Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (PC)

Herald rating: * * * * US elite troops versus the bad guys in the Middle East is pretty much stock fare for computer games these days. Shadow Ops: Red Mercury follows this general theme and is based around America’s major fear — a nuclear weapon falling into the hands of terrorists. You play Frank Hayden, an elite Delta Force operative recruited by the CIA for this mission. His job is to track down the nuke, known as Red Mercury, before the terrorist faction can detonate it. One major problem for Hayden is that Red Mercury is a new breed of bomb and can fit into a backpack. To complicate things further, the Russians are after it too. But if they get it, what will they do with it? Its contemporary nature and Hollywood-calibre storyline make it, for the most part, a well-paced and engrossing game which requires thought as well as a quick trigger finger. Casual players will pick it up quite quickly, and enjoy it thoroughly on lower difficulty settings. Ambitious and experienced players may be tempted to try it on the ultra-tough Delta Force setting. Like the real thing, you only get one shot at success and if you’re killed it’s all the way back to the start. It is well suited to internet play, where you can play as a Delta Force operative or a terrorist in several modes. Multiplayer also sorts out one or two artificial intelligence quirks in single-player mode. * Atari, M15+