Velvet Assassin

Overview

Velvet Assassin is a third-person stealth action game developed by Replay and published by SouthPeak for the Xbox 360 and PC on April 30, 2009. The Steam version later supported Mac platforms on January 19, 2013.

Set in World War II, players control British secret agent Violette Summer (loosely based on real-life World War II spy Violette Szabo) as she relives key missions in flashbacks as she lays comatose in a hospital in Nazi-occupied France. These missions include sabotage (blowing up a fuel depot on the Maginot Line), assassination (killing a Nazi colonel in Paris), scouting (marking a U-boat pen for Allied bombers in Hamburg), and search-and-rescue (finding captured agents in a Gestapo prison in Warsaw).

The game uses numerous stealth mechanics made popular by the Splinter Cell franchise, including enemy detection based on her visibility in the shadows. Throughout these flashbacks, players can utilize a special slow-motion "lifeline" (called "Morphine Mode", due to the morphine used in her system) to help her execute alerted enemies or escape.

The overall concept of Velvet Assassin, including its stealth action and dark, grim rendition of the Nazi regime, shares similar characteristics with The Saboteur (released later that year).

Gameplay

The game uses techniques similar to other stealth-based games, primarily from the Splinter Cell franchise. Players must hide in the shadows, sneaking around unsuspecting Nazi soldiers and performing silent kills. The heads-up display gives a silhouette of Violette which change color depending on her visibility (the color purple stating that she is hidden in the shadows) and detection (glowing red stating that she has been detected and enemies are seeking out her position).

Players can find vests which gives them additional protection, gas masks to protect them in areas with poisonous gas (with the inability to whistle at enemies), Nazi SS uniforms to disguise Violette so she can walk around in open areas (in which her disguise can be compromised by either standing too close to an enemy or by drawing a weapon), and morphine, which slows down time and allows the player to easily get a silent kill.

Players gain experience through finding hidden collectibles and secret objectives. Every 1,000 EXP earns players an upgrade star, which can be used to increase the duration of morphine mode, increase the speed of her sneaking, or increase the amount of damage that can be withstood.

Weapons

Starting with the second level, players find weapon lockers that contain new weapons and ammo. Players can only carry three weapons at a time (knife, pistol, and shotgun/rifle).

• Combat Knife - Carried throughout the game. Weak in normal attacks.
• Colt M1911 - Suppressed pistol that's good for stealth kills.
• P08 Luger - Loud pistol that deals more damage than the M1911.
• Flare Gun - Pistol that fires single flares, igniting the enemy (either directly or through oil slicks) for an instant kill.
• Shotgun - Lethal short-distance weapon.
• G43 Sniper Rifle - Accurate long-distance weapon.
• STG44 Assault Rifle - Found during the final levels of the game, does tremendous damage in close quarters and good damage in short bursts at longer ranges.

Missions

The Lost

Valley

• Mission Start
• Entering Enemy Territory
• At the Bunker Entrance

Fuel Storage

• Mission Start
• Entering the Hub
• Getting the Gas Mask/Gas Mask Found
• Getting the Explosives
• In the Storage/Explosives Found
• Blowing Up the Fuel Depot
• The Escape

Death of the Butcher

Cathedral

• Mission Start
• On the Bridge
• Cautious Proceedings
• At the Roadblock
• Entering the Garden
• Entering the Cathedral

Crypt

• Mission Start
• At the Coffins
• At the Tombs
• Entering the Bell Tower

Leave a Light On

Docks

• Mission Start
• Entering the Storage
• At the Reloading Point
• At the Submarines
• In the Fuel Supply Area
• In the Torpedo Supply Area
• Entering Inner Harbor Area

Storage

• Mission Start
• In the Storehouse Administration
• In the Storehouse
• In the Storage Room for Explosives
• In the Storage Room
• In the Loading Area
• The Bombing

The Third Man

Sewers

• Mission Start
• Agent Wojzeck
• Back in the Cistern
• Agent Jozef
• Agent Radek
• In the Digester Gas Installation
• Combustion

Ghetto

• Mission Start
• At the Ghetto Barrier
• In the Ghetto Backyard
• In the Labyrinth of Furniture
• At the Gestapo Prison

Prison

• Mission Start
• In the Kitchen
• In the Canteen
• In the Luxury Office
• In the Torture Chamber

Fade to Grey

Le Boeuf

• Mission Start
• In the Boathouse Cellar
• On the Landing Stage
• Entering the Inn
• Entering the Backyard
• In the Wine Cellar
• In the Mill
• Back to the Boat

Hospital

• Mission Start
• Causing Trouble
• In the Hospital
• Entering the Backyard
• In the Chapel
• Entering the Garden
• In the Washhouse

Village

• Mission Start
• Burning Corpses
• The Cleansing
• At the Harbor
• The Tragedy

PC System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Windows XP / Vista
• Processor: Singlecore CPU with 3GHZ
• Memory: 512MB RAM
• Graphics: Pixel Shader 3 Graphics Card with 256 MB VRAM (Geforce 6800 or ATI X1600)
• Hard Drive: 5GB Free Hard Disk Space
• Sound: Stereo Sound

Recommended

• OS: Windows XP / Vista
• Processor: Dual core CPU with 2Ghz
• Memory: 1GB RAM
• Graphics: Geforce7900gt or ATI X1900 xt
• Hard Drive: 5GB free Hard Disk Space
• Sound: 5.1 Surround Sound