Spy Drops Gaiden Squeezes Old-School Stealth Into a Game Boy-Sized Adventure

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Spy Drops Gaiden is stripping stealth back to crawling beneath vehicles, watching patrol routes and hoping nobody notices the unconscious guard being questioned with experimental technology. Dadako’s Game Boy-inspired side story will launch for PC through Steam on October 12.

Players control special agent Ripley during eight classified missions set on an island off the coast of Japan. Objectives include rescuing prisoners, stealing intelligence and conducting drone operations inside fortified bases where guards significantly outnumber the player.

Remaining concealed requires moving slowly to reduce noise, hiding in shadows, avoiding surveillance cameras and crawling beneath vehicles. Incapacitated enemies can be interrogated using the Dream Catcher, which extracts intelligence and provides access to otherwise restricted locations.

Each mission awards a performance rank, encouraging cleaner repeat attempts rather than simply reaching the exit. Changing weather conditions and mission-specific gadgets should keep the compact campaign from becoming too predictable.

Despite its Game Boy-style visuals and audio, Gaiden isn’t merely shrinking the original Spy Drops onto a smaller-looking screen. Its storyline takes place after the first game and examines another side of the same terrorist threat. Our earlier Spy Drops coverage explains the larger game’s PS1-inspired approach.

Two arcade-inspired bonus games, unlockable colour palettes and a harder difficulty mode provide a few additional reasons to return after finishing the main missions.