El Matador
El Matador
Game
Game2009
Velvet Assassin
Developer Replay Studios
Velvet Assassin is a stealth video game developed by Replay Studios and published by SouthPeak Games. Prior to release, the game was known by the tentative title Sabotage 1943. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2009, and on the Mac App Store in 2013. Velvet Assassin's working title was Sabotage. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
186 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 2, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
63
Fresh
110 positive · 64 negative
95% range 56–70%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 110 | 64 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
682 of 1,187 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
63% recommend · 113 yes, 66 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 179 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (1,603 of 2,574 positive).
Technical issues like crashes and the need for legacy PhysX drivers are widely reported. [1][2][3][4]
Liked
Representative posts
- [13]
The graphics and setting were very nice but to be honest this game needs a good bit more polish. The stealth needs completely thrown out because this is terrible, many mechanics are buggy at best, and some aspects of the game just feel rushed and far too limited.
- [14]
A stealth game lives or dies by one thing - consistency. This game fails at following its own rules. This Hitman-wannabe game has some decent stealth sections but is pretty bad at almost everything else. Let's start with the basics: you are essentially invisible when in the shade (unless enemy is in touching distance). It often makes zero sense visually, as you'll just be standing in the open and the enemy will not …
- [8]
What a rough unpolished gem. The story is intriguing and based on real events - it's WWII and you're put into the shoes of a beautiful British spy agent whose job is to infiltrate various Nazi installations and disrupt their operations, be it killing a high-ranking official, blowing stuff up, marking targets for air attacks and so on. Most of the time stealth is your friend - hiding in the shadows, studying patrol …
- [5]
One of my favorite stealth games of all time. I love WWII games, I like the story arc, and I love the environments and mission settings. It's really, really, dark though. This shows the serious side of Nazi destruction and sadism that they don't usually make games about. I get this kind of sick feeling from some of the images you'll see. Not because they are gross, but because they really happened.
- [1]
Good game. Go to [url=https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Velvet_Assassin]PCGamingWiki to fix the game so you can play it. Basically, 1) [url=https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/physx/physx-9-13-0604-legacy-driver/]NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software to prevent critical error at launch. 2) [url=https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/385-velvet-assassin-fullscreen-border-fix/]Fullscreen Border Fix to remove the …
Summarised from 34 of the 191 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
63% of the 179 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Velvet Assassin. The complaint that keeps coming up: clunky and buggy stealth gameplay. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Velvet Assassin received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. IGN rated it 5/10, citing inconsistent stealth mechanics and a weak story. GameSpot's review disagreed and called it "a powerful, unnerving look at one of history's darkest periods", but criticized the game's poor AI and "lousy gunplay". GameZone praised the style and story of the game but disliked the predictability of the enemies. In Japan, where the Xbox 360 version was ported and published by Ubisoft on September 17, 2009, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 186 · most liked firstA nostalgic stealth classic with a brilliant concept held back by clunky gameplay.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The graphics and setting were very nice but to be honest this game needs a good bit more polish. The stealth needs completely thrown out because this is terrible, many mechanics are buggy at best, and some aspects of the game just feel rushed and far too limited.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. Go to [url=https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Velvet_Assassin]PCGamingWiki to fix the game so you can play it. Basically, 1) [url=https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/physx/physx-9-13-0604-legacy-driver/]NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software to prevent critical error at launch. 2) [url=https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/385-velvet-assassin-fullscreen-border-fix/]Fullscreen Border Fix to remove the window border. 