Enemies were shooting through walls, and I didn't have a gunpoint. That's what my tough adventure with Project I.G.I looked like
Project I.G.I. is a game that, to this day, many players recall with nostalgia. And for good reason - the title of Innerloop Studios had the potential to have a real chance against the giants of the tactical shooter genre, but it lacked something.
I.G.I. is a series that attempted to compete with titles such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, but it never managed to engage in an equal fight with them.
Although neither the first nor the second installment of this series repeated the success of their bigger competitors, they still managed to gather a considerable group of dedicated fans around them. Fans among whom I count myself. I often feel a strong connection to this franchise, although my attachment sometimes resembles Stockholm syndrome.
Allow me to tell you about the first game under this banner, Project I.G.I., and also reveal why the creation of Innerloop Studio swept me off my feet more than it should have at the time.
Shooter with a tactical edge
In Project I.G.I., we played as David Jones, a former soldier of the British special forces who now works for the Institute of Geotactical Intelligence. As a mercenary, the main character took on various missions, including one in the discussed game, which involved infiltrating the former Soviet Union and recovering stolen nuclear warheads from the American arsenal.
Sounds like a job for James Bond or at least Sam Fisher? That's how it was, because Project I.G.I. wasn't a typical shooter, but a title with a tactical twist, where "thinking ahead" often turned out to be much more important than sharp shooting and a quick trigger finger. Before starting the mission, we could check out the satellite map of the location, see where the patrols are, and find out where the security cameras are placed. Once we entered the action, however, we were left to rely solely on ourselves - we couldn't count on help from companions, as in Ghost Recon or Rainbow Six.
The mission objectives were diverse, like blowing up missile launchers, defending allies, or sneaking into enemy bases to gather important intel or items.
Not for beginners
Project I.G.I. was characterized by a high level of difficulty. Enemies were quite attentive, and they could spot the protagonist from a great distance, often reacting quickly to the sounds of gunshots as well. However, the protagonist was far from being Doom Guy, so he could only take a few bullets "head on." This meant that even though the "Rambo" method could theoretically be used here, in practice, it wasn't possible just to shoot your way to the goal. Instead, the key to success was meticulous planning of moves (for which the aforementioned map was useful), as well as careful taking of the next steps and methodical elimination of threats in the most clever way possible.
Enemies could be eliminated using a knife or a wide range of guns. The last one included a pistol, submachine gun, assault and machine rifle, sniper rifle, shotgun, and even a rocket launcher. The situation was complicated by the fact that ammunition for some pieces was scarce here. Another issue that could be used to our advantage was the fact that the bullets behaved similarly to real ones. They were able to pierce through wood, and also bounce off metal surfaces. Sure, our enemies could "shoot" us even through walls, but at the same time, we could do the exact same thing to them.
Another complication was the game's saving system. The title didn't allow "saving" during the mission, only after its completion. This meant that an inexperienced player had to repeatedly retrace their steps, repeating a given mission over and over again.
Fingerprint aiming (+200% to the difficulty level)
Having trouble with the difficulty level because of lack of skills is not a big deal - practice makes perfect after all. It's worse if technology throws obstacles in our way... My first PC was a strange invention equipped with a GeForce 4 MX440 graphics and a Creative Sound Blaster sound card. These components had a habit of regularly causing compatibility issues with video games. Unfortunately, one of the problematic games turned out to be Project I.G.I.
Due to issues with the graphics drivers, Innerloop Studios' title graced me with the lack of a gunpoint. The sound driver issues were causing the game's weapon sounds not to play. Back in 2002, when I was playing Project I.G.I., it wasn't as easy to get new software as it is today. I had to really work hard to find a way to enjoy the game.
I couldn't do anything about the lack of sound from the gun - I had to get used to not hearing when I shoot, but also not hearing when they shoot at me. As for the lack of a gunpoint... well, I didn't stick anything to the monitor because I was afraid that I would damage it in this way. Instead, I made a fingerprint in the middle of the screen, which I used to aim at enemies. Surprisingly, I managed to play like that, although looking back, I can't believe how stubborn I was back then.
Almost like Splinter Cell
Looking at it now, Project I.G.I. seems a bit like a first-person "Splinter Cell" to me. Although that's a bit of an exaggeration, because the stealth system here wasn't as advanced as in Sam Fisher's games. David Jones was able to sneak quietly behind enemies and eliminate them by surprise, but also to use ladders and climb high objects, or make use of a zip line. The game I'm talking about had an edge over Third Echelon agent's adventures with its open-structured maps that were really impressive in size when it was released.
What's interesting, the devs tried out a solution that was later used, among others, in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In some moments, like climbing a ladder, operating a computer, or setting explosive charges, the camera would switch to a third-person perspective, allowing us to look at our protagonist. Back then, it gave the game a bit of a "cinematic" vibe.
Issues
The problematic save system, which I mentioned above, was not the only issue with Project I.G.I. The opponents' AI was the main problem in the game. Sometimes they acted reasonably, but most of the time they were just plain stupid. It happened that they didn't react to the death of their colleagues, and when they noticed the main character, instead of going for reinforcements, they threw themselves at him, putting themselves directly under the barrel. To make matters worse, they spawn out of nowhere; shots were also fired at the protagonist from nowhere (unfortunately, in many cases, fatal).
How to play Project IGI today?
At the time of writing these words, Project I.G.I. is not available on either GOG.com or Steam. You have to pay at least 20 bucks for a used physical edition of this game. You can get the sequel, I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike, for only 5 dollars, though.
The I.G.I. series was supposed to have a prequel called I.G.I. Origins, but the project was abandoned, and it's unlikely to ever be finished. But that's a topic for another story...
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Author: Christian Pieniazek
Started working with Gamepressure.com in August 2016. Although the Game Encyclopedia has been his pride and joy from the beginning, he also writes for the Newsroom and the Editorial section. Gained professional experience through a now-defunct service, in which he worked for almost three years. Graduated in Cultural Studies at the AGH University of Krakow. Runs his own business, jogs, cycles, loves mountain hiking, is a fan of nu metal, is interested in space, and of course, enjoys playing games. Feels best in action games with an open world and RPGs, although won't turn down good racing or shooting games.
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