REVIEW

Assault Spy – Early Access Review

by Rob Pritchard, June 2nd, 2018

If you have ever imagined what a spy comedy such as Johnny English would look like as a Japanese action game, Assault Spy, the latest project from Japanese indie developers Wazen might be exactly what you have been searching for. Although the game is only in Early Access at the current time, Wazen seem to have the core structure almost perfected, with only a few small issues that need to be addressed during development.

The currently available story mode of Assault Spy focuses on Asaru, a highly proficient spy who has been assigned on a mission to defeat the corruption that is invading the Negabot corporation. Alongside his partner Kanoko, he must defeat the robots that have been assimilated by the company, alongside a group of extravagant villains who seem to be controlling their actions. The relationship between Asaru and Kanoko, as well as their interaction with other characters provide many comedic moments during cutscenes. One of the best examples of this is when they are discussing a battle upgrade Asaru has received, and the inventor of the device immediately denies that it was named after one of Blizzard’s most recent video games. Another story chapter starring a CIA agent named Amelie is indicated in the menu screens, but it is not possible to start her narrative campaign at this point in time.

The core gameplay of Assault Spy is that of a traditional single player hack and slash action game. Traveling across several different areas of the Negabot’s office building, Asaru can use his specially equipped briefcase to perform melee attacks, as well as leaping into the air or dashing out of an enemy’s attack range. Performing a chain of successful attacks increases the rank you will earn for completing the stage. The current rank and time remaining before you lose your current attack phrase is shown on screen, so you are aware of how close you are to receiving the elusive S rank. Sustaining attacks from enemies will prevent you from achieving higher ranks, so you will need to channel your inner spy effectively to earn greater success. There were only a few levels available during the current build of Assault Spy, but each of them felt as if they could have been included in a final product. The only minor concern I have is that during the battle arenas, there is a flaw in the level design that makes it possible to fall out of bounds to a narrow gap, which can easily disrupt the flow of battle.

Although the move set is small at the outset, you can purchase new abilities and enhancements for Asaru and his arsenal via Wi-Fi stations placed in certain levels. As well as adding attack strength to Asaru’s briefcase, you can learn additional moves for melee combat such as throwing the briefcase across the room as a projectile weapon, and adding additional attack phases to your melee combat moves. The price for each upgrade is fairly reasonable, even if you do not earn higher ranks during the previous stages, which allows players of any skill level to become stronger in a heartbeat. Each Wi-Fi station is placed after every third level and before a boss encounter, so you are able to spend your hard earned experience points before you face a tougher encounter. It is currently not possible to revisit older areas in the Story Mode once you have completed them, however you can access them outside your regular save file through the Chapter option on the main menu.

Alongside the weapons that Asaru unlocks during the game, it is possible to buy several upgrades so you can tag in Kanoko to perform attacks alongside you, or simply provide a distraction to your current enemies. Despite the limited number of levels available in this Early Access preview of the game, it is possible to build your arsenal almost to its limit, which makes achieve higher ranks in previous areas a much easier task.

The graphics for Assault Spy are a mixture of anime styled 3D models and visual novel styled portraits which are shown during cutscenes. There is occasional frame slow down during some of the battle scenes, but most of the time, the game seems stable enough in its early state. It is the soundtrack of Assault Spy that proves to be one of the game’s strongest assets, with plenty of electronic rock themes to get you in the mood to defeat some more robotic enemies. One of the highlights is the tune that plays during the boss encounters, which provides the perfect backdrop for the tense confrontation about to unfold.

Overall, Assault Spy is shaping up to be a highly enjoyable action brawler. It’s goofy anime style humour, combined with fast paced gameplay and a highly addictive soundtrack will keep you coming back despite it’s currently limited amount of story mode content. If you are a fan of action hack and slash titles, Assault Spy is an essential Early Access purchase that will only improve until the game’s eventual completion.

This Early Access review of Assault Spy is based on a version of the game which was updated on May 22^nd 2018. Newer revisions of the game may be significantly different, containing new features or content that might not be available in the final release.