Covert Action

In Covert Action, you play the role of Max (or Maxine) Remington, a retired freelance agent who is asked to come out of retirement by the President of the United States. A series of threats, he claims, threatens the safety of the nation and only Max can stop it.
Another game by the master, Sid Meier, this title is not as good as most of his other works. Covert Action is, in all honesty, a set of four small "mini-games" blended together to make a pleasant experience.

The "games" are as follows:
Investigation - You have to solve the crime and hopefully prevent it from happening. Most of your work will be found by some old-fashioned B&E (Breaking & Entering). Planting bugs, photographing files, arresting suspects and confiscating evidence are your main goals in this portion. Also, the layout of each building is changed with each new mission or game, so don't spend too much time memorizing the layout of the KGB office in Washington, DC - it will change your next mission.
Driving - Any agent around the world (regardless of organization) will be behind the wheel at some point. Tailing a suspect or running them off the road for an arrest, the cars at your disposal are all equipped with a map of the city. Each car has different speed, notice ability, tracking (for tracers) and handling ratings. Also, each car's ratings and appearance will change each time you drive - choose wisely, because you never know when YOU will become the hunted...
Wiretapping/Car Tracing - Ah, the world of electronics! No spy goes through his or her career without wiretapping someone's phone or planting a tracer on someone's car. In this segment, you will be switching out chips in the phone box or suspect vehicle in order to activate the wiretap/tracer. Be careful - a wrong chip switch could result in an alarm going off…
Crypto - Secret messages are a giving in this world, and in the world of Covert Action there is no exception. Using a simple letter replacement code, the messages are randomized from the get go, ensuring that you will have to work to uncover the message. Also, the code changes with each message.
You have also lack of time - you start your assignment with a very small amount of In and only a few weeks of game-time to shut down the plot. The plots can be anything from kidnapping, to bombing, to simple theft and almost anything in between. Although the plot changes with each mission, there are only so many different plots contained within the game before you start to see repeats.
However, the game is very enjoyable and is challenging - with four difficulty levels and many organizations to take on, Max's hands (as well as your own) will be busy. Grab your tux and perfect your British accent and step into the world of Covert Action…