Project IGI: I'm Going In

The Good
There are many things to like about Project: IGI. For starters, the graphics at the time were quite nice. The models for the enemies are relatively low poly but the outdoor areas and architecture are very well done. With a good 3D accelerator the graphics held up nicely to the competition. It is quite a sight to look down on a base and be able to plan your way through it, although most of tthe time the missions were linear.

The gun models were my favorite part of the game. The guns feel heavy and sound powerful. Not quite reality, but close enough that it really gives the guns weight and makes combat all the more intense. Speaking of combat, IGI handles it very well. The enemies take only a few shots to take down, so you won't be pumping whole clips into bad guys like some other FPS games. The player can take a bit more damage. Different weapons suit different styles of play. There are smaller guns like Uzis and pistols that work perfectly while indoors, while the sniper rifle and AK-47 work well when dealing with distance and outdoors.

The large number of different weapons is also a plus. You can take any enemy's gun and use it, something you almost have to do because of the ammunition problem in the game.

I found the AI to be pretty smart for a game like this. They would pursue you around corners and through doors and throw grenades when appropriate.

The Bad
LACK OF IN MISSION SAVES! That says it all, its what all the other reviewers complain about as well. The game just isn't suited for this type of save system. Its a very difficult game and it doesn't take many shots to kill you in the game. Many missions involve you slowly making your way through a base, just hoping there is no one around the next corner. Many times, you'll come across a bunch of guards and before you know it, you're dead. Then it's back to the beginning! A game as difficult and slow paced as this should allow to save anywhere you like, or at least give you a large number of predetermined save points.

Another bothersome aspect of the game is the lack of ammunition. I repeatedly found myself running low on good ammunition, which forces you to any other weapon you can find. Not sure if this was intentional or not, but it doesn't really fit well with the rest of the game.

Another problem is the lack of mission variety. Too many times the player is tasked with infiltrating an enemy base. It can get repetitive, especially because there are so many military buildings you can see before they all start to look the same.

The Bottom Line
Project: IGI is a combination of many different styles of first person shooter games. It combines huge, outdoor levels with normal run and gun action, and then adds a lot of steal into the fray. There isn't too much a story, it is reminiscent of a Tom Clancy story, with terrorists and other bad guys threatening the world.

The game plays like many FPS games, with a large amount of weapons ranging from uzis to rocket launchers. Most of the weapons are based on their real world counterparts, as the game takes place in modern day. Your missions involve differing objectives, but many times consist of infiltrating an enemy base. This allows the game to use both outdoor and indoor gameplay modes, as you have to first approach the base, then move throughout it before finishing the mission.

It's a fun game. The engine is based off the Joint Strike Fighter flight engine, so outdoors especially look fantastic. Going in and out of buildings is seamless, something other FPS games still struggled with at the time of this game's release.

The big show stopper for Project:IGI is the lack of any sort of in mission save system. Why oh why do developers decide to leave this simple feature out? Is it to add artificial length to a game? To make it more difficult? Whatever the reason, once you start a mission in Project: IGI you have to finish it. This can make for some very frustrating gameplay experiences, which is a shame because behind this annoying feature is a pretty intense game.

Bottom line: Project: IGI is an above average first person shooter game.