Spy Drops review

Introduction

Spy Drops sends players on a string of covert infiltration missions against a global terrorist threat, wearing its Metal Gear Solid influences so openly that nearly every review in the sample name-checks Konami's classic within the first sentence. Developed solo by Rainy Night Creations and published by Rainy Frog Co. Ltd., it released 30 July 2025 to a "Mixed" reception: 44 of its 63 English-language reviews recommend it, a small enough population that this review reads every one of them. What emerges is a game caught between genuine, earnest homage and the rough execution of a small, still-improving solo project.

A PS1-style throwback reviewers genuinely love

The strongest, most consistent praise in the sample targets Spy Drops' retro presentation. One reviewer calls it "a fantastic spiritual successor to the jank that were the old games," embracing the deliberately dated look as a feature rather than a limitation. Another specifically praises the "beautiful PS1 'inspired' graphic style that still holds up today," contrasting it with other retro-styled games that lean too hard on irony. Several reviewers frame the whole package, art style included, as a heartfelt tribute rather than a cynical cash-in, and that sincerity comes through clearly across the sample.

A rocky launch, and a developer who kept working

Spy Drops' launch was defined almost as much by controversy as by gameplay. A significant portion of the sample's negative reviews, and a wave of downvotes on positive ones, center on the game's original use of AI-generated voice acting, which many reviewers treated as a dealbreaker regardless of the underlying game's quality. The developer's response became its own recurring story within the sample: multiple reviewers explicitly note that human voice actors replaced the AI voices in a post-launch update, with one writing "post AI voice acting, this game is just a lot of fun" and crediting "how amazing the dev has been with receiving criticism." Other reviewers describe further fixes, like fixing a bug where enemy bodies wouldn't stay hidden, as evidence of a developer genuinely working through the game's launch problems rather than abandoning it.

Camera and controls remain the biggest complaint

Even reviewers who otherwise recommend Spy Drops tend to flag its camera and controls as a serious ongoing issue. One reviewer summarizes it as spending "all my time fighting either the camera or the controls," a sentiment that recurs across both positive and negative reviews well into the game's post- launch patch cycle. The top-down camera, which shifts perspective when players lean against walls, draws particular criticism for feeling inconsistent rather than deliberately stylized. Several reviewers specifically recommend playing with a controller rather than mouse and keyboard, saying it meaningfully reduces the friction, though even then a few describe the game as needing more time to "bake" before it fully delivers on its ideas.

Procedural missions add replay value, with some repetition

Structurally, Spy Drops mixes handcrafted story missions and boss fights with procedurally generated infiltration levels, and the sample is broadly positive about this design even where it flags rough edges. One reviewer calls it "a solid original MGS clone with procedurally generated missions between a few story missions," while another highlights "lots of variety with many different objectives and locations" across its randomized levels. That said, multiple reviewers note the game reuses environments and can feel repetitive in its early hours, with one admitting the loop "gets a bit repetitive after a while" despite still finding it enjoyable overall. Guard AI adds some genuine surprises, including one reviewer specifically impressed that enemies react to a player's shadow cast in front of them, though others report guards behaving inconsistently, sometimes overly perceptive and sometimes oblivious to obvious threats.

A local multiplayer mode most reviews don't mention

Spy Drops' store page advertises head-to-head local multiplayer alongside its single-player campaign, but it's notably absent from almost every review in the sample, which focuses overwhelmingly on the solo infiltration missions and story content. That silence is itself informative: for a feature prominent enough to be called out in the game's marketing, its near-total absence from organic player discussion suggests either limited uptake or limited polish compared to the main campaign. Reviewers who do recommend a controller for the single-player game note it feels like the intended input method throughout, which likely extends to the multiplayer mode as well given its head-to-head, couch-style framing.

What the achievement data shows

Spy Drops' 17 tracked achievements show a game most owners only partially progress through: the most common achievement sits at 89.1 percent, likely an early tutorial step, before dropping sharply into the 30-50 percent range for mid-game milestones and down to single digits for the rarest, hardest-to-reach achievements. That steep drop-off matches the sample's account of a game many players try, appreciate for its ideas, and then set aside once its jankier edges become too frequent to ignore.

Value

At NZ$24.99, reviewers are split on whether Spy Drops currently justifies its price. Several call it good value given the amount of handcrafted and procedural content on offer and the developer's ongoing support, while others argue "$15 is quite a bit to ask for a game that feels like it hasn't left alpha," referencing its US pricing. The fairest read of the sample is that Spy Drops is a reasonable buy for genre diehards willing to accept its jank now in exchange for continued improvement, but a harder sell for anyone wanting a fully polished experience on day one.

Final Verdict

Spy Drops is an earnest, openly ambitious homage to Metal Gear Solid's PS1-era stealth that stumbles on execution more than on ideas. Its retro presentation, procedural mission variety, and a solo developer's genuine responsiveness to criticism, including replacing controversial AI voice acting with human actors, earn real goodwill in the sample. But persistent camera and control jank, thin dialogue, and inconsistent guard AI keep it a rough, "Mixed" experience best suited to patient stealth-genre fans rather than a broad recommendation.