[OFP] Hawk In Nets (MEC Entry) by Munch Studios

Review by Sui

Overview

The overview displayed an excellent picture, but was spread over 3 pages making it a little too long.

Intro

Setting the scene well, the Intro shows us the objective (the bad guy), and his involvement in all things nasty. The camera work is very tidy, with many interior shots (which can go wrong for the unwary) and well thought out cinematography. Voices would be the only thing that could have made this any better.

Briefing

The Briefing was similar to the Overview, in that the player has a lot of information to absorb. I felt this detracted from the mission, as it made the backstory (which was very good) hard to get my head around. There was also information about the various systems at the players' disposal for the operation.

Mission

The mission can be quite difficult, but is very well set out and organized. The plot twists a couple of times, keeping the player on their toes. It is also advised to use all the tools the designer has put in the players hands. The satellite camera can be particularly helpful.

Outro(s)

The mission aftermath is played out in the Outro. Again, the camerawork is excellent and the plot line develops sinister overtones much larger than the one mission. A sequel in the works maybe?

Special

Some very solid and crafty ideas were used to augment the players abilities as a stealth operative. Scripts involving close combat and cutting-edge technology help to keep the noise (and risk) down nicely.

Overall

(Review Date: Mar 2005) This is a very well designed mission, polished until it shines. It is unfortunately limited a little by OFP's weaknesses (close quarters and AI seeing through buildings), but clever scripting overcomes most issues. The difficulty level is a bit daunting, but ensures you should have hours of playing time.