Episodes
What does a publisher do after they've successfully resurrected a series that was laying dormant for years? Well, they put it on iPhone and iPad, silly! Or, at least that's what Square Enix did about a decade ago with Deus Ex. We're talking immersive sim-lite Deus Ex: The Fall (and also some Deus Ex: Human Revolution, because it's hard not to in relation to this). On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we talk about New Jersey-based developer N-Fusion Interactive and how they really found...
Published 07/11/23
It all began in darkness. He awoke to a world of pain. Eric… Eric Bane. The name shot through his head like a bullet… it was his name These words will stay with you for the rest of your life once you've listened to this very episode of the Stealth Boom Boom podcast. We're going back a decade for this deep dive, as we discuss the stealth-action vampire game DARK (and definitely not Dark). On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we talk about German developer Realmforge Studios and how they...
Published 06/27/23
There's no doubt about it, this one was a bonafide success. The series may lay dormant now, but there was a time when this game was as important to its publisher as Tomb Raider. We're going back 25 years to the year of stealth, once again, as we discuss the real-time tactics game Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we talk about the fledgling games industry in Spain, and the developer that was leading the charge over there: Pyro Studios. We chat about the...
Published 06/13/23
Nobody cared about this game when it first launched. And then, two years later, a pandemic happened and it became a phenomenon. It mightn't be the biggest video game in the entire world anymore, but it's still pulling in pretty good player numbers in fairness. We are going back five years (but also kind of three years), as we discuss the social deduction game that spawned many others, Among Us. On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we talk about the humble beginnings of Innersloth on...
Published 05/30/23
In 2013, after shinier games like Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted, Naughty Dog decided t try their hand at something a bit more serious. And then it became such a success that they did a sequel and then a HBO TV show. You probably know by now, but this episode of Stealth Boom Boom features lots of chat on 2013 stealthy action-adventure, The Last of Us. On this episode, we talk about the hype machine that Sony were building around this game, with lots of dev diaries and featurettes on pretty...
Published 05/16/23
A decade ago, one member of the games press decided to try his hand at development, and it worked out pretty alright for him. So, for this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we decided to take a look at that 2013 2D puzzle-stealth game from indie dev Suspicious Developments. We're talking Gunpoint. On this episode, we talk about the vlogging developer Tom Francis was doing, in the lead-up to the game's launch, on topics such as action games vs stealth game, as well as the heartbreak and triumph...
Published 05/02/23
The largest town in the county of Hampshire is relatively local for at least one of the crew, but we decided against reviewing the birthplace of Liz Hurley. Instead, we decided to take a look at the 2018 stealth roguelike from indie developer Puppy Games. We're talking Basingstoke (the video game and not the place... although there is some chat about Wote Street Willy). On this episode, we don't have a ton of marketing or press coverage to chat about, sadly. However, thanks to an incredible...
Published 04/18/23
We're going back to the 1100s and a period of history that video games don't tackle all that much, because we're looking at the 2007 action-adventure game that would go on to spawn one of the most successful series of all time. We're talking Assassin's Creed. On this episode, we have a lot of pre-launch marketing and press coverage to talk about: there's the totally un-Ubisoft vlogs, Kristen Bell pointing everyone towards a website, and just the unrelenting hype. In our review, we chat about...
Published 04/04/23
If I'd paid more attention in French class, I'd try writing the entire blurb en français, but I didn't, so I'm afraid English will have to do. Either way, this week on the Stealth Boom Boom podcast, you're getting over two hours of chat on 2013 indie heist game, Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine. On this episode, we chat about the wonderful vlogs from Pocketwatch Games' Andy Schatz and how the developer prefers Out Of Sight to Ocean's Eleven. In our review, we discuss the visual motif of the game...
Published 03/21/23
Sure, Ghost of a Tale is the first game on Stealth Boom Boom that launched via Steam Early Access, but it's also the first game we've looked at that was made by a former Dreamworks animator. Both equally as important. On this episode, we chat about the successful IndieGoGo campaign that developer SeithCG ran, we discuss the indie-ness of Ghost of a Tale, and we chat about Lionel Gallat's reasons for leaving the animated movie business. When it comes to stealth, we chat about how easily guards...
Published 03/07/23
The Penumbra series is like the three-track E.P. to Frictional Games' more successful debut album in Amnesia. The first-person horror genre is now stacked with weak lead characters and on-screen prompts telling you to get out of harm's way, but Penumbra walked so the protagonists in those other games could run to a wardrobe and hide. On this episode, we chat about the beginnings of Frictional Games and how Penumbra began life as a tech demo, before being spun out into a three-part game...
Published 02/21/23
Stealth Boom Boom goes all the way back to 1998 for this one, as Tenchu: Stealth Assassins celebrates a big anniversary. 1998 is often seen as the year stealth games were thrust into the mainstream, because of Thief: The Dark Project, Metal Gear Solid, and the game being reviewed today. But, does Tenchu hold up? I guess you could stop reading this and listen to find out. But, if you're gonna continue looking at the description, I'm gonna carry on typing out words into this little box. On this...
Published 02/07/23
The Boom Boom Boys are looking at their first indie horror game today, as they turn their attention towards 2018's Remothered: Tormented Fathers. This is a game inspired by movies such as The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho, and very much the vision of one man. That man's name is Chris Darril and his name comes up quite a bit, so best for you to remember it. We chat about Darril's in-depth biography on the publisher's now-defunct website, and the many references to Hollywood that the Italian...
Published 01/24/23
In the first full episode of Stealth Boom Boom, the lads get together to chat about the Sony mascot that never was: Sly Cooper. And, specifically, the thieving trash panda's first game, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. We don't want to call it by its European name. Yes, we're covering this game because it's 20 years since the game launched in on our side of the world, but we just can't bring ourselves to call it Sly Raccoon. It's just too boring. We chat about where Sucker Punch was as...
Published 01/10/23
Welcome to Stealth Boom Boom! Every fortnight, Colm Ahern, Josh Wise, and Adam Carroll will go in-depth on one stealth video game from the past, discussing every aspect of it, from the game's marketing and press coverage around its release, to how it plays today, But... what is stealth video game? Sure, we could just point at a Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell box and grunt, but that wouldn't make for good audio. Plus, there's a little more to it than that. This podcast is called Stealth...
Published 01/03/23
Colm Ahern, Josh Wise, and Adam Carroll chat about the sneakiest of interactive media: stealth video games. On each episode, they go in-depth on one stealth video game from history and discuss whether its stealth and its boom boom are up to snuff. Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, Dishonored and Hitman: Stealth Boom Boom covers it all. Stealth Boom Boom | A Stealth Video Games Podcast begins on January 3rd, 2023. See ya then! IMPORTANT LINKS TO THINGS 🎧 Subscribe to Stealth...
Published 12/13/22