Sid Meier's Covert Action

About

Sid Meier's Covert Action is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Grinning Colossus and was released on October 9, 2014. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Sid Meier's Covert Action" is a pixel-perfect remake of the classic spy thriller game, focusing on the Cryptography portion of the original. Players must solve letters and decipher codes to foil criminal and terrorist organizations' plans. The full game, featuring four spy-themed activities, is available for purchase on GoG and Steam, with the GoG version being more faithfully preserved.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story4 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Unique gameplay that combines espionage, investigation, and various mini-games, providing a rich and immersive experience.
Offers multiple approaches to objectives, allowing players to choose their preferred methods of gathering information and completing missions.
High replayability due to procedurally generated plots and the ability to tackle cases in different ways, keeping the gameplay fresh.

Controls are clunky and can be difficult to master, especially for modern players unfamiliar with old-school gaming mechanics.
The infiltration mini-game can be frustratingly inconsistent in difficulty, making it challenging for players to progress.
Graphics and sound design are dated, which may deter some players from fully enjoying the experience.

story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The game's story revolves around a dynamic investigation where players uncover the identity of a mastermind behind a criminal plot through various missions. While the narrative offers engaging elements of mystery and strategy, some players find it challenging to keep track of the unfolding events due to the action-oriented gameplay. Overall, the procedurally generated missions create a satisfying and immersive experience, allowing players to influence the outcome of the plot as they gather evidence and make critical decisions.
- “I find this game to be well worth the price, and it ends up creating really satisfying stories by the end of your missions.”
- “The clock is constantly ticking, and each false lead is time taken away as the plot is coming together.”
- “The only real complaint I have, outside of dated controls and the tutorial not being as focused in directly assisting the player as it could be, is how the story of keeping tabs on what is going on in your specific scenario is surprisingly hard to focus on. Although this is partially an investigation game, it is also part-action where combat takes up a good portion of what you do, resulting in not knowing what to do next or generally where to go to achieve the next objective.”
- “All the same story beats are there; you find out the crooks are up to no good, go to a city and ask around, hunt for evidence, make sure your case is solid, and take down as much of the crime ring as you can.”
- “The basic premise is investigation - no handholding here - you're given the basic details of a plot at the start of a mission, and depending on the difficulty level, you'll get some starter info - maybe a name or two, or a face and perhaps an intercepted communication.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay of "Sid Meier's Covert Action" offers a unique blend of tactical espionage, strategy, and mini-games, allowing players to engage in various covert operations against terrorist organizations. While the game features a complex and immersive experience with elements like puzzles, stealth mechanics, and detective work, it suffers from outdated controls and repetitive gameplay loops that may deter casual gamers. Despite its clunky execution, the game is praised for its depth and replayability, appealing to those who appreciate old-school gaming and are willing to overlook its graphical limitations.
- “To touch upon the gameplay side of things here, Covert Action tasks you as 'Max Remington' (either Maximillian or Maxine depending on which gender you'd prefer to play as), as your goal is to put a stop to one of a dozen or so terrorist organizations' objectives that can vary from one scenario to the next, using various means of tactical action, espionage, and other government-approved methods to ensure that as many of the operatives involved are captured and arrested, with the ultimate goal being to apprehend each of the fifteen 'masterminds' behind each criminal organization.”
- “Ultimately, at the end of the day, Sid Meier's Covert Action offers a very specific experience with unique gameplay that aims to give its players a challenge coupled with realism thrown into the mix that, although in today's gaming standards it will easily be too outdated for a good portion of casual gamers, will no doubt appeal to those looking for something more 'involved' and keeping them on their toes as it were, something I recommend overall despite me playing rather poorly at it!”
- “Incredible re-playability, immersion, and emergent gameplay.”
- “While it does still have exciting scenarios where you've been surrounded and you have to take cover and make your way through a hailstorm of grenades and gunfire, the moment-to-moment gameplay is clunky, reminiscent of 'old computer game' action where the controls are spread all over the keyboard like a flight sim. There isn't quite enough animation, and things feel unresponsive for no particular reason.”
- “The controls are archaic, and the gameplay loop doesn't have a ton of depth.”
- “There's a weird sort of disconnect between the gameplay modes, as each section of the game (combat, driving, crypto, and electronics) feels disjointed, even though the overall theme ties them together to make the player feel like they are a spy working on uncovering some form of terrorist conspiracy.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated and janky by modern standards, reflecting its early 1990s origins. While many players acknowledge the visual shortcomings, they emphasize that the gameplay remains engaging and deep, suggesting that a graphical update could enhance the experience without altering the core mechanics. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not impress today, the game's design and gameplay still hold significant value.
- “Just a classic game, and I would love to see this same format redone, but with a graphics update, maybe a few more cut scenes, while keeping the layout of the game intact.”
- “10/10 (for when it was made, graphics were top of the line; today, people will complain about it).”
- “And despite its dated graphics, I think it holds up rather well.”
- “Holds up well if you can get past the ancient graphics and keyboard-only controls.”
- “Crap graphics, crap sound, no mouse support, very slow reactions to the controls, and despite all that - completely playable.”
- “All encompassing espionage puzzle/stealth-action game with terrible graphics.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game is praised for its high replayability, featuring semi-randomly generated detective plots that lead to numerous surprising moments. Many users express a desire for a remake, highlighting the game's brilliance and the nostalgic appeal of 90s video games known for their replay value. Overall, it is considered to offer superb replayability.
- “Lots of replayability and lots of 'aha!' and 'oh my god, you're the villain' moments.”
- “Add semi-randomly generated detective plots and you get a game that is very much replayable.”
- “I really miss the maximum replayability of 90's video games.”
- “90s ingenuity and maximum replayability are huge factors in this game.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is generally described as catchy and well-suited to its tone, featuring crisp and authentic sound design. However, some reviews note that the music can feel primitive, reflecting the limitations of audio technology from the game's era.
- “Fairly catchy music that fits the tone of the game quite well, with the sound design being crisp and authentic for the time.”
- “Big pixels, keyboard controls, and music from the dawn of audio cards.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game excels in creating a captivating atmosphere centered around international espionage, making it feel more authentic than many contemporary spy titles. Players find it immensely addictive, despite its structure as a collection of mini-games.
- “While it's basically a loose collection of mini-games centered around international espionage, it has tremendous atmosphere and is insanely addictive.”
- “Finally, the atmosphere for espionage is more believable than more modern spy games such as Alpha Protocol.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game shows potential but is hindered by several bugs, affecting its overall stability.
- “The game is promising but a bit buggy.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes that ruined my experience.”
- “There are too many glitches that make it hard to enjoy the game.”