IGI 2: Covert Strike Review (no fat)

Game Description

After the events from the first game, David Jones, an ex-SAS soldier working for IGI, is given new missions in Russia, Libya and China. He must once again infiltrate airbases or harbors, steal documents and hack computers to save the world from terrorism and weapon dealers. Having enough ammo to start a war, you will be able to finish the 19 missions using intelligence or brute force.

IGI 2: Covert Strike Gameplay

Being a stealth game, IGI 2: Covert Strike encourages the use of tactics and well planned moves instead of firepower. And for that, you will be given a GPS map so that you can observe the surroundings and the movements of the enemies before going in. Although running and shooting everybody is an option, it is much more difficult. The AI has a very good shooting precision, and you are encouraged not to let them use their advantage. Instead, the silent guns will help you a lot when you will have to take out guards or video cameras.

Being quiet is an option that you should consider. The AI is sharp and the enemy soldiers react to sound and even shadows. If you start shooting with noisy guns, it’s very almost sure that groups of enemies will come and try to take you down. And the groups will use very good tactics, surrounding you and overcoming you by number. The enemies are working together, and if they see a dead body, it is very likely that they will start looking for you. A good thing though is that they are not respawning. So, after you have eliminated them all, there is no reason to worry about them.

The action is very varied, from taking down guards, to hacking computers or stopping rocket launches. Every mission will start with a short cut-scene presenting you the objectives of the mission. After that, you will be given a map, a pair of digital binoculars, thermal imaging devices and a lot of weapons. It will be up to you how you will execute your mission… and your enemies.

Saving was a problem in the original IGI, but it has been solved in the second game. You will be able to save when you want, but it will take some time for that to be done. Meanwhile, time will not stop and enemies will shoot you if they are around, so it is recommended that you find a safe spot where you can wait until the saving is done.

The number of saves you get is dependant on the level of difficulty you choose to play…something which can’t be complained about. However, it’s a tad tough to get used to the saves on the map.

IGI 2: Covert Strike Weapons

You might be all alone in this game, but this does not mean that you have only the second chance. And that is because of the arsenal you have. More than 30 weapons are present in the game, and you will have a lot to choose from.

From guns to submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, and the special and appreciated rocket launchers or grenades there is a lot on offer. Nonetheless, the covert operations will mostly have you using weapons that draw the least attention to your presence.

Having all this ammo, you will be able to develop your tactics as you like. You can plant mines and wait for soldiers to pass near them, you can start shooting at enemies with AK-47’s or you can use your rocket launcher to make them fly. The tactical side is recommended though, and you have your sniper rifles to give you possibility to clear a military base up from a hill, or the silenced gun to make your way unheard through the secret government installations.

IGI 2: Covert Strike Enemies

The AI has been improved since the last IGI, and now the enemies can hear and see better, but this can be used in your advantage. You can throw stones in the opposite direction to make them move away from the door they were guarding, you can use smoke grenades to make them blind while you are taking them out with your silenced gun.

The enemies are still hard to beat when in groups. They use tactics and try to surround you, and react when they see a dead body or a suspect shadow. The downside, though, is that the AI is not very smart. They are likely to run in one after another to be shot down by you, rather than apply caution and, perhaps, try to smoke you out of your hiding place.

Also, it can be considered superficiality from the producers that you can’t move the enemies you killed. Even the GPS map, and your ability to check where the guards are usually going through does not justify the lack of body movement feature. In fact, you can’t help but feel that it’s a bad miss that complicates matters needlessly.

IGI 2: Covert Strike - The Technicalities

The environment is diverse, with indoor, as well as, outdoor missions. Cold mountains or research labs and bases don’t come as a surprise either. The textures are created well, and the weapons look realistic.

The graphics suffer a big let down when it comes to figures and enemy faces. Not detailed enough to be considered for any graphics award, even the enemy movement animations are quite robotic. Another disappointment are the shadows which hold true to some Eastern proverbs and leave you in tough times…sometimes even spawning several feet away.

The sounds of the weapons are deep, and the music is both calm and intense, being the perfect description for stealth… lots of adrenaline and calm combined.

IGI 2: Covert Strike Summing Up

The game boasts a very good combination of intense action and stealth, and it is clear that the accent is put on concentrated stealth action. The arsenal can sum up into an encyclopedia of weapons, and, of course, the “hero” part is present… you alone can stop the terrorists from tacking control, or the weapon dealers from getting rich and powerful.

The game has some problems like the imperfect AI, that can be fooled with some simple tricks. Also, the graphics are not really impressive, but this is compensated with the environment’s variety.

When all's said and done, IGI 2: Covert Strike is a good game, intense and full of variety, but one that certainly had potential to be even better.

IGI 2 - Cost

Covert Strike can be bought at $5.99, at the time of this review.