A group of men that worked in the world of educational software used to get together and play Doom multiplayer one day wondered if they could make their own games. So, they called themselves Monolith Productions and got to work. We’re going back 25 years to 2000 to take a look at a first-person shooter set in stylised 1960s. We’re talking The Operative: No One Lives Forever.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about the removal of Adam Church and MI0 to avoid comparison to James Bond, the importance of Fox Interactive coming onboard when they did, and why the Scottish protagonist sounds the way she does. We also look at them trying to create distance between NOLF and Austin Powers, unsigned musicians, and the 11 (or maybe 2?) senses bad guys have in the game.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: the weird limbo the rights live in and a community that’s kept the game playable; some very cool stealth ideas, very few of which appear to actually come off; an Agent 47 coin that is usable if you hammer the quick save; a loving poodle, a magic body remover, a hair clip lockpick are fun in theory, and they do help… sometimes; a ludicrously powerful crossbow; decent 25-year-old PC shooting with charming falls; Moonraker; a groovy nightclub; Sheriff J.W. Pepper; surprisingly long conversations that lack dynamism and thus don’t demand one’s attention; the lead singer of Keane; a really strong protagonist in Cate Archer; and an absolute cracker of a theme song.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Far Cry 2 on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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Despite being made up of people with many years of experience, Obsidian Entertainment – arguably one of the more beloved developers making games today – were still very much in their early years while making this James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne-inspired game. We’re going back 15 years to 2010 to take a look at a third-person shooter-cum-RPG featuring a rookie secret agent whose surname is not Thornton. We’re talking Alpha Protocol.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about cult classics, yivwovs, and a very 007-esque CG trailer. We also look at an absolutely phenomenal music video that reminds you of the protagonist’s name, how you can’t see everything in one playthrough, and what the people of 2013 would remember about this game.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: CD Projekt Red putting this game back on sale; hivemind bad guys that can see you from a distance that’s hard to measure with alarms you can turn off, which makes you think there’s an evasion mode (we don’t think there is???); turning invisible because why not; a stealth skill tree that is both expensive and necessary for someone looking to do any sneaking; is it a pacifist run if you’ve absolutely battered five fellas on your way to the objective in a level?; the quick save discussion returns; a distinct lack of RPG-style variation in gameplay scenarios; the shooting is adequate post-Gears of War fare; individual skill trees for each weapon type; the tension of trying to pick a lock while a nearby guard patrols the halls; fiddly menus; odd crouch walking and a resistance to hopping over waist-high walls; the outrageous Brayko boss fight; a cast of wacky characters that resemble Foxhound from a fake game; the majesty of the Dialogue Stance System and how it should’ve been copied many times in the last fifteen years (see Oxenfree and LA Noire for shades of it); how Michael Thorton’s in-game consequences compares to JC Denton’s; and seriously… why isn’t he just called Thornton?

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Alpha Protocol is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting The Operative: No One Lives Forever on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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For a record-breaking fourth time – a second time this year alone – we are looking at a game from the back catalogue of Sucker Punch Productions. And this series is special to this podcast, because it is the very first game we ever reviewed. We’re going back 20 years to 2005 to take a look at a stealth action mascot platformer featuring a thieving North American mammal. We’re talking Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about some wonderfully silly telly ads, a box that is delightfully of the era, and how this studio was always planning to work on something different after this game. We also look at two workman-like trailers, and Sly Cooper taking the leap into 3D (we cannot confirm if Stuart or Hong Kong ever got to experience third dimension raccoon).

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: stealth mechanics that were introduced in Sly 2 return – hiding under tables, staying out of the light emitting from baddies’ lanterns, being mindful of running because it creates more noise – but you don’t have to engage with them as much; Sekiro horn guys; limited disguises and face button passwords; a less repetitive mission structure because of FIVE new playable characters with their own gimmicks; a Crackdown leap; binge drinking lemonade and an overload of mini games; hub areas that don’t need to be nearly as big as they are; less of an incentive to pickpocket than the previous game; Doom Eternal’s upgrade screen; hoarding coins, just in case; Splinter Cell’s sticky cam; Bentley’s character growth; Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag naval combat; a disappointing, disconnected story with a forgettable antagonist; the best version of the series’ motion comic-style cutscenes; and Vita-specific VO.

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Alpha Protocol on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS

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