Death to Spies: Moment of Truth
- August 7, 2009
- Haggard Games
In "Death to Spies: Moment of Truth," play as Captain Semion Strogov in the SMERSH agency during World War II. Completing dangerous missions such as gathering information, assassinating enemy agents, and capturing spies, players will navigate various locations in Western and Eastern Europe, the USA, and the UK. Utilize unique technologies and devices to infiltrate and gather intelligence in this stealth-action game.
Reviews
- The game offers a challenging stealth experience reminiscent of the Hitman series, with a focus on disguises and strategic planning.
- The graphics and level design are improved from the previous game, providing a more immersive WWII atmosphere.
- Players appreciate the variety of mission objectives and the freedom to approach tasks in multiple ways, enhancing replayability.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs, crashes, and a lack of a tutorial, which can frustrate new players.
- Many players find the AI behavior inconsistent and the controls clunky, making gameplay feel unpolished.
- The game is shorter than its predecessor, with only seven missions, which some players feel is anticlimactic.
- story208 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "Death to Spies: Moment of Truth" is generally considered lackluster, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a driving narrative. Players engage in missions as a Russian spy during a dystopian WWII, with objectives that include assassination, sabotage, and intelligence gathering, but many reviewers noted that the plot lacks depth and coherence, often feeling disconnected from the missions themselves. While the game offers a variety of mission types and some improvements over its predecessor, the overall narrative experience is seen as simplistic and underdeveloped.
“This is the second game in the 'Death to Spies' series, it continues the story of the first game with similar level design and mechanics to the first game, although the controls feel slightly better and the story is slightly more tangible.”
“You're shown a quick cutscene of your mission as a Russian spy trying to infiltrate various occupied Nazi territories in a dystopian WWII where the Nazis won, followed by a briefing page shortly before being prompted to the loadout screen, where you can use various weapons, backpacks, and gadgets to make the Nazis' life a hell.”
“Though the story is mostly nonexistent, and the game's soundtrack is mostly forgettable, 'Death to Spies: Moment of Truth' is a fun stealth game that, as long as they iron out some of the wrinkles in (hopefully) future installments, could become one of my favorite games.”
“The mechanisms (in a ludological sense) are similar to Hitman: Blood Money, but in terms of the story (in a narratological sense), this game is much more lackluster in this department, adding to a bit of an immersion problem.”
“There is no real story besides the background of the missions, but I have to say the missions are kind of realistic and interesting in the WWII Soviet setting.”
“Let me lead off with this: this is an amazing stealth game; however, it's almost required to play the prequel first as it comes with no tutorial, a story that almost certainly only makes sense with the last game's context.”
- gameplay122 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Death to Spies: Moment of Truth" is heavily inspired by the Hitman series, featuring a focus on stealth mechanics and a disguise system, though it is noted to be more challenging and less forgiving. While some players appreciate the immersive level design and improved controls, others criticize the clunky mechanics, finicky controls, and frustrating AI behavior, leading to a trial-and-error experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable stealth gameplay and significant flaws, making it a polarizing experience for players.
“The gameplay of Death to Spies is very similar to the Hitman games, with most of the stealth revolving around disguises.”
“It may not have the same level of polish and production values, but it more than makes up for it with amazing level design and a solid sneaking and disguising mechanic.”
“Once I got the hang of the mechanics, the immersiveness of the experience kicked in and I found myself more engrossed in the gameplay than I had ever been in a game before.”
“Because of this absolute insanity in level design and AI behavior, minute-to-minute gameplay of 'Death to Spies: Moment of Truth' boils down to constant trial-and-error.”
“But the controls, the gameplay, everything is so finicky, buggy, and laggy... it's actually hard to do anything else than moving.”
“The gameplay is just... it doesn't work and it's no fun.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players noting that while they are decent for an older title, they can appear dull compared to modern standards. Many appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric design, particularly in outdoor settings, but technical issues and frame rate drops have been reported. Overall, the graphics are considered acceptable for the game's age, with some improvements over its predecessor, yet they may not meet the expectations of players accustomed to contemporary visuals.
“Very fun, excellent graphics and a storyline that will keep you attached to the series.”
“Aesthetically, the graphics and sound are quite good for the day — more than sufficient to create a compelling, immersive atmosphere where hours will pass.”
“The unique graphics style and great gameplay make this a must-have.”
“Very old PC graphics.”
“A great game, I like stealth games, but I was surprised by how dull the graphics look considering the game came out in 2008.”
