I don’t think we’ve ever written about Intravenous 2, but the top-down shooter has been in our sights since its release last year. It’s a mix of tactical stealth and frantic shooting from Hotline Miami, and it’s just received a major update that adds Steam Workshop support and a map editor.
The workshop will allow players to download and share maps, campaigns, up-to-date weapons and gadgets they have added to the game, although aspiring modders will need to know the Lua scripting language to implement the changes. However, it looks like the map editor is quite cordial considering the 2D tile-based levels.
There are plenty of topdown games that aim to follow in the bloody footsteps of Hotline Miami, but Intravenous 2 stands out for delving deep into the tactical elements. You can sneak through levels if you choose: vision cones enemies, you can hide in shadows, and you can manipulate your surroundings by turning off lights, picking locks, or using objects to distract or lure enemies.
You can also tinker with your skills and weapons. According to the Steam page, there are 29 weapons available – though I don’t know if they’ve updated them to reflect those added in updates like this – and these weapons can be customized with silencers, laser sights, ammo types, and so on.
Perhaps most ambitiously, Intravenous 2 boasts that its plot is active and changes depending on your playstyle. I don’t know how far this will go, but I’m interested in trying this game just because I love stealth games and tactical combat. I’ve had good experiences with topdown games like Door Kickers and would choose a less complicated, more action-oriented approach to a similar experience. Splinter Cell topdown as opposed to SWAT topdown? I dare to dream.
One day, one day, I’ll find time to play it. For now: hey, it’s nice that it has mod support. All games should have mod support. You can find more on Steam
