Official Review Computer

Undetected (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review

Name: Undetected
Item: Undetected
Rating: 7
Author: Prans

Product Information:

Release Date (NA): September 30, 2022
Release Date (EU): September 30, 2022
Publisher: Digerati
Developer: Antonio Freyre, Merlino Games
Genres: Stealth, action

Game Features:

Single player

Local Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Co-operative

A rebel group, a shadowy organisation, and an agent on a one-man-mission make for the basic ingredients of a Metal Gear instalment. The newly-released stealth action game Undetected clearly takes such inspirations. But does it sneak in a memorable experience other than scratching that nostalgia itch?

Tenoch Kaan, former CIMACORP agent turned member of revolutionary group ‘Los Desplazados’, is on a mission to locate the Desplazados leader, Gloria, after she went missing on an operation around the site of the Chicxulub Perpetual Energy Station. The mission’s requirements are that Kaan has to operate solo while employing stealth and non-lethal weapons. This should not pose a problem for our cybernetically enhanced rebel and the prospect should be a draw for fans of stealth games; in particular Metal Gear Solid.

attachFull332564

Undetected isn’t shy of its inspirations. From Kaan’s design to the quasi-polygonal look of models to the political plot, it is a clear homage to Metal Gear Solid on the original PlayStation. The gameplay is also reminiscent of the classic MGS with its top-down perspective, the grunting enemies when they hear a suspicious sound and the radio communications.

However, that is not to say that Undetected is a mere copycat. Even if the plot shares vaguely similar themes to what you’d encounter in an MGS title, it is an original one. Unlike the original MGS, Undetected takes place in a more temperate environment in Mexico and bears an original soundtrack that adds to the stealth ambiance. The boss fights are also unique, each requiring different approaches from fending off killer drones to catching a sniper unawares (no, no bipedal nuclear warhead involved). Cutscenes are fully voice acted and are depicted in a comic book style with an original artstyle.

attachFull332567

Also unique to Undetected is the focus on solely non-lethal weapons; an approach which is encouraged in MGS but not mandatory as Snake has access to lethal weapons. For his part, Kaan has access to sponge bullets, slime bombs, flash grenades and can even call up a spooky hologram to catch enemies off guard. While some of these items will help you knock off guards, none will let you kill them; meaning that after a while they’ll wake up and go on alert. You’ll thus have to time your actions well as getting detected and surrounded by enemies can almost guarantee Kaan’s death and a game over screen.

However, as a last resort to get out of a dire situation, there are some items Kaan has at his disposal. Most prominently is his battery-powered armour. It can reduce the amount of damage you take but you shouldn’t over rely on it as when the battery is depleted, it’s back to square one. You can also use smoke grenades to mask your tracks and flee the enemy.

You can boost your maximum battery stores and health gauge by liberating captured Desplazados members that you can find as Kaan sneaks into the facility. These provide a little boost but it would be more welcome to have included more health consumables in the game. Indeed, such items are scarce if not absent in the game. I don’t believe I came across any during my playthrough; and if they did exist, they weren’t made easily available.

attachFull332570

This sense of being outnumbered, outgunned and low on resources does help evoke a sense of tension that was personally reminiscent of MGS. But you aren’t outsmarted, so you’ll have to use your surroundings to your advantage. This often means you’ll be hiding in the shadows and, when outside, among bushes, distracting enemies and scheming ahead of time. Kaan has a tattoo that glows in the dark and helps indicate when you are hiding in the shadows.

To plan your move, you can make use of the Scout Mode that provides a top-down view of your area. It also slows down time, allowing you time to plan ahead. You can also toggle a first-person view to further gain an overview of environmental elements as well as shoot switches from a distance.

Be careful though as walking on puddles and metallic vents can get a bit noisy and will cause nearby enemies to become suspicious. But you can turn such features into distraction to clear a path forward. You are also able to knock on walls to gain the attention of an enemy and sneak past them or knock them out. Different approaches are possible to clear an area, although limited due to the mostly linear aspect of the game.

attachFull332571

What also felt limited to me was the enemy types. Sure, you find yourself in a secure facility and the guards will be wearing uniforms but their models are mostly the same. There are some other “enemies” such as drones, surveillance cameras, mines and lasers. These add some welcome variety to the enemy list as do the boss fights.

