Deceive Inc - PS5 Review

3 different spies stand in front of a silver car. The top text shows the games title as Deceive Inc The text to the left reads "For Your Eyes Only" Then there is a D symbol which is the Detective Inc symbol

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Deceive Inc puts you in the shoes of a spy. This great title comes from a team of 18 members at the Canadian developer Sweet Bandits Studio. If you’ve ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of James Bond or Ethan Hunt this could be the title for you.

Your mission should you choose to accept it

I was a massive fan of the game Spy Vs Spy in the mid-1980s. I remember spending hours with a friend setting traps and looking for items to escape. Deceive Inc looks like it has the potential to be this generation’s Spy vs Spy. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to test my spy skills against the best the internet has to offer.

A holding room, with stairs to the left and right, the player holds a gun. Ammo counter shows to the bottom right — The starting area, good to practice and see how weapons and gadgets work

Gameplay

Deceive Inc is a fantastic multiplayer game, where you can play solo or as a team of 3. The mission entails infiltrating the designated location undetected, obtaining the objective, and escaping. It is up to you to decide how to accomplish this. Multiple agents have been deployed simultaneously to protect the client’s investment. Based on speculation, you possess the makings of a world-class agent. Now it’s time to prove it.

You will need to use disguises, not just so you can access different areas which are designated for Staff, Guards and Technicians but also to keep you hidden from enemies. Regardless of which of the 3 spies you have a choice of at the start of the game, you will begin already disguised so nobody is going to snipe you as you join. Each spy comes with its own set of gadgets and a gun so finding one that suits your playstyle is key.

Agents and Upgrades

As you level up your character you unlock additional characters, gadgets and cosmetics. The in-game action can be quite brutal, as I found out when I ran from one area towards the vault. Desperately trying to be the one who makes it and unlocks the extraction to win the game for my team. As the opposing teams are also disguised I was quickly killed by a volley of bullets.

Yes, it was a quick lesson learnt…I am supposed to be stealthy!! The opening 3 characters at your disposal are Chavez, the rugged veteran returning for his last mission. Cavaliere the dual-wielding brash detective uses deduction skills to her advantage. Finally, we have Squire the Deceive Inc’s youngest agent. Don’t let his age fool you though he is armed with his silenced PT-08 Lance and has a point to prove.

A Player starts to hack a 4 point terminal using technology built into a watch. — 4 points towards hacking ability to open locked doors

If you have decided to brave solo mode, if you die that’s it game over, you can queue back up for another match straight away. In Team based play, you can revive team-mates so working as a team is vital. Search for keycards or scan terminals to give you a boost giving you the option to sneak past just make sure you have the right disguise for the right area. The only fault that I found with the game, is that it always seems to come down to a mass shoot-out for extraction which can get repetitive.

Graphics & Audio

It’s clear from the outset that this is a labour of love from the team at Sweet Bandits. So much time and thought have gone into every little detail. The guns and gadgets are so well thought out, not only do they look the part but all have their unique sounds. The screams of the bystanders when a weapon goes off have them running in all directions never gets old.

The graphics are bright and vibrant, it is clear which people are staff and guards. You also have just the honest bystanders who could be caught in the crossfire. You will get notifications during the game from the speaker system that something has happened, whether that is the vault has been opened or extraction has been called you will know about it.

3 spies extract from a safe location in a flying car. A scoreboard to the right totals up your score. Underneath it shows your progression bar — My only victory so far however I celebrated it like I had saved the world

Longevity

With Account levels and Agent Mastery levels, you can sit playing the game for ages, unlocking new characters to level them up. There is a season mode coming to the game so if you enjoy Deceive Inc, it can quickly become very addictive.

Final Thoughts

Deceive Inc is brilliant, even though the combat can be a bit clunky with aiming and firing the guns however the developers have addressed this and are working on lots of updates. I still cannot get over that a team of just 18 people can produce a game of this quality. It is either a game that you are going to really enjoy or simply not get on with. I am firmly in the enjoy it camp and for that reason, Deceive Inc gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.