“Ok, but sure, once you get past the terrible controls and graphics, the game is pretty good, right?”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive depiction of World War II, enhanced by authentic graphics, sound design, and AI interactions, including characters speaking their native languages. Reviewers note that the environment captures the era effectively, creating a compelling ambiance that keeps players engaged, although the game's complexity may deter some. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere is excellent, and the variation of environments and objectives ensure that things never get too stale.”
“Aesthetically, the graphics and sound are quite good for the day — more than sufficient to create a compelling, immersive atmosphere where hours will pass.”
“Very good AI, gameplay, beautiful and accurate atmosphere which has the ambiance of WWII and similar old times.”
“This made the game look like an old movie, which in my opinion added to the atmosphere.”
“One of the options in the game is to make everyone speak their native language, adding to the atmosphere.”
- stability16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, particularly on Windows 10, with users reporting frequent crashes, frame rate drops, and movement glitches. Controls are described as awkward and finicky, making gameplay frustrating and unenjoyable. Overall, the lack of thorough testing before release has led to a buggy experience that detracts from the game's potential enjoyment.
“Painful and buggy on Windows 10 in 1920x1080 tanks frame rate and my PC.”
“Don't set it to 2560x1080, because it will cause crashes and freezes.”
“Movement glitches, awkward controls, lack of clarity, and a high level of difficulty made this game that I was excited to play impossible for me to enjoy.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in "Death to Spies: Moment of Truth" is generally considered forgettable, yet it appropriately complements the game's atmosphere. While the audio has seen some improvement over the original, it remains limited, with minimal sound effects beyond footsteps and gunshots. Overall, the soundtrack does not significantly enhance the experience, but it fits the context of the gameplay.
“Improving upon the original with better graphics, better animations, better but still limited audio, better soundtrack, more intricate levels, more challenging missions, and more accidental kills.”
“On a more serious note, 'Death to Spies: Moment of Truth' features better graphics, slightly more comfortable gameplay mechanics, and manages to become immersive up to a certain extent (both environment and soundtrack-wise).”
“Though the story is mostly nonexistent, and the game's soundtrack is mostly forgettable, 'Death to Spies: Moment of Truth' is a fun stealth game that, as long as they iron out some of the wrinkles in (hopefully) future installments, could become one of my favorite games.”
“You got no music and no sound effects besides footsteps, gunshots, and birds chirping.”
“The music was mostly forgettable, but it always fits what's going on.”
“Though the story is mostly nonexistent, and the game's soundtrack is mostly forgettable, death to spies: moment of truth is a fun stealth game that, as long as they iron out some of the wrinkles in (hopefully) future installments, could become one of my favorite games.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game offers a moderately high replay value, with each mission allowing for multiple approaches to objectives, which encourages players to experiment with different strategies. However, some users note that the overall replayability may be limited due to the potential for failure in various attempts.
“And although your objectives are clearly laid out, you'll find a moderately high replay value here, where you can go about your mission in a variety of ways.”
“Replayability is good and each mission has hours of different approaches.”
“Replayability: low”
“Each mission has multiple ways of completing the objectives (although there are innumerable ways to not succeed) and that gives it replayability.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its clever use of historical memes and American stereotypes, which many players find amusing and entertaining. Overall, the comedic elements resonate well, adding a unique charm to the gameplay experience.
“It's so funny that this game is just a historical meme that no one knows about.”
“The American stereotypes are quite funny.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is noted to be average, with a unique performance rating system that emphasizes professionalism and stealth over strict adherence to objectives. Players can still achieve high ratings even if they eliminate targets outside their designated ones, suggesting a flexible approach to gameplay.
“This game rates your performance in a unique way; killing someone other than your designated target doesn't automatically disqualify you from the highest ratings. It's more about how professional, silent, and clean you are.”
“Optimization is not at a much higher level.”
“Second, this game rates your performance waaaayyyy differently; killing someone other than your designated target doesn't automatically disqualify you from the highest ratings. It's more about how professional, silent, and clean you are.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide relevant information about grinding in games, instead focusing on an unrelated concept of underground farming. Therefore, there is no summary to be made regarding the aspect of grinding.
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the character development in the latest installment of the Hitman series falls short compared to earlier entries, with some users noting that even the original game from 2000 offered superior narration and story direction.
“Even the first Hitman game ever released in 2000 did better in terms of narration, character development, and story direction.”