I love Sabotage. It was the best game I got to play while at E3 last year and I can't wait for the game to come out. Gamecock and Replay Studios brings news that Sabotage has now become Velvet Assassin. In Velvet Assassin, you play as secret agent Violette Szabo who takes on Nazi forces during World War II. Read up on my impressions of the game from EIEIO 2007 and see why I'm so excited for it.

From what I've heard, the game has gone through a big overhaul since it was last shown off. The name change was done to reflect the new feel for the game as Sabotage just didn't fit the title anymore. The trailer above shows off some of the gorgeous lighting and color system as well as some behind the scenes look at the game. It also shows Violette in a night gown.

Velvet Assassin, along with a bunch of other Gamecock titles, will be on display this week at EIEIO 2008. Our own Nick Chester will be there covering all the games while I sit at home stabbing a picture of Nick's face out of jealousy. Oh, and if you happen to be in Texas on Thursday night, EIEIO will have their doors open to the general public. So you too can now know what it's like to be a videogame journalist (getting drunk and playing videogames in public)!   

THE “VELVET ASSASSIN” STRIKES DOWN SABOTAGE

REPLAY STUDIOS ANNOUNCES NEW NAME FOR THEIR WORLD WAR II STEALTH ACTION TITLE

Cockpit, Austin, TX – February 29, 2008 – Today developer Replay Studios, along with publisher Gamecock Media Group, have announced the official name change for ’Velvet Assassin’, their upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as ‘Sabotage’. The new title creates a perfect marriage between the story of real life hero Violette Szabo and the clandestine art of sabotage she championed. From the incredibly innovative art style, storyline, and combat gameplay, Velvet Assassin is poised to revolutionize the stealth-action genre later this year.

“Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like ‘Sabotage,’ ‘Velvet Assassin’ captures the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. “From the start we’ve wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue.”  

Inspired by the true story of British Agent Violette Szabo, players will take on the role of Violette Summer. Behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied Europe, Violette risks her life fighting to fell the Third Reich with anything she can get her hands on, including enemy soldiers. With no support or official backing from the British Government, Violette puts everything on the line to defeat the German war machine – one mission at a time. Velvet Assassin combines lush, surreal visuals, a ground-breaking stealth combat system and one of the most unique perspectives ever brought to gaming. Velvet Assassin is planned to release in Fall 2008 on PC and next-generation consoles.

“Most of the time a name change happens because it’s not ‘catchy’ enough or because the marketing team didn’t like it,” said Tim Hesse, Executive Producer at Gamecock Media Group. “I have to say, the Replay crew have outdone themselves by making Violette into one of the best looking stealth-killers ever. This game has come so far since last year that Sabotage just didn’t do the game justice – ‘Velvet Assassin’ sums up every aspect that makes this game great.”