Clandestine

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

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Clandestine is a 2-player or singleplayer stealth/hacking game set in 1996. Asymmetrical co-op allows one player to take the role of the spy while a friend provides overwatch and assistance as the hacker, and unravel a post-Cold War espionage conspiracy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 561 reviews

story50 positive mentions

stability62 negative mentions

Unique asymmetric co-op gameplay that requires strong communication and teamwork between players.
Engaging and immersive experience that captures the tension of spy missions, with multiple approaches to objectives.
Fun and rewarding gameplay, especially when played with a friend, making it a memorable co-op experience.

Numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with animations and AI behavior.
Clunky controls and awkward movement mechanics that can frustrate players, particularly in stealth scenarios.
Graphics and production values are dated, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.

story
300 mentions
17 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it unengaging or poorly executed, often overshadowed by gameplay issues and technical glitches. While some appreciate the potential for player choices to influence the narrative, others criticize the writing, voice acting, and overall coherence of the plot. Despite its shortcomings, the cooperative gameplay and mission structure provide enough enjoyment for players to overlook the narrative flaws.
- “This is an amazing game that retains player attention and always keeps you in the loop with pretty storytelling, level design, and core mechanics making you feel like the ultimate hacker pro badass.”
- “The story is better than I expected too, not top-notch but it does touch on some ambitious themes.”
- “The story gives you reason enough to get through the missions.”
- “From CS 1.6 gunsounds to borderline comical voice acting and facial expressions, with NPC visual qualities that not only are ugly, but also diverge between characters, and with a story badly set up, badly written, and badly explained, the lack of polishing and money is showing through the cracks in this game.”
- “The production values are horrible, and I couldn't care less about the story.”
- “The acting, story, and dialogue are all terribly bad.”
gameplay
248 mentions
33 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique co-op mechanics, where players take on distinct roles as an agent and a hacker, creating a dynamic and engaging experience. However, many reviews highlight issues such as clunky controls, game-breaking glitches, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While the core gameplay is praised for its fun and innovative design, particularly in co-op mode, it is often overshadowed by technical shortcomings and a less engaging story.
- “This is an amazing game that retains player attention and always keeps you in the loop with pretty storytelling, level design, and core mechanics making you feel like the ultimate hacker pro badass.”
- “The gameplay is surprisingly fun.”
- “The game lacks a lot of polish but when it works, it delivers some of the best co-op experiences I've ever had in a game, working closely together to accomplish the mission delivers some satisfactory gameplay when it works.”
- “When your core point of the gameplay, what separates it from any other stealth action game, is not very fun to begin with, you are building the rest on a very weak and shaky foundation.”
- “Gameplay is stale and gets boring after the first couple of minutes of both players; the level design is dull, the voice acting is just bad, as are the laughable characters, story, and cutscenes.”
- “The hacking mechanics in Clandestine are simplistic, but there were too many things to watch at once, not enough information about how to do this or why you can't do that, and it just wasn't fun.”
graphics
98 mentions
27 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, often compared to early 2000s visuals, with many reviewers noting poor animations and subpar optimization. While some players find the graphics charming and serviceable, they generally agree that they detract from the overall experience, especially in cutscenes. Despite these shortcomings, the gameplay and co-op features are praised, suggesting that players who prioritize fun over visuals may still enjoy the game.
- “Gameplay is really cool and the graphics, even though they're not the newest on the market, really fit the game.”
- “Visuals and overall production values will remind you of the mid-2000s (except for music, which is spot on).”
- “Unique gameplay, good graphics, good initial idea, not a bad game at all.”
- “Maybe if you've never played video games in the past 20 years, this might seem like a good game today; otherwise, it feels like something made in the early 2000s, both graphics and gameplay-wise.”
- “Not to mention very poor optimization for graphics that feel like PS2-era graphics at times. To be fair, it's not that bad, but I ran Wolfenstein: The New Order, a much better-looking game, at a buttery smooth consistent framerate on my machine. Yes, I did lower the settings; it didn't really help.”
- “In my honest opinion, the AI and stealth are mediocre, the guns and gunplay are poor, your gadgets are lacking, controls are subpar, the 'social engineering' is shallow if you give it so much as a second glance, and the graphics are atrocious.”
stability
62 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, including game-breaking issues and connection problems. While some players find the co-op experience enjoyable despite the instability, many agree that the game feels unpolished and reminiscent of early indie titles. Overall, a tolerance for bugs is necessary to appreciate the game's unique concept and cooperative mechanics.
- “Gameplay is fun, but frustrating dealing with game-breaking glitches or loss of connection to the server nearly every mission.”
- “The idea is actually interesting, but the game is extremely buggy and unpolished.”
- “The game is buggy as hell and the animations are laughably bad for a game in the $30 price range.”
humor
34 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its janky animations, hilarious character models, and often subpar voice acting, which players find entertaining, especially in multiplayer settings. Many reviews highlight that the game's glitches and absurd moments lead to genuine laughter, making it a fun experience when played with friends. Despite its lack of polish, the comedic elements and amusing cutscenes contribute to an overall enjoyable atmosphere.
- “The pushy office guy by the metal detectors is hilarious.”
- “Janky but ambitious and fun, the cutscenes are f-in hilarious.”
