The Sting!

Last updated

The Sting!
TheSting!VGBoxArt.jpg
US cover
Developer(s) Neo Software
Publisher(s) JoWooD Productions
Platform(s) PC
ReleasePC
  • NA: 1 July 2001
  • EU: 19 July 2001
Genre(s) Strategy, Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

The Sting! (released in German-speaking regions as Der Clou! 2) is a strategy/adventure video game developed by Neo Software and released by JoWooD Productions on 1 July 2001. [1] It is the sequel to 1994's The Clue! (known as Der Clou! in German-speaking regions).

Contents

Plot and gameplay

The player assumes the role of Matt Tucker, a famous burglar who has just come out of prison in the city of Fortune Hills. In the beginning, Matt is reduced to a small-time crook who has to work his way back to his former glory. After performing several burglaries, alone or with the help of accomplices he has met at various locations around the city, he collects loot and fame. By selling the loot he is able to buy better tools to use in increasingly challenging missions, with the ultimate goal being the Ministry of Light.

The gameplay consists of two modes, the planning mode and the live mode. The planning is done from Matt's apartment where actions and movements are carefully laid out. Then by going "live" the player will find out if the plan works or if everyone has gotten caught. Different locations can include patrolling guards and police, security systems, locked doors and cabinets and other obstacles. At the same time, Matt's different tools are useful in different situations as well as making different levels of noise. [2]

The in-game map of the city of Fortune Hills TheSting!MAP.jpg
The in-game map of the city of Fortune Hills

The Sting! was one of the first third-person 3D games to allow the player to freely roam a city, with a transportation system (taxis) to facilitate this, many buildings he can explore and buy tools, meet accomplices or observe, prior to planning a burglary.

Development

The name The Sting! comes from the fact that the 1973 film The Sting has the German title "Der Clou". So when the game was called "Der Clou" in Austria, the English translation became The Sting. [3]

Reception

The game received mixed reviews by the critics. On Metacritic it has a score of 73% based on reviews from 9 critics. [4] Most of the reviewers praised the light-hearted tone of the game and the unique theme of it. IGN stated "I haven't played a game like this in a long time... or ever really I guess. Funny cartoony little games are much fewer and far between on the PC nowadays. While there are a share of those cartoony style games set in 2D landscapes, you'll have to look pretty hard to find more than a couple that take advantage of the third dimension to really bring colorful and silly worlds to life. Not only does the Sting do this fairly well, but it also provides some interesting gameplay" [5]

However, a number of problems held back the game's score on multiple occasions. Reviewers noted the clipping problems of the graphics engine, the slow pace of the game and problematic pathfinding AI [5] [6] [7] as the most serious problems with the title.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dungeon Siege</i> 2002 action role-playing game

Dungeon Siege is an action role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft in April 2002, for Microsoft Windows, and the following year by Destineer for Mac OS X. Set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Ehb, the high fantasy game follows a young farmer and her companions as they journey to defeat an invading force. Initially only seeking to warn the nearby town of the invasion of a race of creatures named the Krug, the farmer and the companions that join her along the way are soon swept up in finding a way to defeat another race called the Seck, resurgent after being trapped for 300 years. Unlike other role-playing video games of the time, the world of Dungeon Siege does not have levels but is a single, continuous area without loading screens that the player journeys through, fighting hordes of enemies. Also, rather than setting character classes and manually controlling all of the characters in the group, the player controls their overall tactics and weapons and magic usage, which direct their character growth.

<i>Need for Speed II</i> 1997 racing video game

Need for Speed II is a 1997 racing video game released for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is a part of the Need for Speed series and is the second installment, following The Need for Speed.

<i>SWAT 4</i> 2005 video game

SWAT 4 is a 2005 tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by Sierra Entertainment exclusively for Microsoft Windows. It is the ninth installment in the Police Quest series and the fourth installment in the SWAT subseries. In SWAT 4, the player commands a police SWAT team in the city of Fairview, New York. Unlike its predecessor, SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle, SWAT 4 does not have an overarching plot. Instead, gameplay takes place over a series of unconnected deployments of the player's SWAT team, as they are sent to apprehend criminals, terrorists, gangs, and cults in and around Fairview.

<i>Frogger 2: Swampys Revenge</i> 2000 video game

Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge is an action video game developed by Blitz Games and published by Hasbro Interactive for the PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Microsoft Windows, and Dreamcast. The game is part of the Frogger series, and the sequel to the 1997 remake of Frogger, featuring similar 4-way movement gameplay in a 3D world and 6 different environments. Unlike its predecessor, Frogger 2 features a choice of different characters to play with in the game, several multiplayer modes, and an in-game storyline. A Nintendo 64 port of the game was planned, but was later cancelled.

<i>Rugrats in Paris: The Movie</i> (video game) 2000 video game

Rugrats in Paris: The Movie is a video game based on the 2000 animated movie of the same name. The game follows the adventures of the Rugrats in a European theme park. A console version of the game was released in 2000, for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and a handheld version for Game Boy Color. A version for Microsoft Windows was later released in 2001. The console version's gameplay is similar to Rugrats: Studio Tour, but Paris’ attractions sometimes have minigames too. The handheld gameplay is a side-scrolling platformer. The Windows version's gameplay is an adventure game in which the player must find Chuckie's Wawa Bear.

