Alekhine's Gun

Alekhine's Gun
Developer(s)	Haggard Games
Publisher(s)	Maximum Games
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One
Release date(s)	Microsoft Windows‹See Tfd› NA: March 1, 2016 EU: March 11, 2016 PlayStation 4, Xbox One‹See Tfd› NA: March 1, 2016 UK: March 25, 2016
Genre(s)	Stealth action
Mode(s)	Single-player

Alekhine's Gun (previously known as Death to Spies 3: Ghost of Moscow) is a third-person stealth action video game set during the Cold War and World War II developed and published by Maximum Games. It is the third installment in the series that took off with Death to Spies which was followed by its sequel Death to Spies: Moment of Truth, developed by Haggard Games and released in 2007 and 2009 respectively. The game features open maps with multiple methods to complete levels.^[1] It was released on March 1, 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Gameplay

Alekhine's Gun is a third-person stealth game. The title comes from the chess formation named after the former World Chess Champion, Alexander Alekhine. The protagonist is Semyon Strogov, referred to as Agent Alekhine. Alekhine is a KGB agent recruited by the CIA. The game takes place primarily during the 1960s period of the Cold War, with flashback missions set in World War II. The game features 11 levels which are set in Austria, Cuba, Florida, Germany, New York City, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Texas. Each level is described as being non-linear in design, featuring multiple ways of completing tasks. The plot features around historical events such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. The game allows players to choose between straightforward shootouts or more subtle stealth-orientated gameplay with the use of items such as poison and garottes and by staging 'accidents'.^[1][2] Each mission can be replayed differently to improve the player's performance. At the end of each level the player receives a different ranking depending on their style of play such as 'Maniac' or 'Ghost'. They are also graded on 'Noise', 'Violence', 'Accuracy' and 'Professionalism'. In addition points are awarded which can be used to buy or upgrade weapons and equipment.^[3]

Plot

The story begins in 1963 with a veteran CIA officer, Vincent Rambaldi, committing suicide after the murder of his family on the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, leading it up to police investigation, much to the dismay of his colleague from KGB who was sent from Moscow to aid him uncover a conspiracy plot.

A few days ago, the head of KGB reviews the background of their special agent, Colonel Semyon Strogov and his collaboration with Rambaldi back in World War II, who both have worked together to expose Nazi spies and weaken the tentacles of the Axis Powers. Their first encounter took place in Bergenhus Castle in Norway, possessed by the Nazis and Waffen SS forces to interrogate and torture their prisoners, and Rambaldi was among the captive ones. After assassinating a few key people to the stronghold of the operation, Strogov rescues Rambaldi in exchange for a vital information and they both escape the castle in secrecy without compromise.

The second encounter between the allied agents circulated at a hotel in Switzerland, where Strogov was once again sent to prevent a critical document stolen by a Soviet double agent working for the Nazis, from falling into the wrong hands, with the primary suspect being an Italian fascist and career criminal Paolo Minelli who smuggled information to Hitler's territory during the war. Strogov sneaks into the higher grounds of the hotel, heavily guarded by Nazi officers and security teams, eavesdrops into Minelli's conversation and identifies the spy. After stealing the document back without being seen, he also assassinates the mole and disappears, only to find out that Rambaldi was also assigned to obtain the very same documents, having been misled by the Russians, therefore arriving too late at the spot. Strogov and Rambaldi are caught in the spotlight of Nazi officers right before both engage in a shootout with the enemy, saving one another's lives and making a run for it successfully. They extend a shared possession of the document and use it against the Axis Powers.

Their third encounter was a joint operation requested by the Russian Intelligence from the OSS to watch over Strogov as he infiltrates a secret nuclear research facility and murder Berthold Slotz and his assistant professor, Adolf Krause, who are working on the development of a deadly explosive device. Strogov executes his targets, takes photos of their conducted blueprints and sneaks out of the territory. On his way out, he is discovered by SS soldiers who surround him with no chance of getting an escape chamber, and that's where Rambaldi's role is played when his colleague, Andrew Pearson, snipes every guard threatening the Russian agent's life.

Heading forward to October 1963, Strogov is fully reviewed by the head of KGB and a fellow agent, comrade lieutenant Vera Pavolva, both who are assigned by their superior to fly to New York and make a contact with Rambaldi, who was working on exposing an anti-government conspiracy regarding the endangerment of the US president's life, which in return will only provoke war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Strogov is given the codename "Alekhine" in the particular assignment and is informed that no government official or intelligence agency should know about his mission, otherwise he and his comrade lieutenant colleague will be disavowed. Vera and Strogov rendezvous with Rambaldi who takes them to his classified quarters where only a few trusted members of the CIA were placed at, and among them was the ever enthusiastic Pearson.

