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Intravenous 2

Intravenous 2 Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
96% User Score Based on 2,810 reviews

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Xbox Series X|SPCXbox OneXboxWindows
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Intravenous 2 Game Cover

About Intravenous 2

Intravenous 2 is a single player tactical shooter game with a violence theme. It was developed by Explosive Squat Games and was released on August 15, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A LOVE LETTER TO TACTICAL STEALTH ACTION Enter the world of Intravenous 2 as Sean and Steve - an unlikely duo with a common mission: to save a life while taking down those responsible for Sean's predicament. Your choices define your path in this world of old-school stealth, hardcore tactical gunplay, and dynamic storytelling. KEY FEATURES Stealth or Firepower: Your approach is your choice. Snea…

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Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
Intravenous 2 screenshot
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Reviews

96%Audience ScoreBased on 2,810 reviews
story270 positive mentions
grinding17 negative mentions
  • Highly satisfying gameplay blending stealth and intense combat with smart AI that reacts realistically to player actions.
  • Extensive weapon customization and variety allowing multiple playstyles from full stealth to guns blazing.
  • Immersive atmosphere enhanced by dynamic, high-quality soundtrack and detailed sound design.
  • Strong replayability aided by multiple difficulty modes, new game plus, and mod support with robust map editor.
  • Level design offers non-linear missions with multiple routes and creative tactical opportunities.
  • Well-polished game with smooth controls, realistic weapon handling, and responsive, challenging AI.
  • The first game is included as a remastered DLC, providing a complete series experience.
  • The story, while not the main focus, delivers a compelling and gritty narrative with moral complexity.
  • Stealth mechanics can feel inconsistent or frustrating due to 2D top-down perspective limitations and certain AI behaviors.
  • Dialogue and writing quality are often awkward, juvenile, or poorly translated, detracting from narrative immersion.
  • Controls and UI can be clunky or unintuitive at times, especially with interaction menus and some player actions.
  • Limited save system on higher difficulties may encourage going loud and detract from stealth playstyle.
  • Some players find late-game stealth sections more difficult or feel forced, sometimes leading to repetition or grind.
  • Enemy AI occasional bugs or odd behaviors can break immersion (e.g., missing players in same room).
  • Visuals can be unappealing or pixel art style may not suit all tastes, with unclear loot visibility in some spots.

  • story

    1,012 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    27% positive mentions, 69% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story of the game is generally viewed as serviceable but unexceptional, often described as straightforward, somewhat clichéd, and less engaging than its predecessor. While some players appreciate the emotional depth, character interactions, and branching choices that add replay value and moral complexity, others criticize the writing for being predictable, juvenile, or convoluted. Overall, the story effectively supports the gameplay and atmosphere without overshadowing the core stealth-action experience.

