IGI 2: Covert Strike review

For those of you looking for games that require as much brainpower as firepower, stealthy titles like the Hitman, Thief and Project IGI series are the ideal gaming experiences.

While Hitman and Thief require lots of sneaking around inside buildings, changing clothes, stealing papers and picking locks, the original Project IGI (standing for I'm Going In) put the player in large, seamless environments, amid rolling hills and snow-topped mountains.

Fans of the original game will be pleased to see that many of its features, including the vast gaming arenas, have been carried over to the sequel IGI 2: Covert Strike. You play the same character, David Jones, an ex SAS man turned freelance operative. This time Jones's work with the secret organisation IGI takes him to Russia, Libya and China on the trail of nuclear weapons.

The environments are just as immersive as before, and intelligent opponents react to almost every sound and move you make. You'll find yourself holding your breath and crouching in your seat as you creep through the missions.

The developers have commendably listened to past criticisms of Project IGI, such as the absence of an in-game save function and the lack of multi-player, and addressed them in the sequel. You now have a limited number of saves, so you're forced to be choosy about where and when you save.

IGI 2 plays a lot like an enhanced and polished up version of the original game, rather than a sequel. There's still plenty of tension and atmosphere, but if you want something that stretches the stealth game genre, then you're best to wait for the PC release of Splinter Cell.

Author: Rhianna Pratchett