the publishing branch of Tripwire Interactive, they are also known as the publisher for Maneater and the rather infamous Chivalry 2. Deceive Inc. seems like their perfect cup of tea since much like the other titles mentioned, Deceive Inc. is simply wonderful to play.

As mentioned in the beginning, Deceive Inc. is a multiplayer player game, but one with a rather unique gimmick. In the game, you play as an undercover agent who needs to infiltrate a facility and complete an objective. However, you can't just simply waltz in and snag your objective, and you’re a world-class master of espionage, you'll stick out like a sore thumb with all your cool gadgets and impeccably ironed suit. That's why you need to disguise yourself cleverly as an NPC.

However, this is a multiplayer game after all meaning it's not just a matter of disguising yourself, slipping in and out then be done, oh no. You will have the choice of either playing a free-for-all styled Solo Match or in a three-person team, where you have to complete a set of conditions. Each player will start at a different spot on the game's huge map, where they need to carefully disguise themselves as an NPC and try to not get caught.

This means you will have to act like either a civilian, a guard or any other type of NPC and not blow your cover, which is easier said than done as each NPC types have their own unique set of behaviors and areas they can enter.  Guards and staff can enter restricted areas, such as staff and guard rooms, which are places that regular civilian NPCs are not allowed to go. If you go into an area, you're not supposed to then you risk drawing the attention of either other agents or NPC guards.

Each level is composed of different sections and objectives that players need to complete. These go as follow: players will need to locate a package, which is locked inside a vault. These vaults are unlocked through a Vault Terminal. Once you've reached the vault and have acquired the package, it's time for extraction, which is both the most challenging and most fun part of the game.

Once the package has been acquired, you will need to make a getaway and reach the extraction point. This is the part where all chaos breaks loose, as the player who has the package will need to survive long enough until their extraction arrives. This gameplay doesn't change from level to level, but it is extremely engaging and will have you coming back for more each time.

Each zone that an NPC can access needs to be accessed with intel. The intel you need to collect is dotted in various spots on the map. The thing with these intel spots is, NPCs often don't interact with them, meaning if you need to gather intel and there is another agent in the same room, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time trying to discreetly gather intel.

Intel doesn't just serve as your means of accessing restricted areas, and it is also used like currency as you will use the intel you gather to purchase various things, such as ammo, health or even boosts and abilities. This means it is vital that you either stay inconspicuous or that you take out an agent if you see one.

This doesn't mean that you should just open fire whenever you get caught, in fact using your weapon should be one of your last resorts. Whenever you use your gun or do a melee attack, you lose your disguise. This will immediately draw attention to you, not just from enemy agents but also from NPCs. As stated earlier, there are different types of NPCs you can disguise yourself as and these include guards.

Guards, unlike civilian or staff NPCs, carry weapons, which they will gladly use on you or any rival agents that get caught, this however, can be used to your advantage as you can create a diversion by making guard NPCs hostile while quickly slipping away during the ensuing chaos, that is if you survive long enough to do so. If you do get caught by an enemy guard, you can easily outrun them, which gives you more than enough time to find a safe spot for you to quickly reapply your disguise.

A game like Deceive Inc. is a game that can change at a drop of a dime or the pull of a trigger. At any time in your mission, you can go from stealthily maneuvering your way through a map and trying to not to get caught, to having a complete free for all shootout, all because another agent thought an NPC was you in disguise. This spontaneity is what gives Deceive Inc. its unique flair and what makes the game so fun, it's exhilarating but can be equally frustrating since just as easily as you can get caught, you can also die.

This is because by the time you get your weapon out, the enemy agent has already shot you three times. This is probably due to the way the game presents itself, as you're not supposed to play it like a regular FPS. Yes, it’s first person and you're supposed to shoot enemy agents, as mentioned earlier, you're meant to keep gun usage to a minimum. Deceive Inc. is less a first-person shooter and more a first-person spy game.

However, there are plenty of other tools at your disposal besides your cold iron companion, you're a spy after all and spies should have plenty more plenty of tricks up their sleeves, and in the case of Deceive Inc., it's gadgets. Gadgets are essential and will help you do a myriad of things such as help you navigate through the game's levels, distract enemy agents and other pursuers and overall add plenty of more fun to an already enjoyable game.

However, keep in mind you won't be able to just use gadgets as much as you want. These high-tech pieces of spy gear come with a cooldown and one you need to be mindful of as some of the gadgets can really help when stuck in a tight spot.

Possibly another reason why you might try to play the game like other FPS titles is due to its art style. Deceive Inc. seems to have taken design notes from its counterparts in the character FPS genre, such as Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch. Its characters are presented with a semi-stylized look, straight out of a 3D animated movie. This is obviously meant to attract players and fans of the aforementioned titles, but there's a bit of a problem. While yes, Deceive Inc. looks like those games, and it doesn't exactly play like them.

The game's environments are also meant to be explored differently than your typical first-person shooter, as instead of being filled with cover and ammo pickups, they are instead filled with small interactable areas that are meant to help you look as much like an NPC as possible. The environments are incredibly colorful and are meant to be as painfully 70's as possible. Everything about them is fun to look at and since you don't have to constantly dash to cover, you actually have time to appreciate the smaller details.

The art style does, however, work incredibly well with the game's 70's spy movie aesthetic. Everything is vibrant and over the top, the stylized nature of the characters means that they work with all the cheesy spy movie goodness, and allows the jokes and humor in the character dialogue to stick better, as they just flow seamlessly into the rest of what the character does. What the characters say and do just wouldn't work if the game went with a super serious tone like other FPS games.

A game with a funky 70s flair wouldn't be the same without an absolutely groovy soundtrack and boy does Deceive Inc. deliver. The music is the bow that truly ties everything in the level together and perfectly sets the mood for your undercover shenanigans.

The style and tone of the music also changes to reflect what your character is doing. Sneaking? Everything goes quiet and muffled. Mad dash to Extraction? Well, let's just up the ante and bust out the epic spy jazz solo. The music is incredibly catchy and immerses you into your role as an undercover agent and is just a pleasure to listen to, especially if you want something with the fly super spy style.

Overall Deceive Inc. is a joy of a game to play and is definitely something that will keep you coming back for more and more. While it does subvert from the typical FPS formula of bust in guns blazing. Deceive Inc. is a game that makes you think about your actions and what you do and forces players to think creatively but still not get caught. This game is definitely not for someone who was looking for a simple Overwatch clone, but it is for someone who wants something different and definitely something cheesy.