Project I.G.I.: I'm Going In (PC) Review

One minute into the game and it's easy to see that this is neither Metal Gear Solid nor No One Lives Forever. The story is the typical, military 101 plot. You know… your run of the mill "rogue paramilitary group steals nuclear weapons" kind of deal. Presentation is dryer than a stale cracker, with the dialogue sequences between the ex-SAS protagonist and his informant Anya trying to have that Bond and Moneypenny witty charm (minus the flirting) but failing to do so due to the mediocre voice acting and writing quality. We aren't off to a good start, are we? Surprisingly, as weak as Project I.G.I. is in terms of style and storytelling it makes up for it by immersing you into the role of a highly-trained soldier who is out on one-man espionage mission.

The engrossment factor is high due to simple yet effective audiovisuals (minus one point for the lack of any decent ambient sound), but mostly because of the realistic approach this takes, with one example being that while the maps themselves are of normal size, one can simply turn around and keep on walking… forever, as more landscape is procedurally generated, with more of it visible in the distance. Is there something to do over "there?" No, but it's something that kind of sticks into your subconscious, telling you that you are far, far, far away from civilization, alone into enemy territory. The second thing that this tries to be as realistic as possible is how easy it is to die when caught in gunfire…

In Project IGI enemies can die in a couple of well-placed shots, but pretty much the same applies to Joe, Jack, Jones, Jeshua, or whatever this two-dimensional protagonist's name is. Being a tactical shooter, after receiving the mission's objectives via a small cut-scene, it will the be time to observe things with the use of G.I. Jones' high-tech binoculars, or by turning on the Computer Map, which is basically a live satellite surveillance system that tracks patrols and security cameras, while also providing minor info on buildings. Done with observing and planning? Okay, lets climb over that fence and… oh, someone saw soldier-dude, the sirens are screaming, and enemies have come out of the barracks to hunt him down. Dead.

Now, dying because you weren't careful and didn't see that someone was watching is the good scenario. Sadly, there are many occasions where it's all about trial-and-error. There is a map early on, for instance, where the mission begins, you make one simple step forward, and within less than two seconds you are shot by a guard up on a lookout tower. Indoor areas are even worse, because aside from peeking from a corner, you don't have any tools at your disposal to help you devise a plan. It's all up to how quickly players can headshot whatever appears in front of them, which can be quite difficult as enemies are lightning-fast when it comes to shooting their guns.

Forget everything that has been said so far. The one that was, is, and forever will be the main issue for most, is the absence of a save feature. Picture this: you've taken about 20 or so minutes disabling surveillance cameras, silently killing patrols and soldiers up on lookout towers. The path towards your goal is open! The hero enters a room, and = blam! - a guy holding a shotgun annihilates him in milliseconds, and now you must do everything all over again. The one writing this is actually a fan of the tension that this creates, but there are some prerequisites…

Having limited, or no save points at all can be great, BUT only as long as the piece of software at hand is one that justifies being so damn punishing. There are two problems with Project I.G.I.: the first is that it's not really a tactical shooter. Yes, one can survey the map, devise a plan, approach the enemy stealthily, and so son, but there are also many an occasion where it is simply impossible to plan ahead, and must rely on your quick aim and your quick aim alone… with the risk of losing it all just because the elevator doors opened and the one who was waiting right there managed to shoot his guns before you could even blink.

The second issue with this is that it can many times be unfair, or simply annoying due to its bad design. Why, for instance, introduce respawing enemies, where for the past five or so maps once everyone were dead, they remained dead? Why include escort missions like the one in Map 10, where the NPC that is guarded can easily die from a single well-placed shot from a lone soldier, whereas in all past attempts he survived group attacks? Why, oh, why have maps that take way too long for them to end, whereas 90% of the experience is all about short-and-sweet missions that don't overstay their welcome. The weird thing? Even with all these flaws Project I.G.I. is kind of fun as long as you approach it as a puzzle game that requires plenty of trial-and-error rather than a "pure" tactical shooter.

As mentioned earlier this is actually quite the engrossing experience, making one feel as if truly a soldier infiltrating a highly dangerous area where death hides behind every corner. The weapons feel good to use too, with the Dragunov, the sniper rifle of the game briefly turning you into a god of the battlefield that strikes from afar. Being as hard as it is, also makes each success feel very satisfying as well, and it's also extremely helpful, although somewhat immersion breaking, that the AI is super dumb, with enemies dying next to their comrades, who in turn don't even bat an eye at the bloodshed in front of their eyes. Well, in a game as challenging as this one it's an issue that's easy to overlook.