    • “I'm glad the story isn't as predictable as the first game's. The story is quite interesting too.”
    • “The story and dialogue are brutal, lots of profanity and text-based emotion, a work of art.”
    • “This is a story about a love shared between fathers, sons, and even brothers; as far as we the viewer know, dad is all the family Sean's got, and if we don't play our cards right he's not long for this world.”
    • “The story is mediocre at best, cringe at worst, very forgettable.”
    • “The story and dialogue is nauseatingly bad in my opinion, but not bad enough to sour the game.”
    • “Escort missions.”
    • “By far one of the worst plot and stories I've seen maybe ever.”
    • “The story is also dumb and very badly written.”
    • “Story is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ terrible and I kind of wish they didn't bother writing it (sorry brother but you gotta get someone else on this ♥♥♥♥) but, playing stealth-ish, the rest of the game is phenomenal – the systems and feel are really fantastic.”
    • “The story is far from the main reason to play these games but it was so bad the first game was incredibly hard to sit through and even harder to enjoy.”
    • “Intravenous 2's story is still bland as ever but at least doesn't seem outright horrendous.”
    • “Story is quite thin, the kind of story where you fight "goon" and "degenerate" and "drug dealer".”
    • “It is predictable, unrealistic despite the grim tone it's striving for (which is a shame), and has plot holes that left me scratching my head.”
    • “The story is childish, tame, uninspired and there is nothing thought provoking or interesting to be found.”
    • “The story is a bit generic, but I understand it's probably an homage to the developer's dad, which is completely fine.”
    • “The plot in the first game was so-so, but the same can't be said for the second... the second's story performed worse and lacks many interesting elements in its plot.”
    • “My only tiny nitpick is that the plot and story, for all the attention it gets in the game itself, is kind of hilariously awful.”
    • “I struggle with the story, characters and parts in between the missions, almost ruined it for me, I just wanna play the game and bypass all the in-between junk, should be an option for this.”
    • “I think the weakest part of the game is the story but that's fine.”
    • “The story sucks ass tho.”
    • “The story and writing in general is a bad joke, gameplay is satisfying and fun, achievements are annoying to get as they require a lot of replaying and the game isn't worth replaying a lot.”
    • “The story, while pretty simple is really well done and adds a lot to the experience while you're going through.”
    • “The story is nothing special, but I think it gets more hate than it deserves.”
    • “There is a terrible story, and way too much excruciatingly bad dialog, but you can skip them.”
    • “Storyline and writing 2/10.”
    • “There's a few missions in I2 like that so far, but I want to see something like this doubled down on in 3.”
    • “You can debrief after each story mission too, and get the other's opinion of what you've done.”
    • “The writing is beyond amazing, it did a great job at making me feel the same things Sean and Steve felt, had me rooting for the both of them from the very first few missions.”
    • “The plot "twists" are pretty obvious and if you're paying attention even slightly, you will see them coming from a mile away.”
    • “This kind of start-stop plotting kills any buildup of tension and mystery, which is absolute poison for a plot where you try to uncover a conspiracy.”
    • “Apparently there is a story.”
    • “The dialogue and story are somehow more cringe than intrasneedous 1, it's a strange blend of chatgpt and edgelord esl drivel.”
    • “The story also felt like an improvement on the first, which was a bit bare bones at times.”
    • “The story is for edgelords, but the game is really fun.”
    • “The story is definitely better too.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, spy is no master of purple prose; the story in iv1 is by his very own admission an afterthought and exists mostly to hand-wave why the levels have different layouts and the bad guys are stronger as the game goes on.”
    • “I do hate the story though, but that can be skipped so I couldn't care for or against it.”

  • gameplay

    741 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The gameplay of Intravenous 2 is widely praised for its deep, complex, and satisfying stealth and combat mechanics that blend tactical stealth elements reminiscent of Splinter Cell and Metal Gear with fast-paced action akin to Hotline Miami. It offers a challenging yet rewarding experience with intelligent AI, diverse approaches (stealth or loud), extensive weapon customization, and dynamic environmental interactions, creating high replayability. While some find the stealth mechanics punishing and occasionally unbalanced compared to loud gameplay, the overall consensus highlights the game's tight mechanics, immersive atmosphere, and addicting gameplay loop as its standout strengths.

    • “The stealth mechanics have a remarkable amount of depth, and on the true difficulty, the game really requires you to engage with its mechanics, while still allowing you to shoot your way through tough situations as necessary.”
    • “The gameplay is a hybrid of Hotline Miami and Splinter Cell, offering a satisfying blend of tactical stealth, complex mechanics, and intense action.”
    • “Regardless of the chosen playstyle, you should be granted a lot of contentment in every moment spent with the game during a story-driven, single-player campaign divided into about 20 missions, thanks to enjoyable movement and combat mechanics, responsive and playful AI, a wide arsenal to choose from and customise, and freedom during exploration of well-designed maps.”
    • “The stealth mechanics barely, if at all, work, so you need to rely on action instead, where you get nailed instantly by incredibly badly done, imbalanced and unpredictable enemy AI.”
    • “It's a shame because there are a bunch of mechanics involved for sneaking around, like how much noise you make based on how much you carry, or how enemies move slower when they walk or run in dark areas, only for said mechanics to be more prominent for the louder-than-silent approaches.”
    • “Imagine making a sequel to a fun, aggressive top-down shooter and adding escort missions with brainless AI/awful pathfinding (exacerbated by the bad quick menus) and an inconsistent tripping mechanic where enemies fall when shot, causing them to only be targetable by the fickle laser aiming for a couple seconds.”

