Velvet Assassin has a fairly divergent interpretation of World War II. Instead of storming the beach of Normandy, there is a focal point on stealth. The storyline is inspired by the true story of a woman named Violette Szabo; nevertheless, she was known as Violette Summer in this video game. She is the spry clandestine operative in charge of dispatching Nazis during the World War II time period. The narrative occurs like a bevy of flashbacks sequences strung together. These flashbacks are told while Violette is in a deep comma, and she is shown resting in what is presumably a hospital bed. Albeit each segment can felt rather disjointed, you cannot help but evoke a sense of pathos for Violette Summer.

The gameplay undoubtedly makes its imprint as a surreptitious game. Much like a title such as The Club, gamers will be traversing from point A to point B throughout the duration of each mission. Unlike The Club, there is almost no running and gunning in Velvet Assassin. Additionally, the aiming is an arduous task because the crosshair is unpredictable. Because you can die succinctly, your best course of action will be to lurk in the shadows.

Along the way, players will discern certain items like handguns and flare guns. However, it begs the question: why can Violette not pick a weapon from a deceased soldier and equip it? Interspersed in the combat, there is the proverbial lever that can influence the surrounding. For example, these levers can be used as a diversion to lure an adversary away from his usual guarding routine. When he departs from his usual post, Violette can sneak up from behind and annihilate the guard with a sharp knife to the throat. The caveat to this is that you never actually witness Violette pull the lever, and this is accentuated with a lever icon.

Since Violette is in a comma, she will accomplish some bizarre things. Herein is the most esoteric aspect of the game: the morphine. If you utilize morphine shots, then Violette enters what can only be interpreted as an alternate reality. During this different dimension with smog and red pigments being ubiquitous, Violette wears nothing but a white hospital gown. In this mode, she is virtually invulnerable to enemy attacks. Furthermore, she can easily butcher her foes. Although it was certainly appealing to see Violette strut her ass in that erotic outfit, the morphine induced needle injections were incongruous. Just like the bulk of other stealth based titles, Violette can activate a sneaking mode that would give her a better opportunity to pounce on her opposition.

The lower left corner of the screen has two indicators. One indicator features a caricature of Violette that works twofold. It measures both her health and how hidden she is. Purple means that she cannot be seen by foes, but red mean that she can be spotted at any moment. As Violette loses health, the whiteness of the caricature is depleted. Adjacent to the caricature of Violette, there are needles that signify how many morphine injections you have in your arsenal. On the whole, the battles boil down to encountering the same old redundant opponent countless times. If you are an achievement enthusiast, then be prepared to play through Velvet Assassin at least twice. Other than that, you are better off with just one completion.

The visuals are nothing spectacular. By the same token, there is nothing too abysmal. Troops are all indistinguishable from other enemy combatants. The environments are adequate, and Violette does portray a believable strong female lead role. The audio has to be considered the best part of Velvet Assassin. Nazi forces speak in German, and there are even English subtitles to supplement their conversations. Violette talks in a soothing British accent.

The sound effects (especially the gunfire) are average, and the music is not unlikable. Overall, the stealth genre is incessantly evolving for the better. In an era where the pure stealth genre is seemingly dwindling, Velvet Assassin is a decent entry.

Art direction 7
The visuals are nothing spectacular. By the same token, there is nothing too abysmal. Troops are all indistinguishable from other enemy combatants. The environments are adequate, and Violette does portray a believable strong female lead role.

Audio 8
The audio has to be considered the best part of Velvet Assassin. Nazi forces speak in German, and there are even English subtitles to supplement their conversations. Violette talks in a soothing British accent. The sound effects (especially the gunfire) are average, and the music is not unlikable.

Gameplay 7
The gameplay undoubtedly makes its imprint as a surreptitious game. The stealth genre is incessantly evolving for the better. In an era where the pure stealth genre is seemingly dwindling, Velvet Assassin is a decent entry.

Presentation 8
Albeit each segment can felt rather disjointed, you cannot help but evoke a sense of pathos for Violette Summer.

Replay Value 5
If you are an achievement enthusiast, then be prepared to play through Velvet Assassin at least twice. Other than that, you are better off with just one completion.

Final verdict 7 out of 10