Rambaldi suspects the government has hired the Mafia to do the dirty work for them, and requests Strogov, now known as Agent Alekhine, to head to a spa and restaurant retreat in Chinatown where two Mafia crime ring leaders are attending to exchange a document, which contains the names of low profile recruiters to the conspiratorial plot. Strogov sneaks in, assassinates the targets and obtains the document which leads up to a biker gang in Texas, specifically highlighting a man named Alejando Vargas who is a CIA informant and has recently abducted a reporter investigating the case. Strogov goes to Texas to apprehend Vargas, only to discover that the reporter was killed after a violent torture. But, Strogov goes ahead with the plan, subdues Vargas and kidnaps him to be interrogated by Rambaldi. Vargas, of course, gives in and speaks of his role in the plot, which is what they've suspected and a name was given circulating another Mafia family, after which he is killed due to Pearson's violent approach at questioning the captive, and that upsets Rambaldi.

After getting intelligence piece from the Cataldo family and blackmailing their partner in crime, the Mammloliti family, Strogov and Vera head to Miami Bay where they were going to act as saboteurs of rogue Cuban army forces. Vera secures the extraction camp and guides Strogov around the bay, and later on his way to Cuba who takes out as many key people in the conspiracy plot as possible. He sends a message through telegram to the official Cuban military, informing them of a rogue camp and their destination. Once making his escape through a military ship on the bay, the spy ring led by Rambaldi are exposed and its members killed. Strogov arrives too late to rescue Vera who was beaten to near death. She encourages him to go and complete the mission right before she dies in his arms. Picking up a lead to an American aircraft carrier, Strogov uncovers a sabotage plan by Cuban anarchists to blow up and sink the ship, which he successfully prevents. A few hours later, news have been made that President Kennedy was killed, which leads up to the murder of Rambaldi's family and his suicide. Strogov discovers a memo left to him by Rambaldi and learns that Andrew Pearson is the mole, who exposes him as an unauthorized Soviet spy and imprisons him in a police precinct.

Strogov breaks out of prison, covers his tracks, takes all the evidence pointed against him away and abducts Pearson for an interrogation through an underground railway line. Pearson reveals that he has always been a hater of the then-current president and his administration, informing Strogov that he has been recruited by the Secretary of Defense, Bruce Gardner, and that the man orchestrating the conspiracy is actually a German with no name disclosed. Strogov kills Pearson as an act of revenge, albeit in cold blood, and locates Gardner's hideway, which is under the grounds of another, but abandoned, railway line. In actuality, its a military silo installation.

After sneaking in and passing through countless amount of guards and militant officers, Strogov manages to assassinate Gardner and goes after the head of the conspiracy plot whose identity is yet to be revealed. Once managing to step into his office, Strogov is held at a gunpoint by the same German high ranking Gestapo officer who was assigned to look after the Bergen operation back in the war. The latter explains that after the surrender of the Nazis, he was disappointed to see the vision he had in the construction of the new world order going down the well, until he was brought in by the OSS through Operation Paperclip to work for the US and make it grow stronger. Of course, he used the position he was given to resurrect his primary goal overseeing the new world order by launching nuclear missiles over the Soviet Union and invading Europe in its entirely to form a new, one-world government. But, before he manages to fulfill his plan, Strogov subdues and kills him in a fistfight, preventing any leadership from taking effect on the rogue operation, which is exposed to the CIA and the rest of the members in the conspiracy ending up arrested.

In the end, Strogov visits Vincent Rambaldi's grave, pays his respects to the fallen hero and a magnficient idealist who wished nothing but world peace, salutes as a fellow soldier and departs into the shadows.

Development

The game was first announced in 2010 by 1C Company under the title Death to Spies 3: Ghost of Moscow, developed by Haggard Games.^[4] In 2011, 1C Company withdrew from the publishing contract. Haggard Games continued developing the title. A crowdfunding campaign was launched on Indiegogo in 2013^[5] and another on Kickstarter in 2014,^[3] both of which failed. In June 2014, Maximum Games was announced as the new publisher and developer making it their first in-house game.

Release

The game was originally set to be released on November 10, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One but was delayed to February 9, 2016 due to a delay with the console versions^[6] and to allow for a simultaneous worldwide release.^[7] A pre-order edition is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One featuring a limited edition chess piece.^[8] Then it was delayed once again to March 1, 2016.

Reception

Alekhine's Gun has received negative reviews from critics, scoring 35/100 on Metacritic,^[10] and 35.00% on GameRankings.^[9]

Jason Bohn of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 2 out of 5 saying, " The right ideas are in place, but everything about the execution falls flat on its face. Considering how much I wanted to enjoy this, the average player probably won’t be able to handle a full playthrough."^[11]

See also

• Death to Spies, the first video game in the series.
• Death to Spies: Moment of Truth, the second video game in the series.

References

External links

• Official website