3) [url=https://wiki.special-k.info/SpecialK/Local]SpecialK…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a rough unpolished gem. The story is intriguing and based on real events - it's WWII and you're put into the shoes of a beautiful British spy agent whose job is to infiltrate various Nazi installations and disrupt their operations, be it killing a high-ranking official, blowing stuff up, marking targets for air attacks and so on. Most of the time stealth is your friend - hiding in the shadows, studying patrol patterns, creeping up from behind for a takedown, using disguises to blend in, it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Where Did All the Stealth Games Go? Velvet Assassin is the Mother or at least big sister(if there was prior games in this gameplay style) of the cookie cutter 3rd person binary "stealth" game. It feels like a prototype game but it has an original dark atmosphere, visual style and ambience music made by the one and only Mona Mur. What's there to say about Velvet Assassin(VA)? Nothing really. Ironically, Splinter cell Blacklist(And conviction) copies the exact playstyle of VA. You are either…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lonely, isolated gaming experience, easy to forget and move on with. One of the hardest things about the 'Velvet Assassin' experience is finding the will to finish it. The games efforts to engage audience with the haunting audio only makes the game more boring and unpleasant . Just as the stealth genre continues to fall into commercial hell... the release of Velvet Assassin only justifies this predicament.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, you can kill fascists.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Before I played Velvet Assassin, i had a small wee wee, no friends, no girlfriend, depression and absolutely no will to live. None of these things have changed, but the game is pretty good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A stealth game lives or dies by one thing - consistency. This game fails at following its own rules. This Hitman-wannabe game has some decent stealth sections but is pretty bad at almost everything else. Let's start with the basics: you are essentially invisible when in the shade (unless enemy is in touching distance). It often makes zero sense visually, as you'll just be standing in the open and the enemy will not be able to see you, but that's fine, it's a game mechanic... EXCEPT the game,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game some years ago and enjoyed it, it's a decent game with some annoying little things, but I remember I liked it anyway and I can totally recommend it. The main character is cute and cool, the atmosphere is good, some mechanics are quiet interesting. The stealth itself is not "perfect" and when the enemies are searching for you, they will look at you through walls, which can kill your immersion. But unfortunately I can't play the game anymore due to developed misophonia.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favorite stealth games of all time. I love WWII games, I like the story arc, and I love the environments and mission settings. It's really, really, dark though. This shows the serious side of Nazi destruction and sadism that they don't usually make games about. I get this kind of sick feeling from some of the images you'll see. Not because they are gross, but because they really happened.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve had this in my library for over 14 years and finally got around to playing it. Really good stealth game that I recommend if you are a fan of old Hitman or Splinter Cell games. Last level area was a bit of a pain in the ass but I finally got it. Good satisfying combat, stealth mechanics worked well and the visuals still hold up. Played good on the Deck but it requires some tweaks in order to get it running properly. I followed the instructions on this post and it was dead on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Link to review: https://backloggd.com/u/RedBackLoggd/review/1887470/ Tl;dr - Though I believe it was unfairly-maligned by critics, Velvet Assassin doesn’t hold enough pros to warrant the label of overlooked gem. That said, if you’re in the market for a classic stealth game with consistent mechanics and cool visuals, then you can’t go wrong checking it out either.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game crashes on startup (download required to fix). Horrible motion blur - no option to turn off in settings. Weird slow mo movement along with the motion blur = 🤢 Hitman, Splinter Cell, Deus Ex, Dishonoured, etc. Those games do stealth well. This game doesn't. Very bad. Also, terrible save system. But the game is dirt cheap <£1 when on sale. If you're obsessed with stealth games then maybe. 2 out of 10 BOOBA
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The good stuff: I love the premise of this game, and the graphics and sound work are not bad. The bad stuff: oh dear lord, the gameplay! This game has one trick, which is the sneak up behind an enemy and perform a silent kill with cool animation. And that is it, for the entire game. There are some very poor attempts at environmental kills, but no alternative paths, no creative gameplay options. But for me, this game performs a cardinal game design sin, which is placing a long NPC dialogue…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do you know how bad a game has to be to refund 89 CENTS?! While almost working out of the box, it does require the Legacy PhysX driver to get the NPCs and player to move at a consistent speed. The actual gameplay? It's awful, I have played stealth games less linear from the '90's. Velvet Assassin barely qualifies of a hallway stealth game. The "stealth" consists of hiding in shadows. That's it, because the game forces you to kill every single NPC you encounter. Thief: The Dark Project came out…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A highly underrated game for its time with a truly unique atmosphere.