Do you like the frantic, breathless scrap for survival of Hotline Miami, desperately searching for cowl as enemies shut in from all instructions? The exact, measured stealth of Splinter Cell, the place enemies have to be picked off with ruthless effectivity? How in regards to the freedom to method conditions as you see slot in immersive sims like Deus Ex? If your reply to all of these is sure, Intravenous 2 is that good combine – reasonable, brutal, and uncompromising, it’s a stealth recreation the place the smallest error usually results in a lethal, high-stakes shootout. Now, a new replace makes it even higher, introducing new weapons and Steam workshop support.
Intravenous 2 is a extra refined sequel to developer Explosive Squat Games’ first providing. The new mix of tactical shooter and stealth game has earned itself an ‘overwhelmingly positive’ Steam ranking, with 96% of consumer reviews recommending it. I’ll admit I wrestle to make it by way of even half of every mission with out blowing my cowl, however the feeling of each profitable takedown or sneaky evasion is elegant, and when it breaks out right into a full-blown action game it’s maybe much more pulse-pounding enjoyable.
The recreation’s latest replace, patch 1.2, was initially deliberate simply to introduce the map editor and Steam Workshop support, which permits customers to share mods starting from weapons and devices to full customized campaigns. However, creator Roman Glebenkov notes that the replace “grew in size” over its improvement, and now consists of a number of additional core options. Three extra weapons have been launched to the bottom recreation: the Mac-10, UMP, and Famas G2.
The Mac-10 is an unbelievable close-range powerhouse, however falls off rapidly as you get additional out of your goal. The UMP capabilities as a middle-ground choice between the MP5 and the Mini-Uzi, with a slower hearth charge than each making it simpler to regulate and providing extra impression with every hit you land. The Famas G2, in the meantime, is flexible throughout ranges, however its excessive charge of fireplace means it’s robust to maintain regular should you use it in full-auto mode. It’s additionally price noting that bullet velocity throughout the entire recreation will now drop as your photographs journey additional.
New filters have been added to the loadout menu to extra simply navigate and construction your stock. Weapon dealing with has been improved, with your abilities now affecting how lengthy you may constantly hearth a weapon earlier than it turns into onerous to regulate. A slight silhouette impact when your character is in very darkish areas has been launched to make it simpler to maintain observe of your place, and you may change the visibility of your line-of-sight indicator if you would like a tougher expertise.
Several present weapons have been made appropriate with different attachments to additional enhance their flexibility. The Model 700, for instance, can now be outfitted with a 4x scope that can assist you in longer-range engagements, whereas the MP7 may be hid should you’re in a stage the place you could maintain your weapons hidden in a public area. Weapons present in missions or dropped by enemies can now have mods connected, and you’ll see extra of this as the sport progresses – carry one to the top of a stage, and you’ll unlock all the outfitted mods for that individual weapon robotically.
The new stage editor is a versatile software that ought to be fairly straightforward to select up and be taught, permitting you to create your personal missions from scratch that may be shared by way of the Steam workshop. If you’re keen to start out modding past that, Explosive Squat notes that you simply’ll want data of the Lua scripting language, however past that “the sky is the limit.” It additionally encourages you to hunt out the sport’s Discord should you’re keen to talk with different mod creators and gamers.
Intravenous 2 replace 1.2 is out now on Steam. The recreation can be on sale at a 25% low cost by way of Saturday February 1, so you should buy it for simply $14.99 / £11.24 till then. There are heaps extra minor tweaks within the replace, so verify the complete patch notes courtesy of Explosive Squat for all the extra adjustments.
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