  • music

    365 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    49% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The music in this game is universally praised as phenomenal and highly immersive, with a dynamic soundtrack by xtrullor that adapts seamlessly to gameplay, intensifying during combat and providing atmospheric tension during stealth. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often motivating players to switch from stealth to loud playstyles just to experience its full impact. Overall, the music is considered a top-tier, integral part of the game’s experience, frequently described as one of the best video game soundtracks in recent years.

    • “The music is simply 10/10; this is easily xtrullor's best work yet, whether it be the ambient stealth tracks or the raw shot of adrenaline and testosterone that is the combat tracks—it is simply perfect.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal – reminiscent of Payday but slightly simpler and darker, creating the perfect atmosphere for the gameplay.”
    • “The dynamic shift between the ambient tension tracks and the combat music (especially "Nightclub") makes you feel like you're in a John Wick movie.”
    • “The only thing that I can say is objectively garbage is the remastered soundtrack.”
    • “Everything but the damn soundtrack.”
    • “Bought this game a day or two after beating the first one, it's so much better and the polish on this one makes me value the Team Fortress 2 items I sold to buy it lmao, jokes aside it's so worth getting and playing if you've only played the first because it expands the game by a large amount, though the only thing I could say is that some levels reuse music from the first game which didn't really change much, I just questioned why it was that way but it's such a minor thing that if you're not a music nerd and just want gameplay there's no reason to not buy this game.”

  • graphics

    125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    32% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are characterized by a stylized, retro-inspired pixel art style with a gritty, noir atmosphere enhanced by dynamic lighting and detailed environments. While some users find the visuals simple or dated and occasionally struggle to distinguish interactable objects, many praise the art direction for its immersive aesthetic, clarity, and effective contribution to the game's tense, stealth-focused gameplay. Overall, the graphics prioritize functional design and atmosphere over cutting-edge visuals, successfully complementing the gameplay and tone.

    • “The artstyle, the colors, and the settings also satisfy my taste in art.”
    • “The art style is beautiful, and the level design is a joy to explore and concise without bloat.”
    • “The graphics and soundtrack are well polished and really pop in terms of aesthetic, with a lot of care put into the visuals, and an adaptive soundtrack that not only conveys the tension well, but serves as a good audio cue to how close you are to being detected.”
    • “This is a semi-professionally developed pixelcrap disaster from Lithuania, and I'm a little surprised to discover that Nvidia and AMD apparently don't sell 3D graphics cards there, because there's no excuse for pixelcrap games being made in the 2020s.”
    • “The amateur pixelcrap visual presentation here at best could have been an attempt to use "retro" as a crutch, a weak excuse to avoid admitting the developer wasn't capable of doing the job of a game developer this decade and creating cutting edge, high quality 3D visuals.”
    • “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier-than-needed control scheme to the less than cutting edge graphics.”

  • replayability

    81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    57% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The game offers high replayability through multiple playstyles (stealth, loud, hybrid), numerous difficulty settings, extensive weapon customization, and branching narratives with multiple endings. Its varied approaches to levels, achievement hunting, new game+ mode, and potential for user-generated content further enhance its replay value. Overall, replayability is a strong feature, keeping players engaged well beyond the initial playthrough.

