TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Lizard State is inspired by "classic PS2-era games".
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It's been nearly thirteen years since we last saw a Splinter Cell game, and there's little chance of another one appearing any time soon. A remake of the original Splinter Cell is supposedly in the works, but it's been in development long enough for its original director to leave the project, spend three years doing something else, and then come back.
But as ever, indie gaming aims to deliver where the mainstream fails to provide. Such is the case with Lizard State, a newly announced sneak 'em up that could only be more Splinter Cell if the protagonist had three glowing lights on his head.
Created by solo developer Benjamin Rose, Lizard State sees you playing as a Sam Fisher archetype on a mission to rescue a hostage from an island. The story apparently takes place over a single night, in a "short and focused campaign that focuses on deep gameplay systems".
Lizard State wears its influences on its sleeve, from the visuals inspired by "classic PS2-era games" featuring angular characters and moody stencil shadows, to its distinctive style of stealth where you can shoot out lightbulbs, choke guards into unconsciousness, or take them out from a distance with your pistol or assault rifle.
Yet within this familiar framework are a couple of more novel ideas. One of these is what Rose refers to as "mimic cameras", which resemble regular surveillance cameras until you disable them by shooting them off their mounts, at which point they sprout metal spider legs and scuttle around trying to spot you. There's also a second spiderlike gadget shown in the reveal trailer that can be controlled by the player, which disables guards with a blast of electricity.
I always enjoy seeing indie devs working on stealth and immersive sim projects, but they are also the most difficult style of game for smaller studios to get right, especially when it comes to imbuing the experience with some fundamental tactility. I had some initial reservations about this aspect of Lizard State while watching the trailer. Then, right at the end, your spy blasts a canister on the wall to engulf a guard with smoke, charges forward, and performs a sick-as-hell combined judo throw/rifle execution.
Given all the footage of Lizard State is from an early alpha build, this gives me hope that it will feel sufficiently satisfying under the f...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
It's been nearly thirteen years since we last saw a Splinter Cell game, and there's little chance of another one appearing any time soon. A remake of the original Splinter Cell is supposedly in the works, but it's been in development long enough for its original director to leave the project, spend three years doing something else, and then come back.
But as ever, indie gaming aims to deliver where the mainstream fails to provide. Such is the case with Lizard State, a newly announced sneak 'em up that could only be more Splinter Cell if the protagonist had three glowing lights on his head.
Created by solo developer Benjamin Rose, Lizard State sees you playing as a Sam Fisher archetype on a mission to rescue a hostage from an island. The story apparently takes place over a single night, in a "short and focused campaign that focuses on deep gameplay systems".
Lizard State wears its influences on its sleeve, from the visuals inspired by "classic PS2-era games" featuring angular characters and moody stencil shadows, to its distinctive style of stealth where you can shoot out lightbulbs, choke guards into unconsciousness, or take them out from a distance with your pistol or assault rifle.
Yet within this familiar framework are a couple of more novel ideas. One of these is what Rose refers to as "mimic cameras", which resemble regular surveillance cameras until you disable them by shooting them off their mounts, at which point they sprout metal spider legs and scuttle around trying to spot you. There's also a second spiderlike gadget shown in the reveal trailer that can be controlled by the player, which disables guards with a blast of electricity.
I always enjoy seeing indie devs working on stealth and immersive sim projects, but they are also the most difficult style of game for smaller studios to get right, especially when it comes to imbuing the experience with some fundamental tactility. I had some initial reservations about this aspect of Lizard State while watching the trailer. Then, right at the end, your spy blasts a canister on the wall to engulf a guard with smoke, charges forward, and performs a sick-as-hell combined judo throw/rifle execution.
Given all the footage of Lizard State is from an early alpha build, this gives me hope that it will feel sufficiently satisfying under the f...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?