Project IGI: I'm Going In

"Nice game but way too short!"

You are David Llewelyn Jones, and ex-SAS operative who now works as a freelancing soldier. You have just been sent to recover a stolen nuclear weapon. When your first suspicions are proven to be wrong, the story thickens into a web of blackmail and betrayal.

Gameplay

The game runs very smoothly on most machines but the controls are quite hard to get used to, and it will take a while before you can concentrate on the level instead of doing the actual mission.

Guns are arranged conveniently in seven separate sections, including Shotguns, Machine Pistols, Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles allowing easy access to exactly the gun you want, but again, the computer will sometimes annoy you by selecting a gun with little or no ammunition and you will have to memorize how many times to press the button before you get the best weapon in the chosen category.

The game is technically well-done though and it shows that ex-SAS soldiers worked on the game. Standing in front of a camera for too long will result in an alarm being sounded, but shooting a camera while it cant see anything will also result in having an alarm sounded.

The AI in Project IGI is satisfactory but nothing too special, the enemies will run towards you when the alarm is sounded but the sound of gunshots will not alarm them. All they will do when one of their colleagues is snipered is duck and look around.

Locked doors can be picked, computers can be hacked to shut down cameras for a minute or two and you can slide down cables zip-wire style.

The game's levels are repetitive and although it's in the name of realism, surely the game designers would think they need more than bases to satisfy a gamer's needs. Every level is either a base, or an underground facility, and the game gets a very Goldeneye feel. The only variation in the games levels is the change in environment, snow and grass.

Story

Basically your playing a bit of a wild goose chase after a nuclear warhead. Interesting twists and turns in the plot keep the up the excitement but the story isn't very immersive and by the time you begin to get into the game, it's already over. There are only ten missions in the entire game, which simply isn't enough when some PC Games have over 200 hours gameplay.

Cutscenes and briefings at the end of the missions keep the story rolling, and there are no parts where you don't know what to do.

Graphics

The environments are very impressive which kinda justifies the designer's repeating the level's over and over again but the character models and weapons seem blocky. The graphics will not disappoint anyone, though. Nothing much I can really say here.

Sound

The sound effects in the game are satisfactory and the gun's sound realistic. The voice acting is very good but there is no real interaction between the enemies and eachother.

Replayability

Once you play the game once, that's pretty much it. There's no multiplayer mode to play online and there's not secret areas which you can attempt to find.

Buy or Rent?

Maybe pick this one out of the bargain bin, but definitely don't pay full price for it. Simply not worth it.

Verdict

A highly average game which will please most gamers but the more hardcore will not be impressed. Project IGI is saved a little by having no save function which adds a lot to the satisfaction of the game, but generally this game is only average.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/03/02, Updated 02/03/02