Alexa: Deadly Agent

We are all about equality here at Pocket Gamer and like to think of gaming as a hobby where gender should be transparent. That isn't to say that we still don't get all beard – sorry – chin stroke-y about some of the issues surrounding gender in games.

For instance, there's no denying that shooters are typically dreamt up with a male audience in mind, which makes the concept of a catsuited vixen as protagonist an interesting one. Do male gamers merely want to admire this character as she sexes up the screen, gleefully bouncing around with all manner of heavy weaponry in tow? Or do they have some sort of deep-seated subconscious desire to be that femme fatale, commanding her environment and all of the dribbling cock-eyed goons that inhabit it?

Either way, such protracted musings are not the fare of Alexa: Deadly Agent, a game that wears its 'chicks with guns' tag with pride. But whatever thematic clichés this game succumbs to, there's no denying the relative balance that has been executed in its stealth/platform/action mix.

You play Alexa, a pink-haired, hard-as-nails covert ops type with a trigger finger and a big heart. You're the sort of gal who ignores orders to save captured friends – you're a loose cannon but one that the nameless organization you work for couldn't do without. You see, you're a bit of a pro when it comes to thwarting pesky terrorists, infiltrating maximum security buildings and finding secret nukes, which is what, among other things, you will spend the duration of Alexa: Deadly Agent doing.

The action itself is viewed as a 2D side-scroller and the path you take is a linear one. Don't let that fool you, however, as there are plenty of ways to progress: you can quietly sneak past enemies by clambering on pipes on the roof; you can stealthily kill enemies by creeping up on them and executing context-sensitive moves; or you can sling on your favourite semi-automatic weapon and grenade combo and wade in with all the subtlety of a Sherman tank.

Of course, getting through the game requires you to variously adopt all three approaches, but there's still some freedom to decide which tactic to employ for which situation. The controls are a simple '4' and '6' for left and right, '2' and '8' for jump and crouch, and '5' for fire and context sensitive sections set-up. You can also use a camo mode once per level by hitting the '*' key, while '#' is reserved for cycling through weapons.

All in all, it's good fun. The missions are reasonably short, giving this a punchy, casual feel, especially when you factor in the intuitive controls. Where the game misses the target a little is visually, though, with some choppy animation, for example. That said, generally speaking it's clear that effort has been made to at least vary the look of the enemies throughout the stages.

Not a bad effort, then. Whether you want to pretend you're a super-tough, super-sexy Jane Rambo or you just want to watch a super-tough, super-sexy Jane Rambo do her thing, then you could do much worse than Alexa: Deadly Agent.