<i>SpyHunter</i> 2001 video game

SpyHunter is a vehicular combat game. It is a remake and sequel of the 1983 arcade game of the same name first released for PlayStation 2 in 2001. It has since been ported to GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Windows, Mac OS X, and Tapwave Zodiac. In the game, the player drives the G-6155 Interceptor, an advanced, weaponized spy vehicle. Unlike the original's top-down view, the remake is played with a chase camera, similar to a racing game.

<i>The Clue!</i> 1994 video game

The Clue! is a 1994 adventure game inspired by the 1986 game They Stole a Million. The player is tasked with finding accomplices, scouting potential targets, and plotting a burglary. The game uses a point-and-click interface. A sequel followed in 2001: The Sting!

<i>Crimson Skies</i> (video game) 2000 video game

Crimson Skies is an arcade flight video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published in 2000 by Microsoft Games. Although a flight-based game, Crimson Skies is not a genuine flight simulator, as the game is based less on flight mechanics than on action. According to series creator Jordan Weisman, Crimson Skies is "not about simulating reality—it's about fulfilling fantasies".

<i>NBA 2K9</i> 2008 basketball video game

NBA 2K9 is a 2008 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the tenth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K8. It was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K9 is the predecessor to NBA 2K10 in the NBA 2K series.

<i>NBA 2K10</i> 2009 basketball video game

NBA 2K10 is a 2009 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released in October and November 2009 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, and Wii. As the eleventh installment in the NBA 2K series, it is the successor to NBA 2K9 and the predecessor to NBA 2K11. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K10 is the first game in the series to be released for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii platforms; it is also the first game in the series to be released on a Nintendo console since NBA 2K3 was released for the GameCube in 2002. The game is NBA 2K's last 2000s entry.

<i>Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars</i> 2011 video game

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts in March 2011 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, and the Nintendo 3DS. It was one of the 3DS's launch titles. The game features missions and characters from the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and its follow-up television series, as well as fan-favorites from the original Star Wars saga, in both single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes. The Mac OS X version of the game was released by Feral Interactive.

<i>NBA 2K12</i> 2011 basketball video game

NBA 2K12 is a 2011 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, and, for the first time, iOS. As the thirteenth installment in the NBA 2K series, it is the successor to NBA 2K11 and the predecessor to NBA 2K13. For the first time in the series, three different covers are available; the three cover athletes are Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. This was the last installment in the series to be released for the PlayStation 2.

<i>Terraria</i> 2011 video game

Terraria is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows and has since been ported to other PC and console platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting, and combat with a variety of creatures in a procedurally generated 2D world. Terraria is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling 58.7 million copies as of 2024.

<i>F1 2012</i> (video game) 2012 video game

F1 2012 is a video game developed by Codemasters based on the 2012 Formula One season. The game was released in September. It uses the EGO Engine. This was also the first game by Codemasters released under their "Codemasters Racing" label, which was used until 2016.

<i>Worms Revolution</i> 2012 video game

Worms Revolution is a 2D artillery turn-based tactics video game developed by Team17 and is part of the Worms series. It was released on PlayStation 3, Windows via Steam and Xbox 360 in October 2012. An OS X version was released on June 6, 2013. A PlayStation Vita version including all three previously released downloadable packs and titled Worms Revolution Extreme was released on October 8, 2013. This version of the game was included as part of a promotional bundle alongside the PlayStation TV system. Like previous games in the series, gameplay is 2D and turn-based, but it is rendered with a new 3D engine. There are both single player and multiplayer modes with up to four players online or local hotseat.

<i>Space Hulk</i> (2013 video game) 2013 video game

Space Hulk is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Danish studio Full Control. It is based on the tabletop game of the same name by Games Workshop. It features the Blood Angels Chapter of the Space Marines battling grotesque aliens known as Genestealers. A follow-up game, Space Hulk: Ascension, was released in 2014.

<i>WWE 2K17</i> 2016 wrestling video game

WWE 2K17 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It is the eighteenth game in the WWE game series, serving as the following from their previous game WWE 2K16, and followed by WWE 2K18. This is the fourth and final installment to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms and on those platforms it still follows the gameplay blueprint of WWE 2K14.

<i>Space Hulk: Tactics</i> 2018 video game

Space Hulk: Tactics is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Cyanide and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and is based upon the turn-based strategy tabletop miniatures board game Space Hulk. The game was released on 9 October 2018.

<i>Godfall</i> 2020 action role-playing video game

Godfall is an action role-playing game developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on November 12, 2020. It was also released for the PlayStation 4 on August 10, 2021. An enhanced version of the game containing all downloadable content up to that point, titled Godfall: Ultimate Edition, was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 7, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.

References

  1. "The Sting!". Gamespot.com. 13 September 2001. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  2. "The Sting!". MobyGames. 12 June 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2012. Description
  3. Chang, Kasey. "The Sting! Unofficial Strategy Guide and FAQ". the-spoiler.com. Retrieved 11 October 2013. 1.6 The Name's Origin
  4. 1 2 "The Sting!". Metacritic. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Sting! - Review at IGN". uk.Pc.ign.com. 2 August 2001. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 Osborne, Scott (25 July 2001). "The Sting! Review". GameSpot. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  7. 1 2 Gestalt (16 August 2001). "The Sting! Review at EG". eurogamer.net . Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  8. "The Sting!". GameRankings. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  9. Dewhurst, John; Wildgoose (November 2001). "The Sting!". PC PowerPlay (66): 70–71.