Ocean Gambles With Mission Impossible

Among the many games we saw at the Ocean/Infogrames meeting yesterday in Las Vegas was the notoriously delayed Mission: Impossible for the N64. GameSpot News was assured that Mission: Impossible has been cleared for a June release.

You play IMF agent Ethan Hunt in his quest to prove he's not a mole, steal the NOC list, and then dispose of it appropriately. The game does closely mirror the movie's plot (early levels include the embassy, just like the beginning of the movie). And as in the famous movie scene, you have to break into the sealed CIA room to steal the NOC list. This time, however, the break-in is slightly different: You have to carefully lower yourself through a series of lasers layered one after another on your way down (it was incredibly reminiscent of junior high when that one daring kid dared run the length of the entire swing set, timing himself perfectly so that he never crashed into any of the swingers - Pandemonium style). Getting the NOC will require skill and precision in timing.

Skill and precision aren't the only qualities needed for the game. As Ocean has stated before, Mission: Impossible will combine both adventure and action. Some levels require more puzzle-solving and strategy skills (find the nausea powder, pour into the drink of the designated person, etc.), while others will be more focussed on killing enemies. And while we saw few enemies running across the screen, Infogrames assured us that if we managed to run through a level without fighting the initial enemies, they would gang up on us at the end of the level and present us with a very sticky situation.

Watch for our updated preview next week, and stay tuned for more information as the June release draws nearer.