Volume Preview

It’s always a good thing when you can see exactly where a game has improved in the year of development since you last played it. With Volume, Mike Bithell’s latest, there’s a lot to talk about. Voice acting is in place, gadgets work smoothly, and the stealth gameplay is refreshing and joyous to play.

I’m also much better at it. Perhaps (and most likely – it was the first section of the game) the difficulty was toned down for the build being shown off at a busy expo, but I really got into the flow of the game when I was playing. I’m not usually a fan of stealth games, either, but it’s clear that here it’s the focus, and Mike and his team have really pulled it off.

Volume is very reminiscent of the first Metal Gear Solid game, although the aesthetic and certain gameplay mechanics make it a much more modern affair. Similarly, this game is based on Robin Hood lore, and has been updated to fit in with the contemporary and modern style, with the main character – Robert Locksley – wearing either black or a very dark shade of green rather than the bright garb we’d associate with the character.

Robert has to sneak his way through the level, collecting gems as he goes to unlock the exit gateway. It’s a very simple concept, employing autonomous guards who will destroy you on sight and are very much devoid of personality. That’s intentional, mind. Thankfully, Charlie McDonnell and Danny Wallace bring an incredible dose of personality through their voice acting, as they bounce off each other, often joking about the situation at hand.

McDonnell plays this cocky version of Robin Hood perfectly, and it really brings you into this world. Timing of the voices being set off can feel a tad automated, but everything else feels natural. That feel extends to the gameplay too, where it’s extremely smooth, and is enhanced by the addition of gadgets which will help you on your mission to sneak past the guards and reach the exit as quickly – and quietly – as possible.

The Bugle is the first gadget encountered, and essentially acts as a noisemaker, which you can fire across the map and then set off to distract a foe. Beyond that is the Figment, which sends a ghostly decoy of yourself across the map, making guards chase after it, and finally, there’s the Foley, which is a tripwire that will stun guards for a limited time. These are unlimited in their use, which is quite refreshing, and you’ll really have to be quite tactical with them to succeed.

The use of these gadgets is quite basic in this preview build, but you can imagine how combining these – such as using a Bugle shot to lure an enemy into a stunning tripwire – might be achieved in the full game, and that’s quite exciting. What’s less exciting is the enemy AI itself, as it seems quite basic, though this might make sense in the full release considering the context of the game.

Aside from gadgets, more often than not your best option is to hide, either in panels in the floor, or in cupboards – but enemies will still be able to shoot through these if you’re captured. With the visual style being like it is, these aren’t your traditional hiding spots, purely added in to give you somewhere to hide. Let’s hope there’s an explanation for why they’ve got trapdoors and cupboards in the full game, as at the moment it feels a bit disjointed and only necessary for gameplay reasons.

The visuals are really great, though. There are some stunning effects and animations, where the world is actually made out of triangular objects and they all fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle, only to be displaced when a Bugle round is activated or you complete the level. Bright, vibrant colours are used on solid surfaces, with a lot of emissive lighting, for a true otherworldly feel.

Volume is a really exciting game. I’m normally not a fan of stealth, but that’s usually because there are other options in the game and it becomes a bit of a messy affair. Here, the game is fully committed to deliver an engaging form of sneaking, and it’s only improved by some great gameplay enhancements in the form of gadgets as well as some sublime visual design and well-scripted, and even better voiced, acting from the duo of characters present.