    • “Whether that's beating the highest difficulty levels, achievement hunting, experimenting with different playstyles, completionism regarding arsenal collection, story reasons and pursuit after different endings or user-made content, there's a lot of replayability and value outside of beating the story once.”
    • “The fact that you can finish each level a million different ways makes the game infinitely replayable, and the top-down 2D visual style makes the game a great candidate for future workshop content that I simply can't wait to see.”
    • “The campaign features slight branching paths, and some missions offer multiple end states, adding to the replay value.”
    • “It is very much worth playing through it a couple of times, but the replay value rapidly declines the moment you've seen all the game has to offer.”
    • “Replayability is okay, but is mainly there so you can try out weapons and strategies you didn't get to use for earlier levels.”
    • “A lot of the time you just end up sticking to a specific playstyle that works best for you while ignoring a lot of the options the game gives you, though I guess that does give it more replay value in the end.”

  • atmosphere

    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    66% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, gritty, and immersive presentation, enhanced by detailed pixel art, dynamic lighting, and a haunting, minimalist soundtrack. The combination of sound design, visual effects, and thematic elements creates a tense, noir-inspired experience that deeply engages players and complements the gameplay perfectly. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a major strength, contributing significantly to the game's identity and appeal.

    • “Just like previously, all that is delivered in accompaniment of a distinctive darker atmosphere, pleasing old-school visuals, great soundtrack and punchy sound design.”
    • “Intravenous 2 is a distinctive visual novel that delves into dark, mature themes with a hauntingly atmospheric narrative and deeply psychological undertones.”
    • “The lighting effects, bloom, and shadows add a gritty atmosphere that the first game was hinting at but hadn't quite mastered.”
    • “It takes away from the more grounded atmosphere that the game is trying to go for, other than that it's an excellent game that I would recommend.”
    • “Overall, the review is positive because of the atmosphere and gameplay but the other mechanics of the game need more work.”
    • “The atmosphere is gritty and the pixel art is surprisingly detailed for a game that is ninety percent blood spatters and dark hallways.”

  • humor

    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from the intentionally clunky, sometimes awkward dialogue and the amusing, often chaotic AI behavior, which leads to funny and unpredictable combat scenarios. Players appreciate the quirky charm, ironic weapon customizations, and satirical tone, though some find the story and cutscenes unintentionally humorous in a low-fi, 2000s flash game style. Overall, the humor adds a distinctive, entertaining layer to the gameplay experience.

    • “This game is a tactical puzzle that is yours to succeed at, fail at or giggle your way through as you realize how funny enemy AI can be.”
    • “The dialogue has hilarious 2000's flash game charm with everyone shouting profanity at you for no reason, and it's definitely clear that the developers put a lot of effort into small details that result in a polished and highly entertaining game.”
    • “It is hilarious and rewarding to watch the AI panic in a human-like way to your terror.”

  • emotional

    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    96% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The game delivers a strong emotional impact through its heartfelt story, meaningful character interactions, and touching themes of family and closure, often enhanced by poignant audio cues and minimalistic dialogue. Players frequently describe feeling a mix of exhilaration and genuine emotional connection, with moments that evoke both euphoria and tears. Despite some critiques of pacing, the emotional core and personal dedication from the developer resonate deeply with players.

    • “This series genuinely got me emotional at some scenes but I'm so happy I got the good ending first.”
    • “The in memoriam during the game outro is really sweet and a little heartbreaking, and there's a definite theme of doing everything you can to help a parent out during a difficult time.”
    • “Reading the banter Sean and Steve had and the closure they reached by the end of the game really made me feel just as euphoric as they were themselves where I too felt that I can finally rest easy now leaving me with good closure from the game.”
    • “Boring story with stretched cutscene conversations.”

  • grinding

    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    5% positive mentions, 14% neutral mentions, 81% negative mentions

    Grinding in this game is often described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly regarding stealth mechanics that require patience and precision. While some players appreciate the challenge and freedom of approach, many find the repetitive tasks and finicky controls diminish the overall enjoyment. Achievement grinding can also feel frustrating due to lack of guidance and cumbersome requirements.

