A masked commando silently infiltrates the warehouse; emerging from the ventilation shaft, he scans the scene before him. Armed guards patrol the grounds; their comments let him know that they are aware he could show up at any time. The commando is unperturbed as he skulks through the halls, shooting out lights and picking locks with ease, displaying considerable skill. Rounding the corner, the commando runs right into a guard who screams, and it seems this mission is about to become a bloodbath. This is an average mission in the new top-down action game Intravenous, a stealth action shooter that is an immersive mashup of popular games and comic books.

Developed by one-man team Roman Glebenkov, Intravenous mixes the topdown puzzle combat of Hotline Miami, the stealth action of classic Metal Gear Solid, and the gritty violence of The Punisher comic books into a thrilling package. This mature-themed top-down shooter is a well-thought-out and complicated mixture of gameplay systems, enjoyable mechanics and a world full of bad guys that can only be killed by an equally bad individual.

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frank robbins infiltrates a facility

Intravenous places players into the role of Steve Robbins, a highly trained and deadly commando turned vigilante after losing his brother to murder at the hands of junkies. Robbins is out for revenge and vengeance against the whole criminal underworld that plagues his city. When a mysterious figure approaches him and claims to be affected by a similar fate, Robbins decides that he must take matters into his own hands. However, Robbins quickly realizes nothing is as it really seems in the criminal underbelly, and no one can be trusted on either side of the law. Clearly inspired by the Punisher series protagonist Frank Castle, Robbins becomes this indie game's version of the famous comic vigilante in this gritty narrative full of violence.

Intravenous is split up into levels, and at the beginning of each mission, players will choose a loadout of equipment that might prove useful for the challenge ahead. Players can decide to pack on body armor and bring a high-powered arsenal of weaponry or ditch the extra protection and full kit for a non-lethal loadout of tasers and tranquilizer dart firing weapons. Player choice is an important part of the gameplay, and players can approach each mission in a variety of ways.

Like Solid Snake's adventures in the classic top-down Metal Gear games, each level begins as a pure stealth infiltration. Robbins can move silently, choking out unsuspecting enemies left and right. The stealth mechanics in Intravenous are deep and allow players a bevy of options to tackle each difficult mission. Players can hide bodies, throw empty magazines to distract guards, and even unload individual weapons, keeping the magazines for Robbins' own arsenal. The game plays very tactically and evokes the best experimental gameplay aspects of Metal Gear, that is, until players are spotted and the level erupts into gunfire and mayhem.

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deep stealth mechanics in action

Intravenous is just as much a shooter as it is a stealth game. Players are encouraged to roll with the punches and go on the offensive rather than reload a save. Those who try to sneak through the levels aren't punished with death or game over when things go haywire because the shooting mechanics feel just as deep and satisfying as the stealth options. Robbins is a competent marksman and skilled with firearms, and in the hands of players, the combat feels visceral. Much like Hotline Miami, Robbins can kick down doors, obliterating any foes caught in the attack, but his shooting feels much more precise than Hotline's spray-and-pray gunplay. Robbins feels like a professional in combat, one who is highly skilled in the use and handling of a variety of guns.

Players will need to be skilled, as Intravenous features competent enemies whose AI is tuned to hunt down Robbins. Enemies will listen carefully, noting if they hear Robbins sneaking nearby, and will shoot him on sight. If a dead compatriot is discovered, enemies will alert all others nearby, moving into a high alert search mode. Enemies notice doors left open, lights left on, and will go on high alert at a moment's notice, making gameplay tense and requiring players to cover up any trace of Robbins.

Ultimately, Intravenous is a challenging and mechanically dense stealth-action game that blends a gritty story with some very satisfying gameplay. For fans of Metal Gear and Punisher comics, this stealth-action shooter is available now on Steam.

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