Sid Meier's Covert Action

The Good
The randomized nature of the game allows it to provide the player with a real-world non-linearity. Though the player is given many clues as to where to go and what to do, he can still travel to any city (in a list of about twenty) and break into or wiretap the facilities of any criminal organization (in a list of about seven per city), where he will encounter a different situation each time. One gets the feeling that, unlike in many games, the character is not in a tunnel propelling him to the goal. (i.e., a 3d first-person in which bushes and trees seem to form walls that restrict your movement into one general, desired direction.

The Bad
The gameplay in the action sequences is awkward and sticky, and certain aspects of the game seem unimportant or over-confusing and can be completely ignored. For example, there is a cryptology lab in each of the frequented CIA offices, in which the player is supposed to decode (very poorly) encrypted messages. However, this process takes a very long time (with respect to the "real-time" component of the game), and does not produce any results that cannot be gained elsewhere.

The Bottom Line
An intriguing game an with expansive scope whose flaws will not prevent you from playing it again and again.