 The
Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear series has established a niche in the world of shooters. There have been games, expansions, sequels, more
expansions and for the most part gamers have snatched these up. Unfortunately, in some cases (Tomb Raider, and now
Rogue Spear), companies stop developing new ideas and just start repackaging the same game
over and over and over again.
 That’s
why Rogue Spear: Covert Ops Essentials is such a disappointment. It’s a $30 stand-alone game that feels more
like it should have been a free patch. There
has been no revamping of the Urban Ops engine. No new weapons, just nine new maps, and the
pack does not even include the weapons that came with Urban Operations. I simply fail to see how this could possibly be
seen as a stand-alone game. If you own Rogue
Spear you could go download some player made maps (9 or more if you like) and have the
equivalent of Covert Ops and save yourself $30.
The missions that come with it are short, taking around an hour to complete. They are all available for use in multi-player
mode, but the only map that makes for a truly challenging game is the “Jungle”,
which quickly turns into a camping marathon.
Also included with the game is a second CD, the “Training CD”, which has
some interviews, photos, and video footage. I
almost forgot to mention the Covert Exam. This
“test” requires you to read a short blurb and answer a couple multiple-choice
questions. I’m sorry, but why should
people pay for this again?
 On
the up-side the game does seem to run just fine. It
installs quickly and easily, and allows players to get in and start shooting without any
annoyances. And the theme is the same winning
one as in Rogue Spear; stop those pesky terrorists from all their wrong doing without
getting your whole team killed.
Overall, Covert Ops was such a huge disappointment that I cannot recommend it. If you are a big Rogue Spear fan then I suggest
you look into the Urban Ops expansion for Rogue Spear.
If you already have it then, download some new maps for it and keep your
money. Let’s wait and see if Red Storm
puts out a real sequel, one that’s not a stripped down version of a game.
--Ben Moore |