    • “The game can be hard, but it's not tedious; it's a well-balanced challenge on every level. It expects you to find your own solutions since you have an incredible amount of freedom on how to approach each mission. For example, I'm not always a big fan of stealth, but this game actually made me start doing missions stealthily due to how fun it is to outsmart the enemies. When you get into a gunfight, you better be ready because the game will not hold your hand. You have a lot of gear to choose from for each mission, so prepare your preferred approach wisely or, you know, get shot to hell and back.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “So the problem is that guns work like they should, and stealth is tedious and requires patience.”
    • “Overall, it's a stealth and action game where the stealth is incredibly tedious and unreliable and the action is very clunky, clumsy, and frustrating.”

  • stability

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 80% negative mentions

    The game generally runs well across multiple systems including LMDE7, Steam Deck, and PC, but stability issues persist, particularly with buggy AI, door mechanics, and occasional map glitches. While performance is solid, some bugs and difficulty balancing detract from the overall experience.

    • “Runs great on LMDE7.”
    • “Runs great on Steam Deck and my PC.”
    • “The reviews are positive but I can't understand why; it's a cool game, but basically the same as the first in almost every aspect and with even more buggy AI.”
    • “Also of note is that the game can still be a bit buggy, especially with the AI.”
    • “The definitive goods are definitely the story and gameplay; however, it's buggy in a few spots and the hardest difficulty gets a bit silly with enemy placements.”

  • optimization

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    Optimization is generally strong, with smooth performance even on older hardware and integrated graphics, though some users experience occasional severe FPS drops during intense effects like fire, requiring a game restart. The game offers detailed options to fine-tune performance, and despite minor bugs, runs reliably with well-balanced weapon mechanics.

    • “Had no issues with performance in both games, though did struggle to get this game to screenshare in Discord; might've been a me issue?”
    • “Absolute crazy music, clean graphics, optimized, replayed like 7 times.”
    • “Similar to the first game, performance is really, really good, even on pretty dated hardware, helped in part by the fairly detailed and labeled options menu.”
    • “Sadly, it has performance problems on Intel 13th / 14th gen but runs fine with 100 fps on my notebook with integrated graphics.”
    • “There are some issues with performance dropping the longer you play the game in one session; a molotov with spreading fire or shooting a sprinkler accidentally might murder your FPS to single digits. Just restart the game then.”
    • “The weapon modifications are a big upside for variety: you can put suppressors on all sorts of things (with varying levels of performance).”

  • character development

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 67% negative mentions

    Character development focuses more on conveying mood through stylized designs rather than realism, with notable growth for Steve if maximum trust is achieved. However, some players found Steve's development between the two games surprising and desired more consequences tied to player choices in the story.

    • “The story for iv2 was interesting; Steve's character development, or lack thereof, between the two games was honestly a surprise. I kind of expected a little more punishment for following the sparing people route.”
    • “Character designs are similarly stylized, with an emphasis on conveying mood rather than realism.”
    • “Also, Steve from the first game gets character development if you have 100% trust by the end.”

  • monetization

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game's monetization includes intrusive and thematically harsh advertising methods, such as placing ads on criminals in a violent manner. Additionally, it penalizes stealth gameplay heavily despite promoting stealth as a core feature, creating a conflicting and frustrating experience for players.

    • “Put advertisement posters on criminals then nail them to their bodies with a hammer.”
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Play Times

16h Median play time
81h Average play time
11-39h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Intravenous 2 is a tactical shooter game with violence theme. Common tags for Intravenous 2 include realistic, trading, 2d, immersive sim, pixel graphics and others.

Intravenous 2 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 81 hours playing Intravenous 2.

Intravenous 2 was released on August 15, 2024.

Intravenous 2 was developed by Explosive Squat Games.

Intravenous 2 has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Intravenous 2 for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Intravenous 2 is a single player game.

Similar games include Intravenous, Intravenous 2: Mercenarism, Selaco, Mark of the Ninja, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 and others.