Back in the day (2004) I actually missed Shadow Ops: Red Mercury. To my view, 2004 was the year of the first-person shooters (Painkiller, Far Cry, Doom 3, Half-Life 2) and quite logically it slipped my attention.
18 years later, I have to say that this is a nice little game. It does offer some old school vibe. The cutscenes are made with the engine of the game, which was actually the rule back then. The story is plain and simple and many times I had the feeling I am actually playing a 90s action movie - right from my childhood. The main protagonist is a stereotypical American soldier, there is also a femme fatale in the form of an Eastern European former girlfriend (presently scientist), and a conspiracy that is entrenched into the very heart of the US Intelligence and threatens the very existence of our world. Hardly novel, but surprisingly entertaining, if you have grown up in the 90s. The action is really fast paced, as there are TONS of enemies to shoot down. The rather linear and scripted gameplay can feel a bit boring after some time, since there is virtually one way to advance through the levels and that is the way that the programmers intended to. However, it didn't bother me that much.
On the bright side, the locations are diverse, spanning from the Middle East, through the jungles of Africa and the culmination is on top of the Eiffel Tower. I have to admit, I liked it.
There are some simple puzzles to be solved in the course of advancing through the levels. They are by no means challenging and able to tamper with your progress.
Final verdict - If you are a fan of plain, simple and fast-paced FPS games, where you don't devote much of yourself to thinking, this is the perfect game for you. It relieves stress and can amuse you, if you give it a chance. However, do not attempt to find a Delta Force clone, since tactics and stealth are at the bare minimum here.
I gave it a 5/5 because of nostalgia. The realistic score should be 4/5, or a solid 80/100.