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →just because violet is caked up doesnt mean the game is good 5.0/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic game! Just don't forget to download & install the "PhysX-9.13.0604-SystemSoftware-Legacy" driver from nVidia before playing or the game will crash!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I regret to leave a negative review for Velvet Assassin due to an inability to launch the game, encountering the persistent error: "Failed to init Ageia physics SDK." This issue stems from the game's reliance on outdated PhysX software, specifically the Ageia PhysX SDK, which is no longer supported in modern systems. To address this, players are required to install the NVIDIA PhysX Legacy System Software, a solution that is not straightforward for all users. Notably, this workaround is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin has a great concept, decent voice acting, and an excellent protagonist. The gameplay on the other hand is pretty fun, occasionally. Velvet Assassin has killer style and vibe and for better or worst that goes a long way with me. It's also kind of bullsh*t. Sometimes I have to quit and come back to a certain scenario so I don't succumb to the madness it induces. I honestly think I may potentially play this title to torture myself. Perfect if you're a masochist.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steam version doesn't work.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have had this on my wishlist since the beginning of time and have finally brought it for the cheap price of 39 pennies. I'm going to make this short and sweet, Is it a good game? Yeah sure, if not a bit repetitive. Is it a good WW2 game? Yes, not many games have the balls to show a dead kid. Should you purchase this game for the asking price? well it tends to be 90% off every two weeks so for that price yes you should purchase it. This review felt neither short or sweet.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Violet Assassin is a strange game relying too much on shaders to get anything across (shaders = backhanded insult for me to buy a better laptop). The other reviews summarize the problems of the game rather well, and I wholeheartedly agree - this game is really really a mediocre 5/10. (The narrative is pretty neat!) Why the recommendation then, do you ask? Check this - the character you play as is a straight bombshell with gratuitous amount of shiny leather and body oil (visible during her…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game won't start. When opened, it launches the setting box, after that, just white screen and everything crashes. It made even Windows (11) crash a couple of times, having to restart.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I mean, I got it for 70 cents. Yeah, the game isn't good but I'm not going to give it a thumbs down for that price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought the game for $5. I recommend waiting for it to go down from there. The game doesn't hold up for its age. It's worse than many other games from before its time. You need NVidia PhysX Legacy Drivers to run the game. We're playing on PC, so we can mod the game. We can mod it even without any extra downloads. There are guides for doing this. -We can change sneak speed. -Damage dealt/recieved. -Increase gun clip amounts. (I recommend set to 5 for StG 44) -disguise effectiveness. Alot of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →dont buy it wont launch(physX problem)
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game will not run under windows 10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Few days ago while browsing through my library i found this hidden gem, bought it a long time ago and could barely remember anything past the first mission where you invade a bunker. Velvet Assassin is unique, while there are other stealth-shooters out there, none come close to the level of difficulty of this game. On one side you have Metal Gear and its stealth mechanics where you master the game to a point that you no longer think about consequences when engaging enemies, you just go for it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hitman but dummy thicc ass cheek clapping gives away your locations while sneaking. It also has nice footstep sounds!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've tried this game on three different computers. Ran horribly on the first, didn't launch on the other two.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sadly unplayable due to bug to even start a game on Win 11... Checked solutions and sadly still cannot play. Disapointed :(
