Intravenous 2, the stealthy top-down tactical shooter, is now out

True stealth games are few and far between nowadays, and whether that’s for good reason or not, it sure is a shame that this is the case. Happily, Intravenous 2 is here to help, featuring the sort of gameplay you’d expect out of Splinter Cell instead of a top-down shooter.

I’m really not joking here, either: Intravenous 2 is about as hardcore as one of these games could possibly get. Guns are loud, bodies are heavy, and the enemies are… well, generally perceptive. Featuring elements of Hotline Miami‘s gritty and grimey storytelling with a layer of remarkably complex stealth slathered on top, this is one of those games you generally need to see in action to believe.

The good news, then, is that Intravenous 2 is pretty darn cheap at just about $19 as its base asking price. On top of that, there’s an awesome demo available that is, in truth, a full-featured prologue for the full game.

Play Intravenous 2 in full now, but grab Mercenarism if you’re unsure about it

Intravenous 2 is available right now on Steam, and if you’re intrigued by the prospect of a stealthy, sandboxy Hotline Miami you should absolutely check it out, obviously. The real winning move, though, is to go for Intravenous 2: Mercenarism first, which I discussed earlier this year.

Mercenarism is a free and standalone prologue to Intravenous 2 proper, and it’s effectively a shorter, more contained vertical slice of the sort of combat and stealth gameplay you should expect from the full game. Both of these games are well worth playing as they come with their sets of levels and unlockables, but I’m particularly thrilled with how the developer’s been handling the free testing options so far. To say nothing of the fact that the original Intravenous is often available at a steep discount.

Gameplay-wise, Intravenous 2 plays like a highly punishing combo of Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid. Its stellar weapon customization features and gadgetry allow you to sort of play Intravenous 2 like a hardcore tactical shooter if you really wish to do so, but this is no mean feat, and if we’re being honest, it’s kind of like playing Hitman as a straightforward shooter. The fact that almost every difficulty mode comes with a surprisingly punishing limited save system makes this approach highly unproductive, but that’s a wholly different can of worms right there.

Regardless, Intravenous 2 is great, cheap, it has a stellar standalone demo on Steam, and it caters to a niche that’s otherwise woefully underserved. What’s not to like?