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Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma

Score: 50%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari
Media: Cart/1
Players: 1
Genre: Action/ Stealth

Graphics & Sound:

As far as GBA games go, Mission Impossible - Operation Surma looks okay, but doesn't really bring the 'wow' factor of other games. The game's levels, which are based around in locales ranging from Rome to the Middle East, show little detail. Although each mission is supposed to take place in different locations, very little is done to actually set them apart from each other. What is supposed to be taking place in Eastern Europe could just as easily be taking place in your own neighborhood (provided you don't live in Eastern Europe -- then it really is taking place...bah, anyway). Environments show some details, but for the most part are just empty rooms and hallways with some little details like gun racks of computer terminals on the walls.

Gangs of like-clothed soldiers inhabit each level, as do dogs and some secondary characters like prisoners and other M:I agents. Each shows off limited movements, all of which are stilted. Ethan's animations, on the other hand, are pretty good. One of the better graphical achievements in the game is the ability to use disguises. Although this is nothing more than a simple palette swap, its still a nice effect -- even if it looks a little silly since you're still wearing your backpack and other M:I gear.

M:I features a nice remix of the familiar Mission: Impossible theme song. The overall soundtrack is good, but doesn't really lend itself to the stealth based action the game is supposedly trying to portray. When I'm sneaking through corridors, I'd rather hear low toned music rather than a high-adrenaline rock beat. It's also advisable to turn down the sound on either your GBA or via the in-game menu since the initial sound settings cause the music to blare out at you -- producing some nasty sounding reverberations with the GBA's speaker. It's a hard sound to describe, but you've all heard it before. Trust me. Sound effects are minimal, mostly sticking to a few basic sounds that sound more like blips and crashes of static.


Gameplay:

Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma once again places you in the role of Ethan Hunt, infiltration expert and M:I Operative. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take down the Surma Corporation and foil their plans for world dominance. One of the primary problems with M:I is that it is a stealth game that still plays by action game rules. As far as I can tell, the desired effect is a faster paced stealth game, as opposed to something like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear where you spend much of your time waiting and watching instead of doing. The experiment is both a success and a failure, depending on how you look at it. Levels play out in a very fast paced manner and you'll spend just as much time hiding in shadows as you do tackling enemies. At the same time, the action overshadows the stealth elements so much that it becomes almost irrelevant unless the mission objective clearly tells you 'don't get caught'. As well, many elements that have become staples of the stealth genre -- like creating distractions are no where to be found. The only real elements I was able to pick out were the ability to hide in shadows, perform knockout attacks from behind and slide along walls. All of these devices are futile gestures during gameplay. Wall slides are also entertaining based on the fact that the designers included yellow marks on the floor to indicate that you could back into that wall. I'm sorry, but if you have to remind me to do that in a stealth game, there's something wrong with the design.

Each level begins with a short introduction to the mission. Here you'll learn the background of the mission as well as what you're supposed to do. You are then given a pre-mission pep talk by Luther, your mission operator. Missions have one overall parameter and several secondary parameters - each of which is fed to you by your mission operator. Missions play out in a very linear fashion and abide by strict guidelines, taking away any sort of creative thinking you may be able to inject into the game. Some missions are also timed, requiring you to make it to a different area of the level in a set time, usually 6 minutes. This is where stealth gameplay goes out of the window and you resort to just charging through and killing anyone in your way.


Difficulty:

Had Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma focused primarily on the stealth elements more than action ones, it would have been a challenging game. When you trying to play the game with stealth in mind, it provides some tough situations, even if most of them are self imposed. However, the game plays like a watered down action game, thus making it a very easy game to complete.

Guard AI isn't all that bright and will only notice you if you are directly in front of them and standing two feet away. Sneaking up on guards is way too easy since they aren't aware of anything going on around them. If an alarm goes off, one or two guards will charge into a room and if you're within their initial line of sight will usually kill you. However, if you can manage to walk to the other side of the room, they'll forget you're in the room and stand in one spot. Once a guard's back is turned to you, it will usually stay that way. Then it is just a matter of capping them in the back of the head with your gun, knocking them out or walking out of the room. Dogs show a little more 'get up and go', but are easily dealt with.


Game Mechanics:

Although the game doesn't explicitly tell you to run through levels like a gun crazed madman, it certainly encourages it. A silenced handgun is always part of your mission gear and you'll usually pick up some sort of explosive along the way as well. Machine guns and sniper rifles (which are funny additions since most missions take place indoors) are also scattered throughout the level -- either lying on the floor or by killing a guard. You also get a fair amount of ammo. With options like these and a lack of any sort of penalty for breaking stealth (remember, guards are stupid) - why would you want to sneak around? If you don't want me to use something, don't give it to me.

Over the course of your missions, Ethan is granted access to a toy chest of other high-tech gadgets like mini-bombs, electrical detectors and tracking devices. Good luck figuring out how half of them work, since most either state the obvious (by alerting me that there is a camera in plain view) or by just not working. The radar jammer never seemed to work as advertised and I learned how to use another device purely by luck. Gadgets can only be used one at a time. Usually, this isn't an issue but I couldn't figure out why another device couldn't be used when the disguise was equipped. When you think about it, it makes no logical sense -- why would I remove my disguise so I could use tracer? The ease of choosing which device to use is dictated by how many you have in your inventory. Pressing the R shoulder button cycles through your inventory, which makes finding the right device a crapshoot. If you accidentally skip the device you're looking for, you have to cycle through everything to get to it again. Some equipment has a targeting reticule that is activated by pressing the L shoulder button. Surprisingly enough, guns (except for the sniper rifle) aren't included in this select group.

In short, Mission: Impossible - Operation Surma isn't worth it. If you've been craving a portable stealth game, you'd do better in replaying the GBA version of Splinter Cell or trying to find a copy of the GameBoy version.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

Nintendo GameBoy Advance Metroid: Zero Mission Nintendo GameBoy Advance Ninja Five-O

 
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