The basic idea behind the game sounds fun. You're an SAS officer, sent off on a number of missions to save the world. It's a standard FPS shooter, made a bit more exiting by the 3D landscape engine which allows the action to take place across large outdoor environments.
The emphasis is on "real-world" fighting - where taking a couple of shots will kill you, and so you spend most of the time creeping around hoping not to be discovered.
There are plenty of gadgets to play with too. The Satelite camera allows you to view the action around you from above, and zoom in on activity in outdoor areas. When you use the camera, the map is shown full-screen and the action caries on around you in "real-time". If you're not careful you can get killed while looking at the map.
This "real-world" emphasis can be great (try games like SWAT3), but the game designers need to finely balance "reality" with "fun". Unfortunately this is where Project IGI shoots itself in the foot (as it were).
I couldn't even get past the first level on "normal" difficulty. I'm not that bad at games (I've completed Half-life, Star Trek Elite Force etc.), but try as I might I couldn't get through the first mission. I'd get 5 minutes into the level and get shot by a sniper - there's no save game feature, so you have to go back to the start of the level. A boring 5 minutes spent working through the part of the level I'd already completed, shoot the sniper... and then got shot by someone else. Guess what ? Another 5 minutes going back over the exact same level again!
After I'd played through the same part of the same level 10 times I just got bored and went to play something more fun instead.
As far as the rest of the game goes, other than the outdoor maps, there is very little special about the graphics - they're pretty much Quake2 engine standard (sub Half-Life). All that running around, climbing ladders etc. is pretty passe these days (how old is Tomb Raider ?), and there is really nothing new that this game does.
I originally bought the game because PCGamer UK gave it a good review. As it stands, without a save game feature, I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. If Eidos get around to patching the game (there's no sign of it yet), and adding the ability to save your progress within a mission I might start playing it again. As it stands, I'll stick with SWAT3 Elite Edition... "The element is behind you!" or Counterstrike.
Pro: 1. The satelite camera is quite cool. 2. Outdoor environments make a change from usual FPS.
Con 1. You cant save your game. 2. Too easy on "easy". 3. Impossible on any difficulty setting above "easy" (partly because there is no save game option). 4. No multiplayer. 5. Dodgy voice acting.
The basic idea behind the game sounds fun. You're an SAS officer, sent off on a number of missions to save the world. It's a standard FPS shooter, made a bit more exiting by the 3D landscape engine which allows the action to take place across large outdoor environments. The emphasis is on "real-world" fighting - where taking a couple of shots will kill you, and so you spend most of the time creeping around hoping not to be discovered. There are plenty of gadgets to play with too. The Satelite camera allows you to view the action around you from above, and zoom in on activity in outdoor areas. When you use the camera, the map is shown full-screen and the action caries on around you in "real-time". If you're not careful you can get killed while looking at the map. This "real-world" emphasis can be great (try games like SWAT3), but the game designers need to finely balance "reality" with "fun". Unfortunately this is where Project IGI shoots itself in the foot (as it were). I couldn't even get past the first level on "normal" difficulty. I'm not that bad at games (I've completed Half-life, Star Trek Elite Force etc. ), but try as I might I couldn't get through the first mission. I'd get 5 minutes into the level and get shot by a sniper - there's no save game feature, so you have to go back to the start of the level. A boring 5 minutes spent working through the part of the level I'd already completed, shoot the sniper... and then got shot by someone else. Guess what? Another 5 minutes going back over the exact same level again! After I'd played through the same part of the same level 10 times I just got bored and went to play something more fun instead. As far as the rest of the game goes, other than the outdoor maps, there is very little special about the graphics - they're pretty much Quake2 engine standard (sub Half-Life). All that running around, climbing ladders etc. is pretty passe these days (how old is Tomb Raider? ), and there is really nothing new that this game does. I originally bought the game because PCGamer UK gave it a good review. As it stands, without a save game feature, I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. If Eidos get around to patching the game (there's no sign of it yet), and adding the ability to save your progress within a mission I might start playing it again. As it stands, I'll stick with SWAT3 Elite Edition... "The element is behind you! " or Counterstrike. Pro: 1. The satelite camera is quite cool. 2. Outdoor environments make a change from usual FPS. Con 1. You cant save your game. 2. Too easy on "easy". 3. Impossible on any difficulty setting above "easy" (partly because there is no save game option). 4. No multiplayer. 5. Dodgy voice acting.