The game does not exactly hide where, or rather from whom, it draws inspiration, but it still tries to bring a few ideas of its own to the table. Lizard State is a stealth action game that openly walks in the shadow of Splinter Cell while throwing in a handful of strange and promising twists.

Lizard State is a single-player stealth action game built around a short but focused campaign that emphasizes deeper mechanics and player expression. That means you can slip through enemy lines unseen, or, if things go badly, simply smash your way through them. The story unfolds over the course of a single night, and your mission is to rescue a hostage from an island seized by a rebel group. You will have to fight your way through hostile territory while gradually uncovering what lies behind the uprising in this retro sci-fi setting.

The game promises a compact stealth campaign with visuals inspired by the classic PS2 era and levels built around interconnected paths, alternate routes, and shortcuts. Its advanced light and shadow system means staying in the dark is essential if you want to remain unseen, while the sound system makes noise just as important. Your footsteps change depending on the surface beneath you, and doors and walls help muffle sound. The reactive AI means enemies will respond when lights are shot out or turned off, and they will even wake their unconscious allies. On top of that, the hacking system allows players to open doors, override systems, and take control of unique machines. Multiple difficulty settings and optional objectives are also included to support different play styles.

It has been nearly thirteen years since the last new Splinter Cell game. A remake of the original title is apparently still in development, but the process has dragged on so long that its original director left the project, worked on something else for three years, and then came back. Lizard State is being developed by indie creator Benjamin Rose, and it places players in control of a character who strongly recalls Sam Fisher. The angular character models, moody shadows, and stealth-heavy gameplay all wear that influence very openly. You can shoot out light bulbs, choke guards from behind, or neutralize them from a distance with a pistol or submachine gun.

Even within that familiar framework, though, there are a few original ideas. One of them is the so-called mimic camera, which looks like a standard surveillance camera until you shoot it off its mount. At that point, metal spider legs emerge from it, and it scurries off to hunt you down. The video also shows a second spider-like gadget that the player can control, one that incapacitates guards with an electric discharge. Since all currently available footage comes from an early alpha build, there is still a lot left to prove, but the game at least looks intriguing. There is no release date for Lizard State yet, though players can already request access to its test version on Steam.

Source: PCGamer, Steam