''Stolen'' is a
stealth game video game developed by British developer Blue 52 and published by Hip Games for the
PlayStation 2,
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by th ...
, and
Microsoft Windows in 2005.
Gameplay
''Stolen'' is a
stealth game
A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses ''stealth'' to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow th ...
in which the protagonist Anya has several hi-tech
gadget
A gadget is a mechanical device or any ingenious article. Gadgets are sometimes referred to as '' gizmos''.
History
The etymology of the word is disputed. The word first appears as reference to an 18th-century tool in glassmaking that was develo ...
s to assist her in her cat burglar escapades, including
night vision goggles
A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The de ...
and a multi-use
dart gun. Because of her personal moral criminal code, Anya has no lethal arms at her disposal and the player cannot kill any of the guards and other enemies she encounters, but can only knock them
unconscious for a brief moment. Anya is assisted by the computer expert Louie Palmer, who communicates with her through an earpiece. The
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
review noted the game's "''
Prince of Persia
''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia.
The first two games ...
''-inspired feats," but opined "the only difficult part about ''Stolen'' is finding the patience to actually remain hidden when it's easier to just charge through the levels."
Plot
The player assumes the role of Anya Romanov, an
acrobatic
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro d ...
, high-tech professional thief living in the futuristic dark metropolis Forge City. Her initial mission is to infiltrate a high-security museum and steal items therein. Later on, Anya is framed for murder she did not commit. Eventually, she finds out about a sinister
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...
involving a ruthless corrupt politician Richard Killian and her own deadly
female ninja
is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...
rival known only as Breeze.
Reception
The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received "mixed" reviews, while the PC version received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.
References
External links
Official website (archived)* {{moby game, id=/stolen
2005 video games
Action-adventure games
Cyberpunk video games
Organized crime video games
Neo-noir video games
Lua (programming language)-scripted video games
PlayStation 2 games
Stealth video games
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Video games featuring female protagonists
Windows games
Xbox games