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to love this game, I do. Deeply, Deeply, Deeply flawed. It wants to be a stealth action game drenched in gritty realism, but the level of bad game design decisions and massive number of bugs keep me from recommending this game to anybody.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I heard about this game back in 2008 but never gave it a chance. Saw it on steam and finally decided to give it a try. What a nice game. I had so much fun playing this. It has various interesting stealth mechanics, among with different strategies to pass or kill your enemies. Gameplay isn't repetitive, levels or themes either. I like the difficulty because for me it's just right. Not easy, but definetely not hard. Ah, the story and the character is inspired by a true life heroine - this was a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too bad such unique idea for a WW2 game clearly didn't have enough resources - money, especially - to achieve greatness. Still, I recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Aged, Unplayable in 2022.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin (2009) This review should be a neutral review but Steam does not want to give people that option for some reason so I am leaning more towards the positive side. You play as Violette Summer, a spy for the Secret Intelligence Service during World War II. You sneak around completing whatever mission you need to complete. She gets hurt by an enemy sniper during a mission and ends up comatose in a hospital in France. You then relive a lot of key points in these flashback missions.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very dumbed-down Splinter Cell, but set during WWII. -No parkour. -Unfair level design that often forces you into combat. -Questionable game mechanics. Like, what do you mean I have to find a weapon when I literally just walked past multiple guns? The game is based on Violette Szabo, so if you're a WWII history geek, you'll probably appreciate that it shines a light on her story. But the ending... oof. I didn't know how to react. I guess it's a realistic way to end the game, considering…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Can't even start without fixing it on your own.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unable to get game to start passed the config menu, Installed the legacy Physx drivers, Which fixed the inital issue of it bing stuck on a white screen after clicking play. Now it just crashes to desktop, no onscreen error and it creates a crash dump each time in the games folder. Tried updating drivers, rebooted, ran with and without the widescreen fix file, multiple combinations of settings and resolutions, enabling compatibility modes, and run as admin. Running a bat file to set the CPU…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It’s alright, not bad. give it a try if you’ve already played most of the great stealth games. PS: For those who couldn’t get it to launch, install NVIDIA PhysX Legacy version 9.13.0604 and run the game as an administrator.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin, developed by Replay Studios and published by Missing Link Games, is an ambitious stealth-action title that immerses players in the grim, haunting atmosphere of World War II through the eyes of a British spy named Violette Summer. The game is inspired by the real-life agent Violette Szabo, though its narrative ventures deeply into psychological territory, exploring memory, trauma, and morality under the chaos of war. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks that occur as…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the first review I've made where I didn't finish a game, The enemy ai have super powers as its nearly impossible to actually sneak unless you are directly behind them, as you will often be spotted 10 feet away in the dark. The game will even make a colored outline of the character model, to indicate you are in the dark and cannot be seen, you will quickly find out the game is lying to you. Controls are stiff and its just a pain to play. I often can have fun with bad games, but this game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Janky, but not bad. It can be a bit annoying since the game expects you to execute every move with perfect timing, and the enemies often go from straight up braindead to omnipotent in a matter of seconds. And there’s no much room for creativity or variety in how you choose to approach the missions; there’s often only one way to take. But once you get the hang of it, the game gets good, and it’s quite challenging, especially the last couple of missions. Also, it has that late 2000s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin is an old game, but a brilliant one. The game was obviously a labor of love for its creators. It captures so many things in its rather simplistic play: the thrill of stealth games, the realism of almost certain death when things don't go your way in combat, and most importantly, the violence and horror and tragedy that is war. The game is a challenge. I'm an old school gamer so I'm not much on first person type games. I'm a very busy person who only plays games a few times per…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A stealth game, except the shadows hide your character ambiguously sometimes revealing your position even when you thought for sure she's hidden. The last map is abhorrent because shooting in this game is so janky. The game is a bit difficult at times when it seems like there are not enough paths or hiding spots and the enemy patrol routes are sometimes botched. Play only if you really need a stealth game, the $1 price is justified.