WinBack is a smart, enjoyable game that would influence the tactical shooter genre incredibly
You're Jean Luc Cougar, sent into a secret base that terrorists have captured in hopes to stop them from using a horrible satellite weapon. This game isn't a gung-ho brawl fest, you'll have to be sneaky and stealthy in order to survive. You can't run and fire, so you'll have to either lock onto an enemy and shoot them down quickly, or take cover behind walls, ledges, boxes and such while coming out in the open to fire away. This is most of what the gameplay is made of, and though it may sound boring, it isn't. You're put into all kinds of different situations while combating the terrorist soldiers, making for a multitude of original combat scenarios that force you to be tricky with your gun fights. Not to mention, the controls are pretty good, with easy-to-use button combinations and well-designed shooting mechanics. The camera angle may be a bit out of place every so often, but it's rarely an annoyance.
The challenge certainly doesn't come from the controls, but simply that you're put into a lot of rough situations; swarmed by enemies with sub machine guns and shotguns with little cover, a lack of medical kits to be found in some areas, laser-traps that cannot be touched whatsoever least you die instantly, and the exciting boss battles that place you in a duel with a terrorist elite with a big, bad weapon. You'll find some good difficulty here, and a Hard Campaign Mode will really make you go nuts at times.
Graphically, WinBack was a treat during the N64 days. Animations were smooth and precise, colors were perfect, and the characters all looked quite real for their time. The only things that bogged down the imagery was the fact that a lot of areas of the base looked the same (though they were very detailed), and the arms of the humans. Well, it wasn't really the arms, so much that the hands were simply blocks. Really, most of the time that's all you saw for them. Also, textures ranged from being good, to okay, to bad. There's a bunch of jagged edges to be found in the game, as well as a few issues with clippings. It's not serious, but it's there alright.
WinBack doesn't feature any voice-acting, except for the occasional "Freeze!", or "Over there!!" cries, which sound good, but become repetitive as they're said constantly throughout the game, and are the only things heard. Otherwise, the sound effects are rather nice, noticeably in the gun-fire department. Even your foot-steps sound great, especially when you go over different terrain. As for the music, it's also good, and fits the mood well for each level. There aren't a ton of tracks, but what's there works very well.
Though the story mode spans almost thirty levels, you can probably beat the game in around ten hours. But in doing so, you'll unlock a few extra modes, including the ability to replay any level you want. Besides that, there's a multiplayer which allows you to play with up to three other friends. It includes over twenty characters, several levels, and a few different game-modes. While it's nothing great, it definitely has its ups, and will probably warrant a bunch of plays by you and your buds.
WinBack is simply fun to play because of the gripping storyline, with a great cast of characters and all kinds of twists and surprises thrown in, making it very worthy of a movie, novel, comic or anime. But don't let this distract you, because the gameplay is still a fine achievement; in fact, most things about this game are fine achievements. If you like tactical shooters, then pick this up, there's no reason not to.