Deceive Inc Review (PS5) | Push Square

Deceive Inc. is an online multiplayer game that puts the emphasis on staying incognito while you work towards your objective. It combines hero shooter-style characters with the stealth and deduction of Among Us, or even the multiplayer of Assassin’s Creed, and presents it in a cartoonish, James Bond wrapper. The merging of all these things works pretty well, though it isn’t quite as smooth an operation as you’d hope.

The game’s sole mode puts you undercover, making you appear identical to one of the non-player characters roaming the map. Dotted around each level are three terminals, which need to be deactivated before you can head to the real objective — a package held in high security. Escaping with the package means you win. Of course, you and 11 others are competing to make this mission a success. This means that, as you’re all progressing the objective, you need to watch out for others acting suspiciously while ensuring you don’t get spotted yourself.

There are further wrinkles that make this mode work. Simple levels of authority let you enter specific areas without detection, while data points and key cards let you explore further. It’s a cleverly designed mode that works solo or in teams. Each agent has their own weapon as well passive and special abilities to utilise, and levelling them up unlocks more options for that character.

Things go a bit south when the action starts. When someone is holding the package and heading to an extraction point, they become a focal point for all players, and the ensuing shootout is always messy. The shooting feels flat, and death can come very swiftly, making the previous 15 minutes meticulously sneaking around feel a bit hollow.

Still, the core of Deceive Inc. is good; deducing who might be an opponent while trying to blend in is a tense, fun experience. It’s in need of some updates before it reaches its full potential — adjustable text size would be nice, and it’s going to need a wider variety of maps and modes going forward. It’s a solid starting point with a great premise; hopefully it can evolve into something really worthwhile.