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin, as a WW2 game, showcases the brutality of the era in a gritty, dark and unapolagetic manner. so it represents it´s time period very well. As a stealth TPS, the cracks start to show, with somewhat clunky mechanics, a not-so-great aiming system and bullet impact mechanics and overall stale scenarios. For it´s story i´d give a solid 8/10, but the problems i have with the gameplay aspect drop it to a 7/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →- I cautiously recommend this game (if you are a big fan of WWII and Stealth games) - The AI will lock on to you making sneaking a chore - Sneak kills are challenging - German soldier conversations can take minutes at times while you sit and listen to it over and over if you restart a checkpoint - Time to action is around 3 minutes and 30 seconds - A very basic tutorial guides you as you find new items - Level design is interesting making it clear where your next destination is - This is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember playing this master piece when it came out on xbox 360 back in 2009! and I tell you what, this game still holds its value in 2021!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm afraid it sucks. The premise, as odd as it is (morphine, do I need to say more?) pretty cool and it works fine as a setup. What doesn't work, is the level & subsequently gameplay design. What I mean, are straight, narrow hallways, less in terms of "few" and more in terms of "none" vents & alternate paths. Few ways to interact with enemies (that whistle ain't gonna win any prizes all right), few decisions to make on where to go & how (except trying to find that one solution the play testers…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Difficult stealth, but interesting I won't try, as I don't endure the genre stealth at a genetic level, but you can. It's worth a shot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin is a stealth action game. You play as a beautiful British spy called Violette. This is a stealth game, so most of the time you are going to be sneaking around and while sneaking you are going to stare at Violette's ass. If you like to spend %80 of your time staring at an ass while playing a game then buy it immidiately, if not read the rest of the review. The stealth mechanics are very basic. When you hide in shadow, the character starts to glow to let you know that enemies…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Velvet Assassin has a great secret agent in ww2 setting, strong briefings and cutscenes, interesting chatter between German soldiers and some memorable and dark moments. The stealth gameplay is okay, but is missing a stealthbar. The AI is working and predictable for the most part, but is broken at times. Especially when the enemy sees you hiding behind crates or when the enemy immediately knows your location after finding a dead body. Overall, I'd recommend Velvet Assassin to stealth fans and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just spent a good 20 minutes trying to figure out why I thought you play a lady in THE SABOTEUR, & discovered I was thinking of VELVET ASSASSIN, the other game about sabotaging the Nazis in World War II with a stylish muted color palette that came out in 2009 & is currently only available on Steam.
neutral · AI labelView post →Velvet assassin is a third person steath game released on the Xbox 360,Ps 3 and later on the pc.Developed by Replay studios. Story. Violette Summer is a brittish spy tasked with going behind enmy lines to assassinate key nazi figures she gets grieviously wounded during a mission by a germen sniper after successfully assassinating a German SS officer named Kamm.She then is helplessly in a hosiptal bed as she has flash backs of key momments leading up to her current situation every thing from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I remember this game being tedious and boring, but it's pretty fun with the enhanced edition mod on ModDB. It makes some changes I don't like though, including outfit textures, so even that I had to tweak myself (Which is easy. The game is surprisingly simple to customize in the files). I like the presentation. The skyboxes and lighting are still pretty to look at, and the stealth kill animations are really well done. Really only pick this up if you've played every other great stealth game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game's weak stealth mechanics killed the experience mid way through the story. Velvet Assassin has some very good elements but they are over shadowed by shallow stealth mechanics and repetition. The story is interesting, even more because this is a story about a real historical figure. The dream like cut scenes are very well made, the voice acting is very good and the music and sound design are solid. Now, this is a stealth game and we all know the AAA and even AA don't make them any…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ah I've installed and re-played this game after 16 years... How did all these years already passed? :P I really loved this game back in 2009, the atmosphere in every single mission is fantastic for me. But, as a stealth game, yes, it's not the best, with pretty simple mechanics and mostly linear levels. I really enjoyed it even after so many years!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After getting past the halfway point, I decided to drop Too Human. It was a game I was always curious about, but unfortunately, everyone was right about its many flaws. I found Velvet Assassin for a good price yesterday and dived into that this morning. Great game so far! #xbox360
positive · AI labelView post →
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