Spycraft: The Great Game

Release Date: February 29, 1996

Adventure, FPP, espionage, full motion video, singleplayer

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An adventure spy game, created partly in the convention of an interactive film. We play the role of a novice CIA agent who, trying to solve the mystery of a candidate for a Russian president, discovers a conspiracy that reaches the very heights of power in Russia and the USA. The production combines solving puzzles based on operational intelligence techniques with interactive FMV sequences recorded with the participation of live actors.

Plot
Mechanics

Spycraft: The Great Game is an adventure spy game with simulation elements, partly made in the form of an interactive film. The production was developed by Activision, the creators of such cult titles as Pitfall!, River Raid or MechWarrior 2.

Plot

The plot of Spycraft: The Great Game is based on the fictitious murder of a Russian presidential candidate who was shot during one of his public speeches. We play as a beginner CIA agent, who witnesses the death of his instructor. Our protagonist discovers that both murders were done by a former agent codenamed Harmonica, and the case involves the most important figures of both Russia and the USA. During his investigation, the protagonist will visit three continents, cooperating and contacting other agents, each of whom may turn out to be a potential traitor.

Mechanics

The game focuses to a large extent on solving subsequent puzzles, based on the analytical work of the intelligence. We have to determine who was the shooter and where the suspect may be at a given moment, and also remove the traces of our activity, trying to confuse our opponents. We do that by analyzing satellite images, telephone conversations or records of entrances and exits from the building. We also have the opportunity to talk to many characters and carry out operations on our own - both as a tactical officer and as a person fighting at the frontline. This element of the game was realized in the form of a slightly simplified FPS.

All contacts with NPCs in the game were made in the form of interactive movies, the action of which stops at moments that require our intervention. Spycraft: The Great Game is one of the first productions to use images and FMV sequences with live actors instead of hand-drawn graphics. The fact that former CIA director William Colby and retired KGB general Oleg Kalugin were consultants during the creation of the game make it a little bit more realistic. Thanks to their cooperation, the production is characterized by a considerable dose of realism in terms of recreating the real methods of cooperation between the two services.

Last updated on January 14, 2020

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