Kaan will face four bosses, elites of the CIMACORP, as he progresses through the Chicxulub Perpetual Energy Station. They are quite varied including a psychic, a robot, a sniper and a close combat expert with superhuman strength. However, Undetected doesn’t fully exploit their abilities and their background isn’t fleshed out in a satisfying way, despite these being interesting (and among the few) NPCs.

attachFull332574

But this limited exposition is probably due to the limited scope of the game. While definitely packing a nostalgic appeal, the story isn’t as developed as a Metal Gear title and the game can be completed in about 4 hours. Assets are often reused, the occasional voice acting of the enemies is not very convincing and your radio calls triggers automatically when you move to a specific location. But it’s only a one-way communication as you cannot use the radio at will like in MGS. Luckily, there’s an autosave feature for whenever you enter a new area.

While I didn’t mind the indie vibes - which does add a certain charm to the experience - I did mind the frequent backtracking involved. When fetching access cards or defusing bombs, I often found myself treading the same routes and trying to avoid the same enemies. Even if this adds to the challenge, it can feel testing, especially as there are no maps to guide you through the winding paths you’ll take.

attachFull332577

Enemies can also be quite easily duped. While there’s no radar to show you their “vision cone”, you just need to stand next to them when they are looking in front to go undetected.

There was also a slight technical issue that I came across during cutscenes. They would skip right away whenever a button was pressed and I accidentally did so on a couple of times and could’t watch the scene unfold. At least an option to go through unlocked cutscenes would have remedied this issue.

attachFull332578

Trying to take a screenshot of this cutscene resulted in it being skipped entirely

Undetected won’t blow your socks off as the next MGS. Rather it is a decent effort to deliver an homage to stealth games of yesteryear. It does bring some interesting mechanics that blend well with the retro-inspired stealth gameplay. If you’re a fan of the PlayStation’s Metal Gear Solid, then Undetected will surely scratch that nostalgic itch.

Undetected | PC Release Date Trailer

Verdict

What We Liked ...

Retro stealth gaming vibe
Non-lethal-only approach

What We Didn't Like ...

Frequent backtracking
Lack of health consumables

Gameplay

Undetected’s non-lethal-only approach blends well with the retro-inspired stealth gameplay mechanics.

Presentation

The Metal Gear Solid inspirations are apparent but rather than a copycat, Undetected feels more like an homage to the classic game with a spin of its own that could be fleshed out more.

Lasting Appeal

Running for around 4 hours, Undetected isn’t a very long game and has a decidedly indie vibe to it but it manages to scratch that nostalgic itch to keep whoever has played the original Metal Gear Solid hooked till the credits roll.

out of 10

Overall

Wrapped in an indie vibe, Undetected sneaks the nostalgic appeal of retro stealth gaming.

How is this not a clone of MGS, it even tries to clone the same cd cover art as that on mgs1.

Its another typical shit, yes I have played it and it is shit, indy game that has based everything on MGS with some slight alterations to avoid copyright infringement.

Reactions: Subtle Demise and Reploid

Spider_Man said:
How is this not a clone of MGS, it even tries to clone the same cd cover art as that on mgs1.

Its another typical shit, yes I have played it and it is shit, indy game that has based everything on MGS with some slight alterations to avoid copyright infringement.

Konami has done fuck all with MGS in years and a stealth genre game comes around once a year, so what I'm saying is, who cares that it's heavily inspired by an IP that's hardly around anymore. As long as it's a good stealth game, I'm fine with it being heavily inspired by the king of stealth games.

Also, It's mimicking more of MGS4's PAL region boxart if you ask me.

Reactions: coolcono

"Good clone is good."
- Solid Snake

Reactions: Avalyn

Reviews

Hardware
MelGeek CYBER01 Magnetic Switch Rapid Trigger Gaming Keyboard

Today for review, we’ll be taking a look at the latest gaming keyboard from Meltek, the CYBER01 magnetic switch offering!
Hardware
GEEKOM XT12 Pro Mini PC

Claimed to be the world's most cost-effecient i9 Mini PC, we check out the latest from Geekom.
Hardware
Kospet Tank T3 Ultra

Tough enough to navigate and conquer the rugged wilderness.
PlayStation 5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants

The Turtles are back for their umpteenth game outing, but is this one worth it?
PlayStation 5
Alone in the Dark (2024)

Alone in the Dark is a Survival Horror game available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X and PC.