Operation Cannibal: A Death to Spies AAR

[Ryoken]

Death to Spies is a relatively unknown game of Russian origin. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy at a local store in Atlanta, I dont know what your availablity will be if you try to go buy it where you are. In Death to Spies, you are a Russian counter-intelligence operative working for the Russian intelligence division named SMERSH during World War II. The game is excellent and should be considered the true next-generation sequel to the Commandos series. There are some minor control problems but once you get used to the game, they just arent that big a deal in my opinion. My biggest complaint is that the game is too damn short. I love it!

This AAR covers the first mission. I am playing it after having beaten the whole game, so I move with extreme precision and skill. When I first played this mission, I had to kill 10x as many enemies and reload a ton of times. And that was on normal difficulty. I am playing on expert in this AAR. In other words, what looks simple and smooth here is the result of me playing this game for 20 or so hours and coming back to the first mission.

I think this AAR will showcase how the game works pretty well. Lets get started shall we?

[Ryoken]

After Action Report
Operation Cannibal: July 1943
Field Operative: Vladimir Subokarov
Operating Division: SMERSH

Upon approaching the field base, I confirmed previous intelligence reports that the only entrance was heavily guarded and the possibility of direct infiltration was very low.



Field Reconnaissance indicated the area was well defended by numerous small patrols of two or three men covering most angles of approach.





I was able to locate the ammunition bunker uncovered by previous intelligence operations. I was able to approach the bunker from the rear.





I was able to dispatch the guard at the bunker entrance without being seen or heard.



I entered the bunker and eliminated the truck driver as planned. The bodies of both the door guard and the driver were left in the bunker.





Using the driver's uniform, I was able to use the truck to enter the base without being detected.





(to be continued)

[Ryoken]

Operation Cannibal After Action Report (continued):

Upon entering the base, I found an isolated SS soldier and eliminated him. With his uniform, I would be able to infiltrate the SS barracks.





Once inside the SS barracks, I worked my way into the office of the subordinate commander. I regretfully had to eliminate his secretary to gain entrance into his office.





The officer was so busy with paperwork he did not notice me entering his office. I approached him quietly and eliminated him.





I quickly changed into his commandant uniform, had a drink of his excellent brandy, and left.



Using his uniform, I was able to access the second floor offices.



I located the room with the document safe. Unfortunately, two lowly SS soldiers had been assigned to guard it...



(to be continued)

[Thanatos]

Can he be stopped? CAN HE BE STOPPED?!

Stay in tune next time kids... for the next exciting chapter of one brave man's life against the terrible Nazi regime!

*cue in typical 40s propaganda film classical music*

[Ryoken]

Operation Cannibal After Action Report (continued):

I waited until one of the guards was looking at the map. I approached him silently from behind and dispatched him. I hid his body under a desk and when the other guard entered the room to look for his comrade, I eliminated him as well. His body also was stuffed under the desk.





I easily picked the lock on the safe and removed the technical documents. With the documents stuffed under my uniform, I left the building.





I now moved into the final stage of the operation. I located the target on patrol around the base doing his inspection.



I calculated where he would be most vulnerable to attack. I moved into the area and dispatched several guards to create a dead area where I could ambush the target without attracting attention.







The dead area contained a truck which I would use to escape the area with the target as my captive.



And so I lay in wait for the target to pass through my trap.



(to be continued)

[Ryoken]

Operation Cannibal After Action Report (continued):

When they passed by, I leapt from my hiding place and eliminated the accompanying guard silently. The target continued walking without being alerted to my presence.



After concealing the body, I followed the target a short distance to a maintenance bay he was inspecting. I entered behind him, closed the door, and used chloroform to render him unconscious.





I carefully loaded him inside the truck and pulled the canvas around to conceal him from view.



The guards at the exit granted me passage due to my officer's uniform and in a few short minutes I had left the area in my new truck.






END OF OPERATION

[Ryoken]

I think I will do a couple more AARs with this game to show off some of the cooler missions. This is pretty basic. I only killed 11 people and chloroformed the target, which is a really low number of people to go after. I killed probably upwards to 100-125 people in the bridge mission over the course of about 4 hours. I am going to play a little more on the expert level and determine which missions will make good AAR pieces.

[~Beren~]

This is a great AAR Ryoken.
As usual.

But, it lacks something.
It lacks more dialogue, more back story. But that's just me.

I have never heard of that game before, though it plays just like Hitman except during WWII.
I should try this game out sometime :hmm.

BTW, 100-125 soldiers? In one map?

[Ryoken]

BTW, 100-125 soldiers? In one map?

Yes. I am not kidding. I am guessing I had to kill maybe 75% of the soldiers on the map; to that would mean like 200 total. Huge map. Awesome level.

[boerekovic]

You kill 100 people in this Game without bein Recognized? thats Weird.
but rep for this AAR,very entertaining.

[Ryoken]

The 8th level is a massive bridge you have to blow up.

There is a massive area around the bridge with at least 20 guards patrolling the countryside on either side of the bridge.

The bridge itself has at least 20 people on it. There are 10 on the scaffolding underneath. There are four towers at each end; 15 patrolling around each cluster of towers with an average of 5 in four of the towers and 10 in the other four (basically two small, two large towers on each end). There is a rail station at one end, another 20 there.

So that is a total of 180 by that estimation. I am being a tad conservative since I didnt scour the whole area, so I bet the true answer is somewhere between 180 and 200.

[♔ST0MPA♔]

Nice looking game and AAR Ryoken, but I would have to agree with Beren, it needs more detail and substance. I thought you would of bought the new Assassin game set in the crusades era, guess your sick of all that medieval stuff now tho WWII to is nice, those Germans used to terrify me as younger lad on the movies. they still do

blast cant give you rep again, seems I give you to much, at least you get rep for your AAR's

[Ryoken]

Assassin's Creed isnt on PC yet, is it? I thought it was just Xbox right now.

[bomberboy]

This is good Ryoken.

[_TheChevalier_]

Really nice AAR Ryoken.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

This game looks pretty fun.

[drak10687]

The only thing that bothers me, is that even in a quite large military base, it would seem that people should know their officers and not be easily fooled by an impostor with his uniform.

Other than that, it would be nice if you could purposefully get into some hand to hand or armed combat and take some screens of that, so we can get an idea of what the action looks like.

[Ryoken]

Well, the point of the game is to avoid that, Drak!

Seriously though, it is very hard to get good combat screenshots because these guys are deadly ass accurate and if the alarm goes off they react like angry bees.

On the bridge level, I tried to manipulate the game engine by picking up a totally full backpack of SMG ammo, climbing to the top of one of the towers, and sniped someone on the ground.

They swarmed around the building like angry bees. I thought I could hold off indefinitely because they had to climb up a ladder to reach me and while climbing, they dont have their weapon out. But I found that after killing about 15 of them, they LEARNED! Bastards started throwing grenades. It was like I was under artillery fire. Only a matter of time before... BAM.... dead.

[Snoopy]

Yeah. This game is awesome, but it is hard as hell.

[SSJPabs]

Maybe in the future you should write these more like a military briefing, or like your training new recruits in espionage tactics?

A frame story might be just what's needed to put it over the top.