Skin Deep (2025) Spiel

by Rian

Back when Hitman (2016) was released, I remember an old friend of mine telling me how the stealth formula in the popular franchise is simply getting too old. The AI of these NPCs never work together. And each iteration did try to amp up AI behavior, but it hasn’t changed so drastically. It did give enough room for players to waltz in the high security zones and assassinate targets; it created some amazing speed runs. It has its own unique quirky funs, but it never made that smooth spy movie-like infiltration gameplays.

Skin Deep is an indie game using an engine that is from early 2000s. It’s filled with retrofuturism whereby the world is not completely alien. It works with cartoon logic — think Tom and Jerry — in interacting with certain elements of the games, such as the enemies. However, these carton logics don’t provide plot armor just for the protagonist. It’s how the world interacts with the player. For instance, if a security guard is neutralized, the same guard may get a second chance unless the talking head in a jar is properly disposed of. They get a second chance just like the main character, and they get some upgrades just like the main character. It may not be the most realistic approach of stealth, but it is certainly a different take on stealth game formula.

The actual narrative of the game doesn’t push the boundary beyond the recalling of the great retro games. The protagonist, Nina Pasadena, is a space insurance agent, dubbed “commando” in-game, rescuing sentient cats aboard the space ships that have been commandeered by the pirates. Don’t bother asking why all the passengers or crews are cats, or why the cats’ ships have human-sized quarters. It plays into the corny hard-boiled detective with maybe space western like many games did back in the 2000s. Perhaps one might call it retro-ception, recalling the recalling of other genres. It may not be original, but it is tried and tested.

Unfortunately, the game was not in the most polished state when I played it. From the back of my mind, there was the mouse cursor issue on the main menu, and then there was the pesky Windows graphical glitch with HDR after the game was exited. There is a remedy for the glitch. Also, with the popping head in the jar bit, I have seen heads dropping behind the wall too many times. None of them were major obstacles in enjoying the game; I simply wish the game was in better shape after a year since release.

Conclusions: Immersive Stealth with Dash of Retro

I know the retrofuturistic approach in Skin Deep is not for everyone: the engine, the graphics, seeping through to comedy and overall writing. It might sound cringy. But the gameplay it delivers carries immersive experience, and with it, far more interactable world. It is a law only working within the boundaries of old cartoon logics, yet it produced far more interesting random outcomes than I expected. For an indie game priced at $19.99, I would say it is worth the risk to bite the bullet and give it a try. So long as the immersive stealth is the top most priority, and has the stomach or preferences for low polygons, Skin Deep is the game.