Sid Meier's Covert Action

This game is one of a kind with Sid Meier's style of game design on it. The replay value is infinite. I play this game like nuts when I was a kid. Basically it's a collection of mini games, one time you're playing stealth-ish top down shooter, another is puzzle (hacking and decoding), some lame driving sequence (even back then I remember it was horrible), then another identifying suspects. The top down shooter part will be the core of the overall game, where you break into suspect's office, gather intelligence and further leads/evidences, avoid detection or went into combat if you're spotted. I suppose it's fun back then but this part isn't what make me hooked. It's about getting good evidence to confront the suspect. Later on if I remember correctly you confront the suspect based on the intelligence and evidence you gather. If you manage to put the suspect into custody, you win the game. The closest thing you can currently get to this game is LA Noire, which is now my favorite game of all time. It's not exactly the same, and there's no randomizer within the game (Covert Action uses randomizer to construct the suspects, the puzzles, etc) but it's similar. The open world and the action part that got me hooked, it's the gathering of the evidences and have keen eye on the interview subject reactions. But nah I won't buy this game for the sake of nostalgia alone. I reckon it will aged badly. I'd rather replay LA Noire. I just wish a decent remake like they did with Pirates!

‘Covert Action’ may be 30 years old at the time of this review, but it’s still a captivating game to play despite its age and flaws. In it, you play Max Remington, THE ONLY freelance secret agent in the (ENTIRE) western world. You’ve been called in to complete a series of important missions with the CIA. You’ll need to infiltrate enemy buildings, tail suspects by car or escape from being followed yourself, decrypt coded messages, and install wiretaps to gather intelligence. The game is played out via 4 types of mini-games. How much you enjoy ‘CA’ will greatly depend on how much you like them. They’re either action-oriented (combat/infiltration, driving) or of the puzzle/strategy variety (cryptography, wiretapping). I enjoyed cryptography most, and I eventually got used to combat/infiltration despite it being clunky and slow even by 1980/90 standard. Make sure you have a full-size keyboard or joystick for the latter. The ultimate goal is for you is to capture 26 (not a more manageable 5 to 10) Masterminds who devise evil plots. The game randomly generates the specifics of each mission, so that it’s more replayable and unpredictable. Yet, ‘CA’ also ends up not having an overarching story, and the missions don’t really mean much when the villains and criminal/terrorist organizations are literally interchangeable. For a game presenting the incredible and romanticized notion of an incorruptible, legendary western spy who can do it all, it’s disappointing that it lacks drama to propel itself forward. In the end, it’s your personal determination to foil criminal/terrorist plots, and your appreciation for the mini-games that drive the game. I had a great time playing ‘CA’ and I was resolute in capturing a Mastermind, despite ending up thwarting the same plot twice by chance. Once I’ve caught my first one, I felt accomplished and empowered. At the same time, I was also happy to call it day. The CIA will need to find another Max Remington to catch the other 25 Masterminds.

I remember playing this game, its different settings just blew me away. To this day i love games that show you different points of views and use different game mechanics throughout their course, and this one was the first on that did exactly that (at least the first one i found) A timeless classic (timeless i will check now, gotta go buy it ;) )

Covert Action is a surprisingly complex spy game, comprised of several minigames in between various travel screens and infomation screens. if you can bear with the control scheme (it is QUITE archaic) the game is great fun and while the formula is similar from case to case, it's still potentially fun for hours, once you get the hang of the minigames. The main minigame, infiltration/break-in is also entertaining enough to keep you captivated, while you try to figure out where various nefarious characters are hiding out. The game is dated, for sure, but the premise is well executed and quite rare to see, only Shadows of doubt really comes close to matching the feel of conducting your own investigation. Had the controls been better and a bit more responsive, i'd have given it 5 stars.

Probably the one of the more obscure classics.... get it!!!