Publisher: Atari
Ages: twelve & up
Parental
Advisory:
Brutal violence
With lots of gadgets and stealthy gameplay, Atari's Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma captures the action and intrigue of the Mission: Impossible movies. It's a solid game that is reminiscent of last year's excellent Splinter Cell for the Xbox
As Ethan Hunt, players traverse the globe uncovering the mysteries behind the evil Surma Corporation and its newly developed virus, the Ice Worm, which allows Surma to break into any computer system. Armed with super-spy technology and weaponry inspired by the Mission: Impossible movies, Hunt leads an elite team that prevents Surma from taking over the world. Missions take place in locales such as the Los Muertos research facility in the southwestern United States; Sansara Prison in Northern Africa and Yugaria, a fictional eastern European country.
Throughout, players get to choose the tactics and game play style that they wish to use to accomplish mission objectives. As Hunt, a player can forge alliances with questionable characters to overwhelm an enemy force, or the player can charge in, blasting away with weapons. More likely, however, players will want to slide silently in and out of shadows and infiltrate enemy lairs unnoticed.
Ethan moves well and can vault and mantle objects; walk on ledges; hug walls through tight spaces; crouch and creep to keep a low profile and maneuver, hand-over-hand, across pipes and girders. Players can take out guards and dispose of their bodies, sneak behind guards and slip by unnoticed, distract guards, tranquilize guards remotely or even take them prisoner. It's much like playing Splinter Cell, which is a great thing.
The game offers intriguing gadgets that include: The Wasp, a miniature remote-controlled "bug" with a "sting"; a directional microphone used to overhear distant conversations; binoculars equipped with a digital camera to gather evidence; Electronic Warfare darts for disabling electronic devices and, more.
The game offers single-person-play with no multi-player options. As you would expect, the action is bloody, brutal and violent.
Players who enjoy stealth games such as Splinter Cell will have fun with Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma. It's an excellent license that's put to great use in a game. But it is for mature players only.
1/15/04 Daytrum Editorial Staff
