Spycraft: The Great Game

I was pleasantly surprised by this title. I had deliberately skipped all previews, reviews and screenshots to avoid spoilers, I just knew that it was FMV title which I am a fan. In Spycraft the FMV were so well done with many top notch and recognized actors. The level of complexity and back story was deep, in fact many times I felt lost as to what I was supposed to be doing, and how to go about it but that was ok, it only lent more credence to the game. No hand holding whatsoever. At times I could get a glimpse of how much paperwork a real 'spy' has to go thru per mission. lol The music is atmospheric and never intrusive. At times it reminded me of the music from The Omen. The UI interface in the form of a PDA is confusing at times, there is alot of reading and backstory to go thru and the game expects you to remember data and regurgitate it correctly in the form of Reports. I have not finished the game, so have no idea if my 'sleuthing' is accurate or if the game modifies the story to match your conclusions, which would be a great replay factor. I would definitly recommend this game to others who enjoy FMV games, thrillers, spy games etc. Though the intel is dated today, for its times it must have been highly accurate and enthralling.

It's a nice and atmospheric game where most of the time is spent searching and combining clues. In some cases the clues are a bit too hidden or not 100% logical so I had to look at hints several times. But the game is very enjoyable and atmospheric so that this is forgiveable. And the 1996 high-tech that is being shown is also charming somehow - kind of like watching an old Mission Impossible movie but a bit more so. For me this was actually enjoyable as well rather than a turn-off. Overall I can very much recommend the game. There is probably nothing else quite like it.

Spycraft is a game which makes heavy use of FMV featuring real actors, some of which you may even recognise from TV. Every conversation and major event is a video, and for the most part pretty well acted too. While seemingly "antiquated" by today's CGI-heavy standards, I think it actually adds to the immersion of this game. You feel like part of a movie rather than a computer game. The gameplay itself mainly revolves around using various computer-based tools to discover and process information, in an attempt to unravel a nefarious plot involving assassination and nuclear weapons. In other words, you play more of a Jack Ryan style CIA analyst, rather than a James Bond style action hero. It absolutely does require the player to pay attention to everything they hear and read, so if you don't have the concentration and tend to skip through text, this game is not for you. It also requires the player to think for themselves and work out various puzzles with little help and no blatantly obvious clues. So again, not for everybody... especially these days. But if you do have the patience and attention span, then this is definitely a game worth playing. For me there are just two minor flaws. One is an "action" sequence where you get into a gunfight. While not particularly difficult, it just feels a bit out of character compared to the rest of the game. The other is that there are a couple of occasions I recall in which you can get into a situation where you can't continue the game. Thankfully I kept multiple saves (I suggest you do the same) and was able to go back and make sure I did what was required to cause future events to trigger correctly. However, those minor issues aside, Spycraft is a fun experience and worth a few hours of your time.

...my time in the DIA. Who am I kidding, I couldn't tell you whether this is realistic or not. But the game is great nonetheless. The "Great Game" referring to "tradecraft", this is one of those FMV games from the 90s that I've always ignored as a child. This particular one was on my personal wishlist as a kid but I never got the chance to play due to not having money and whatnot. I forgot about it's existence until now. You are new member of some generic intelligence agency. You start off your first day at the agency, and begin to learn the ropes.The story proceeds through the use of FMV: we have our futuristic looking PDA; and some awesome computer programs at our disposal making use of technology for various subjects such as facial recognition, ballistics and audio. These tools will be used as the story proceeds. One of the few FMV games from the 90s that I'll play. The rest didn't age well, and we all know they weren't great to begin with. This game; even with all the advances since 1996, this game has aged well in my opinion, and I only wish there was a modern variation to this game. The acting might be cheesy at times, the music could be more consistent, but there's lots of good material here. Read up on the history of the various Alphabet Soups this country (U.S.) has produce and enjoy the story. Happy Sluething! Happy Sleuthing

What coincidence that given today's political climate that I played 'Spycraft: The Great Game' for the first time. For an FMV adventure game, 'Spycraft' actually features good acting. Using real sets and minimal green screens, the game has an authentic feel that makes you feel like you're part of the political spy thriller movies in the 1990s. The story is well written and exciting, with some nice twists and revelations. Some plot holes can be overlooked given how the story unfolds. In 'Spycraft', you are a CIA analyst (akin to Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy's novels) assigned to a mission that has multiple objectives. Throughout this game, you sift through intelligence via a series of puzzles that are like mini-games. There is a nice variety of puzzles, ranging from analyzing images and audio recordings, decyphering encrypted messages, compositing suspect images, and poring through intelligence for clues. 'Spycraft' manages to make data analyses fun and extremely rewarding. 'Spycraft' requires the player to be observant and smart, and it rewards for being so. This may be a game of the 1990s, but it holds up and still plays pretty well over 25 years later. Fans of 1990s political thrillers, adventure games, and logical puzzles are likely to find 'Spycraft' a compelling piece of entertainment.