Over the past few years, the stealth action game genre has come out with groundbreaking titles such as Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. Numerous "copycat" titles have also emerged and sunk just as quickly. There's nothing wrong with modeling a game to be like one that's had enormous success, as long as there are new features that can set it apart. Sammy Studios knew this when creating Spy Fiction, but it seems they were unable to come up with enough creativity to make this game stand out.

You are able to choose between two characters at the start of the game: Billy Bishop or Sheila Crawford. The only difference between these characters other than the obvious is that Sheila can disguise herself as either a male or female NPC while Billy can only change into a male. These two are members of the S.E.A.'s (Special Execution Agency) Phantom, who basically take down evil entities who are a threat to the world. The first mission you undertake is actually near the end of the game. The others missions are what occur that lead up to the first. You probably won't be paying much attention to this fact since the story is like a rehashed version of a bad spy movie. The dialogue will also give another meaning to the word "cheesy".

Gameplay-wise, there's the usual stealth skill of sneaking past guards and hugging the walls. If you happen to get discovered, you can take on your opponent with your less-than stellar hand to hand combat or a variety of weapons. This game requires you to solve various puzzles to get past certain missions. You can chose between three degrees of how many hints you will get for completing these puzzles. Using a gun in this game is rather boring because it automatically locks into a target and all you need to do is fire away. Once you catch the attention of the enemy, others will be on the lookout for you as well, until your danger meter goes back to zero. You are also able to pick up unconscious enemies and move them around. This really serves little purpose since their bodies eventually disappear.

As expected from a spy game, there are several gadgets and tools at your disposal. The most noteworthy of them would be the O.C.T. (Optical Camouflage Transparent). Using this technology, your character can blend into the surroundings as long as they stay motionless. You can also mimic any NPC player in the game that you take a picture of.
Find a barrel, locker, or box to slip into and choose from one of your snapshots. Make sure your picture includes both the clothing and face of the character you wish to mimic; otherwise you might as well walk around in your spy duds. Also in your bag of tricks is a pair of retina goggles that copy the retinal patterns of others, bio sensor to detect other life forms, and cooling spray to lower your body temperature.

You also carry some very James Bond-like stun weapons that are disguised as a man's shaver, pencil, and ring. You also can carry a throwing weapon similar to a shuriken that looks like a normal playing card. There are also a variety of guns, some equipped with silencers, which are available throughout the game. The coolest weapon by far is arguably the toe blade, which, when equipped, allows you to take out a guy with a single kick.

Graphically, Spy Fiction is neither good nor bad, so there's nothing to really complain or compliment about. You have full control over your camera which is a nice feature but also has a downfall. Sometimes your desired angle will not be good in certain situations and you will have to adjust it, at the expense of getting caught by an enemy or being attacked. There is also no swift transaction between changing weapons, requiring you to basically pause every time you want to switch up your offense. Being a stealth based game, there is little music value to the soundtrack so don't expect any memorable tunes.

Overall, Spy Fiction fails to deliver enough to set this game apart from the many other titles similar to it. The overall feel of the game is too much Metal Gear Solid and not enough unique features to set this game on its own pedestal. . Gamers out there who like the stealth action genre will probably find Spy Fiction playable as long as they don't' expect anything more than average. However, for the majority of gamers out there, Spy Fiction is a mission that you will be better off avoiding.