Intravenous 2 Review Summary

Praised stealth mechanics: Players consistently highlight the stealth mechanics as a standout feature, describing them as satisfying, rewarding, and well-designed. The game is frequently compared to classic stealth titles like Splinter Cell and Metal Gear, indicating a high level of quality and depth in its stealth gameplay.

Exciting and fun gameplay: The gameplay is described as exciting, fun, and top-notch, with a high level of replayability. Players enjoy the challenging and addictive nature of the gameplay loop.

Variety of weapons and customization: The game offers a wide variety of weapons, gadgets, and customization options, allowing players to tailor their loadouts to their preferred playstyle. This diversity enhances the gameplay experience.

Engaging and well-written story: The story is praised for being concise, well-written, and engaging. Players appreciate the genuine and compelling narrative, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.

Intelligent enemy AI: The enemy AI is noted for its intelligence and realistic behavior, making the gameplay more challenging and immersive. Players appreciate the smart tactics and adaptive fighting behaviors of the enemies.

Story lacks depth and originality: The story is criticized for being forgettable, naive, bland, and poorly written. It is often described as simple, generic, and in need of improvement.

Game difficulty and enemy balance: The game is often criticized for being too hard, with too many enemies and performance issues during combat.

Game bugs and crashes: The game has various bugs, including crashes and collision issues, which affect the overall experience.

Enemy detection issues: Enemies have a wide and unrealistic field of vision, making stealth difficult. They can detect the player even when not seen or far away.

Controls are clunky: The controls are difficult to use, especially on PC and controllers, and can feel alien to players.

Stealth and tactical gameplay: The game features a strong emphasis on stealth mechanics, including social stealth, tactical shooter elements, and immersive sim components. Players can enjoy careful planning and clever routes with various strategies and playstyle options.

Smart and realistic enemy AI: The game includes intelligent and realistic enemy AI behavior, with situational awareness, coordination, and challenging detection systems. Enemies react realistically to player actions, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

Weapon and gear customization: Players can customize their gear and weapons with a variety of options and attachments, allowing for personalized gameplay experiences.

Similar to Hotline Miami: The gameplay and stealth mechanics are compared to Hotline Miami, with a mixture of influences from other games like Metal Gear Solid and Rainbow Six.

Well-designed levels: The game features large, well-built levels with intricate design, although some invisible walls may be present.

Game performance issues: The game experiences frequent crashing, freezing, and performance issues, especially with many enemies on screen. These issues are widespread and significantly impact gameplay.

Low system requirements: The game can run on low-end PCs, often referred to as 'potato PCs,' and has low configuration requirements, making it accessible to a wide range of players.

Optimization and compatibility: The game is well-optimized for certain Linux distributions like LMDE7 and runs well on Steam Deck. However, there are optimization issues reported by some users.

Bugs and glitches: Various bugs are present in the game, including character getting stuck in tight locations and lighting bugs with night vision. These issues can affect the overall gaming experience.

Graphics and visuals: While the game's visuals are functional, they are not stylistically interesting. Some players have suggested improvements in graphics.

Recommended for stealth game fans: The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy stealth games, with comparisons to popular titles like Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Dishonored, and Assassin's Creed.

Highly recommended overall: The game is highly recommended by many reviewers for its engaging gameplay and cool shooter mechanics.

Recommended for tactical shooter fans: The game is recommended for fans of tactical shooters and those who enjoy good gunplay alongside stealth mechanics.

DLCs are recommended: The game's DLCs, including the remaster of the first game, are recommended for their interesting levels and additional content.

Worth the price: The game is considered worth the price, especially if purchased on sale or discount.

Community fair range: $18.00 - $22.00.

Game completion: 30.0h.

Story completion: 8.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game has a learning curve and may not immediately appeal to all players, but it becomes highly engaging and addictive once the mechanics are understood and mastered.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Learning curve; Understanding mechanics and controls; Repetitive gameplay loops.

Enthusiastic Newcomer: Eager to try different approaches and styles, often comparing to other games. Motivation: Exploration and enjoyment of a new stealth game experience. Stance: buy.

Series Veteran: Highly skilled and focused on achieving high completion rates and mastering gameplay mechanics. Motivation: Mastery and completion of the game, driven by a deep appreciation for the series. Stance: buy.

Versatile Strategist: Adaptable and experimental, enjoying both stealth and action-oriented approaches. Motivation: Enjoyment of varied gameplay styles and the challenge of adapting to different situations. Stance: buy.

The game generally performs well across different hardware configurations, with some adjustments needed for optimal performance.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. The game runs well with adjustments to settings.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals several key issues with the game on the Steam Deck. The most significant problems include small text and UI elements, which make the game difficult to read and navigate. Controller support is also a major concern, with users reporting that the game is not well-suited for controllers and is better played with a mouse and keyboard. Additionally, there are performance issues such as frame drops and the need for better optimization. Despite these issues, some users have had a positive experience, indicating that the game can work well on the Steam Deck with some improvements.

Monetization: The user reviews indicate a generally positive reception of the game and its DLCs. Players find the DLCs to provide good value for money and enhance the overall gaming experience. However, there are mentions of certain achievements being locked behind DLC purchases, which might be seen as a necessity for a complete experience. Overall, the sentiment is that the DLCs are worth buying, especially during sales.