The Spy Who Shrunk Me
- June 14, 2019
- Catland
Get on Steam"The Spy Who Shrunk Me" is a stealth-action game available on PC and VR, where players assume the role of agent Audrey Smoothspy. The game includes a variety of missions with new cutscenes, music, and voice acting, as well as new gadgets like the Spytacles. With the new DLC, players can experience the game in VR and face new challenges such as laser walls and security cameras. The game also offers improved performance and additional collectibles to find. In the new "Operation: Improbable" mission, players embark on a new adventure that takes them deep into an unknown location.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and humorous concept, reminiscent of classic spy games like No One Lives Forever, with engaging gadgets like a shrink ray and teleportation device.
- The art style is charming and colorful, contributing to a fun and lighthearted atmosphere, while the voice acting adds to the comedic experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a variety of levels and challenges that keep the gameplay interesting and entertaining.
- The game suffers from a lack of polish, with numerous bugs, glitches, and an inconsistent save system that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Level design is often bland and uninspired, with limited interactivity and repetitive enemy AI that detracts from the stealth experience.
- The VR implementation is poorly optimized, leading to control issues and motion sickness, making it less enjoyable for players who prefer virtual reality.
- gameplay39 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Spy Who Shrunk Me" features unique mechanics, particularly the shrink ray, which allows for creative stealth tactics and interaction with the environment. However, many reviews highlight issues such as bland level design, inconsistent controls, and a lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the game's potential and solid stealth mechanics, others find it lacking in execution and depth.
“The shrink ray is definitely a unique gameplay mechanic which allows you to dispose of enemies or make yourself more hidden and able to move under/around objects.”
“But overall, I still think The Spy Who Shrunk Me is a great indie stealth game with unique aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, surely worth a try.”
“The spy who shrunk me's gameplay is most reminiscent of the Dishonored series, with various equipment the player can equip, such as traps one can place on the walls or floor that will launch enemies and knock them unconscious for a brief amount of time, 3D glasses that the lead character can wear to see through walls, a pocket watch they can whip out to stop time, a teleporter that mimics Dishonored's 'blink' ability, and the shrink ray seen in most of the game's promotional material.”
“The level design is bland, lifeless, unfit for the mechanics, has no safe observation spots, no worthy teleport destinations, no miniature escape routes... Heretic's Ovum did it better in 1994.”
“Although the concept is cute, the controls are wacky, the gameplay is inconsistent, and the dialogues are painfully slow.”
“This is a janky spy-themed VR game with very outdated graphics, awful aliasing issues, and dull gameplay.”
- humor30 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its self-aware, playful tone reminiscent of spy comedies like Austin Powers and classic titles such as No One Lives Forever. Players appreciate the absurdity of shrinking enemies and the lighthearted, often lowbrow jokes that contribute to a fun, albeit sometimes uneven, experience. While some found the humor childish or hit-or-miss, many agree that it adds a charming layer to the gameplay, making it an enjoyable, albeit short, adventure.
“I kinda turned on the humor at the end when the main character monologues about the game being just long enough that it can't be refunded.”
“In a world where spies are smooth, gadgets are sleek, and danger lurks around every corner… one game asks, 'what if everything were tiny and completely hilarious?'”
“This game is a hilarious stealth game, the humor is on point, and it actually plays pretty well, plus it has VR in it.”
- story21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story features a comedic and adventurous narrative centered around a spy on a mission to thwart a villainous plot involving a shrink ray and world domination. While the missions are varied and entertaining, some players find the story repetitive and superficial, with issues like poor voice acting and technical glitches detracting from the experience. Overall, the humor and unique premise are appreciated, but the execution leaves room for improvement.
“Despite its comedic style, it does have a nice story.”
“It combines a lot of comedy and stealth clichés in the story.”
“You find yourself on a train straight to Moscow after accepting a mission to stop the communist leader and overlord General Bolscotchkovich and his newly acquired Nazi mastermind, who created a world domination plan using a shrink ray and some nukes. They did not expect Audrey Smoothspy to come in between their plans.”
“- the story of the game is repetitive and somewhat superficial”
“It combines a lot of comedy and 'stealth' clichés in the story.”
“Throughout the story, you get past Russian characters simply saying 'let's drink some vodka after we take a s***', this is what I call comedy...”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Spy Who Shrunk Me" are described as charming and colorful, with a Pixar-esque art style and effective lighting that enhances the atmosphere. However, some users criticize the game for outdated graphics and aliasing issues, suggesting that while the visuals have potential, they ultimately fall short of modern standards. Overall, the game presents a mixed bag in terms of visual quality, with some appreciating its unique aesthetic while others find it lacking.
“The art style of The Spy Who Shrunk Me is quite charming in an illustrative, sleek, Pixar-esque presentation, and when later levels begin to show off its nice lighting with alarms pulsing in the background illuminating your surroundings, it's quite a nice-looking game.”
“Art style is on-point.”
“Good graphics, solid stealth mechanics, good level design, runs well on Vive Pro 2 with wand controllers.”
“This is a janky spy-themed VR game with very outdated graphics, awful aliasing issues, and dull gameplay.”
“Graphics are also pretty bad and the settings didn't seem to make it look any better.”
“There is just very little to it and behind the at-a-glance okay-ish visuals, it all falls apart.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting significant glitches, frame drops, and poor VR performance, despite having capable hardware. While some hope for improvements by the full release, the current state is described as unpolished and frustrating for players.
“Performance will improve as the game reaches the full release.”
“Don't get me wrong - this game is very unpolished, glitchy, and not optimized (and the game size is 20 GB).”
“Optimization sucks, and even though my PC can run the game correctly with (at least) stable 30 FPS, there are lots of frame drops which is annoying (unless you like playing with 10 FPS).”
“This game is pretty cool, but the VR optimization is horrible.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is described as mixed, with some users experiencing occasional bugs and hit collision issues, while others report no crashes or game-breaking glitches during extended play. Overall, it appears to perform well for many players, especially considering its low price point.
“This game has mixed reviews on Steam and I can see why; it does feel a little buggy and temperamental in parts, but I managed to pick it up in a sale for around £2.50, which I think is well worth it.”
“While it is definitely buggy at times with hit collision, you can work with it just as often.”
“While still early and a little buggy, this game brought back some fond memories of 'No One Lives Forever' and has its own cheesy sense of humor.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its vibrant, colorful aesthetic reminiscent of "Mirror's Edge," combined with a spy-themed setting that evokes nostalgia for "No One Lives Forever." Players appreciate the charismatic characters, engaging narration, and a lighthearted tone that enhances the overall enjoyment.
“I really liked NOLF, and this game is like a love letter, being a spy-themed game with a similar atmosphere, humor, and a colorful aesthetic with strong colors that sometimes remind me of Mirror's Edge.”
“Paired with charismatic characters, full narration, and a not-so-serious atmosphere, the game has potential and is enjoyable.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is well-received, with users praising both the audio and soundtrack as high-quality and complementary to the overall artwork.
“The soundtrack is absolutely captivating and enhances the overall experience.”
“The artwork and music are beautifully integrated, creating an immersive atmosphere.”
“The audio design is top-notch, making every moment feel alive with sound.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The audio quality is subpar, with some tracks sounding muffled and poorly mixed.”
“The music doesn't match the game's tone, often feeling out of place and distracting.”