- “This is the best asymmetric co-op game I've ever played, it's fucking hilarious, there's an insane amount of detail (text, voice acting, etc) fleshing out the world, the missions are well constructed.”
optimization
30 mentions
13 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
47 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, clunky controls, and frequent bugs, leading to an average of around 40 fps even on decent hardware. While the core gameplay and co-op experience are praised, the overall graphics and performance issues detract from the enjoyment, with some players expressing hope for future updates to improve optimization. Despite these shortcomings, the unique concept and solid writing suggest potential for a better experience if optimizations are implemented.
- “Version 0.7 is on its way, which contains the first story mission and a better tutorial level, as well as some other additions and optimizations.”
- “I'll wait for more optimization and an update or two before going into full detail, but I'm going to say, I see quite a bit of potential in this.”
- “The performance of the game is very good on my not really game-capable laptop, although I have to wonder if that changes once I load up a proper mission (the tutorial is quite simple in terms of level design).”
- “Horribly optimized and runs badly, but the core concept is really good; one being the hacker and the other one being the field agent.”
- “Bad optimization, clunky and unresponsive controls, and an unengaging plot make a great idea fall over itself.”
- “Not to mention very poor optimization for graphics that feel like PS2-era graphics at times. To be fair, it's not that bad, but I ran Wolfenstein: The New Order, a much better-looking game at a buttery smooth consistent framerate on my machine. Yes, I did lower the settings; it didn't really help.”
music
22 mentions
18 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is often described as repetitive and sometimes drowns out dialogue during cutscenes, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the atmospheric quality of the soundtrack, others feel it could be improved, especially in terms of variety. Bringing your own soundtrack is suggested as a workaround for those who find the in-game music lacking.
- “Such elements include stealth and aggressive approaches to objectives; a hub world comprised of the organisation's HQ with characters to talk to and discuss your mission progress; a killer soundtrack (find it on Bandcamp); and a deep and believable story that takes the hero to exotic locations around the world, even if this game takes place mostly indoors.”
- “Visuals and overall production values will remind you of the mid-2000s (except for music, which is spot on).”
- “Music is a little repetitive, but if you bring your own soundtrack and don't mind patience and stealth, this is a fine experience.”
- “Frequently, though the music is mixed in such a way where it drowns out the vocals during cutscenes, and is always in the foreground throughout the game.”
- “It can get a tad repetitive, as one level had different structured sections but the same music throughout each section.”
- “There's also the lack of any graphical options, shadows, atmosphere, any decent music, hell, voice acting.”
atmosphere
12 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is often praised for its tension and immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like the original Deus Ex, enhanced by a strong soundtrack. However, some critiques highlight issues with voice acting and a lack of graphical options, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, the combination of engaging writing and cooperative gameplay contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “Has the atmosphere of those golden classics such as the original Deus Ex, but with great co-op fun.”
- “Interesting writing, a tense atmosphere, and the two styles of play meld so well together.”
- “Story was amazing, sound really sets the atmosphere and the combination of the two roles to successfully pass the levels was beautiful.”
- “There's also the lack of any graphical options, shadows, atmosphere, any decent music, hell, voice acting.”
emotional
10 mentions
80 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has been criticized for its lack of depth, particularly highlighted by a monotone performance from the main voice actress, which detracted from key emotional moments. Players noted that while the gameplay can be enjoyable, the overall experience is marred by a boring story, poor character animations, and significant bugs, leading to a disconnect in emotional engagement.
- “And if this was inspired by Splinter Cell, and it really does feel like it, they seemed to focus on visual and emotional identities vs what they liked or what worked from the source.”
- “Providing emotional support when the player playing spy wants to rage quit because of broken hitboxes.”
- “The gameplay is fun, but on top of the boring story, the hilarious character models, lacking animations, and outright game-breaking bugs, it's just not worth it.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially in single-player mode, where it feels monotonous and unenjoyable. The experience significantly improves in co-op play, highlighting the game's design flaws when tackled solo. Overall, many reviews suggest that the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment, particularly in comparison to other games.
- “Hacking in this game literally is more boring than grinding in War Thunder or playing pay-to-win games. Even CrimeCraft GangWars (which I had to look up on the Steam free games menu because I forgot its name) is unimaginably better.”
- “The game should be played in co-op; the single player mode is too tedious.”
- “You have to fill in for both roles, which can be tedious.”
replayability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily due to the ability to switch roles and experience the story from different perspectives. However, some players feel that the game's reliance on stealth mechanics and its glitches may hinder the overall experience, leading to a desire for more content to enhance replay value.
- “It also has great replay value since you can switch the roles and play the game from a completely different angle.”
- “But if the game expects you to sneak around without touching a hair on anyone and not get spotted by the admin, then I guess that could be considered some replay value.”
- “I only wish it had more replay value.”
- “It is a short story that I hope they expand down the track, although it does have replay value.”
- “But if the game expects you to sneak around without touching a hair on anyone and not get spotted by the admin, with as glitchy as it is, then I guess that could be considered some replay value.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that Katya features an impressive character design, suggesting a strong visual appeal, but do not provide further insights into her character development or depth.