Velvet Assassin has garnered a great deal of coverage since its original unveiling. For a game with a seemingly average Current-Generation budget and both a developer and publisher that would be considered relatively small in comparison to their competition, gathering such attention is praiseworthy in itself. Being able to deliver a game capable of pleasing all these outlets and their respective audiences is a more complicated matter, as Velvet Assassin has since proved.

            As Violette Summer, based loosely upon the real-life escapades of Violette Szabo, the player finds themselves filling the shoes of a beautiful spy deep within enemy lines with no support, or official backing from the British Government. In the heavily cinematic game, the story plays-out as memories from Violette’s tormented mind while she lay motionless on a hospital bed. From the very moment of beginning the game, the player knows not all will go well on this mission.

            Beginning with a typically infuriating tutorial where the limitations of the game are laid bare for all to see, Velvet Assassin is a distinctly linear Stealth experience comparable to the early releases in the Splinter Cell genre. Set in the war-torn 1940’s, there’s no free-roaming or hiding amongst crowds in Velvet Assassin, its’ delivery is a simple presentation of a puzzle and tasking the player to execute the solution. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; for the most part Velvet Assassin proves there is still fresh ground to be covered in the genre, though some may be unable to shake the belief that throughout its reasonably lengthy campaign, Velvet Assassin feels like a release from the Previous-Generation.

            Many of the scripted events – of which, Velvet Assassin is entirely comprised of – are inventive takes on that which has gone before and using the assets within the environment to plan and execute several stealthy kills in quick succession does deliver an adrenaline rush, but such occurrences are often let down by the poorly implemented Artificial Intelligence (AI). Violet is able to remain out of sight in even the faintest shadow – represented by an electric-blue glow – however, the fundamental principle of just how effective this stealth option is remains unacknowledged throughout the game. In fact, there are many occasions in which guards may walk by inches away from your location unaware, and others that see guards taking aim from metres away. The resulting gameplay is more about trial-and-error as opposed to working-out the best escape plan, as heading into direct combat with even only a single guard will inevitably result in a Checkpoint restart.

            The game does rely on additional game convention in the form of a Morphine Power-Up. This unfortunately ham-fisted addition creates a little breathing space when most required, allowing Violette a few seconds of breathing space via a slow-motion sequence. Until the player discovers the key to using the feature, however, it can act as just as much of a hindrance as an advantage, as players will often find themselves caught-short when the Power-Up’s effects wear-off.

            Velvet Assassin is a charmingly presented game, with every level brimming with detail and Violette’s animation rivalling games of far larger budget. That this detail stretches far beyond the players’ limited arena for play is disappointing, and while allowing the player to venture off the beaten path may have resulted in running through much nothingness, being forced down a direct corridor within what is often such beautiful scenery can be a little discouraging.

            The game’s reliance on narrow paths and scripted events will be the bugbear for many. There’s no getting beyond that the total summation of Velvet Assassin’s appeal is that of overcome set obstacles with a limited set of tools, as within many videogames on the Previous-Generation. However, given the fact that each and every set-piece is of a reasonably respectable standard and, bar the poorly implemented AI, Velvet Assassin is a reliably enjoyable game within its own limitations, many gamers will undoubtedly see the game as a true revival of a now fragmented genre. While many titles on the Current-Generation offer more freedom than Velvet Assassin, Violette’s ready carved path is an enjoyable one to follow.

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