Death to Spies
Encyclopedia
Released in 2007, Death to Spies is a stealth action PC game set in World War II
and produced by 1C Company
and Haggard Games. The game was released on Valve
's digital distribution system
, Steam, on March 12, 2008.
, the player's character is a captain in the eponymous Soviet counterintelligence agency (SMERSH
).
Smersh is short for "Death to Spies" (SMERt' SHpionam, Russ: СМЕРть Шпионам) in Russian
, and was the name of a set of counterintelligence agencies formed in the Soviet Army during World War II around 1943. Their mission was to secure the rear of the active Red Army
by arresting traitors, deserters, spies
and criminal cells. During the war these agents became the main force combating the German
intelligence service. As captain of the 4th department of Smersh, it is the player's job to execute these operations in the heart of enemy territory. Players are required to complete various tasks, including stealing important documents, eliminating enemy officers, kidnapping high-ranking officials, and sabotaging enemy plans.
and 69% on Metacritic
. GameSpot
gave it a 7.0, praising its detailed level design variation and challenging missions, but at the same time noting that the game can be overly difficult at times. IGN
gave it an 8.0, saying it was "horrifically difficult at times and not without its peculiarities; Death to Spies is nevertheless always interesting and wholly addictive."
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and produced by 1C Company
1C Company
1C Company is one of the largest independent Russian software developers and publishers. Its headquarters are in Moscow, Russia. It is best known outside of the former Soviet Union as a video game developer whose presence has come to dominate events like the KRI, and whose products have begun to...
and Haggard Games. The game was released on Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's digital distribution system
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
, Steam, on March 12, 2008.
Game overview
Set in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the player's character is a captain in the eponymous Soviet counterintelligence agency (SMERSH
SMERSH
SMERSH was the counter-intelligence agency in the Red Army formed in late 1942 or even earlier, but officially founded on April 14, 1943. The name SMERSH was coined by Joseph Stalin...
).
Smersh is short for "Death to Spies" (SMERt' SHpionam, Russ: СМЕРть Шпионам) in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, and was the name of a set of counterintelligence agencies formed in the Soviet Army during World War II around 1943. Their mission was to secure the rear of the active Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
by arresting traitors, deserters, spies
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
and criminal cells. During the war these agents became the main force combating the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
intelligence service. As captain of the 4th department of Smersh, it is the player's job to execute these operations in the heart of enemy territory. Players are required to complete various tasks, including stealing important documents, eliminating enemy officers, kidnapping high-ranking officials, and sabotaging enemy plans.
Game features
- Third-person stealth action
- Different types of missions based on historical intelligence operations
- Freedom to choose the way a mission is completed
- Real-life indoor and outdoor locations
- A variety of different spy skills at the player’s disposal such as sneak, hide, carry dead bodies, change clothes, mine objects, throw knives, sniping, picking locksLock pickingLock picking is the art of unlocking a lock by analyzing and manipulating the components of the lock device, without the original key. Although lock picking can be associated with criminal intent, it is an essential skill for a locksmith...
, setting trapTrap (tactic)A trap is a device intended to catch an intruder or prey. "Trap" may also refer to the tactic of catching or harming an adversary. Conversely it may also mean a hindrance for change, being caught in a trap.-Device:*Animal trapping*Bird trapping...
s and many others - Weapons and vehicles of World War II
Reception
Death to Spies mostly received average reviews. The game has an average score of 70% on Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
and 69% on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave it a 7.0, praising its detailed level design variation and challenging missions, but at the same time noting that the game can be overly difficult at times. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it an 8.0, saying it was "horrifically difficult at times and not without its peculiarities; Death to Spies is nevertheless always interesting and wholly addictive."