5 Classic Spy Games That You Forgot Were Awesome

From Splinter Cell to Metal Gear Solid, the spy genre has been a popular one in video games for decades. And while those major hits are known by most players, there are plenty of great spy games that let you embrace your inner James Bond or Jason Bourne. The five classic games below never got the same level of love as the genre stalwarts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still worth playing today.

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Here are the best classic spy games you probably forgot about.

5) Commandos 2: Men of Courage

Commandos 2 is a bit different from your typical spy game. It is a real-time tactics game from Pyro Studios, which puts players in control of a squad of elite soldiers. You have to use every ability at your disposal to covertly sneak behind enemy lines and help thwart Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan’s efforts during World War 2.

Across the 21 missions, players use the various commandos to complete various missions. The Green Beret can climb telephone poles to use their cables as zip lines. The Seductress can adopt a disguise and then distract enemy soldiers. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll concoct all kinds of inventive strategies while playing through Commandos 2, and it’s easy to get your hands on these days thanks to the 2020 remaster. Though some players have reported it being filled with bugs, so be sure your rig can handle it.

4) Jazzpunk

Jazzpunk feels like a 70s spy thriller, but with a comedic twist. Video games can rarely make you laugh throughout, but developer Necrophone Games pulled it off with ease. There are countless jokes in Jazzpunk, which means you’ll want to fully explore each of its open-ended levels.

Yes, the gameplay is relatively minimal. Don’t expect to feel like Jason Bourne or anything like that. Instead, Jazzpunk takes plenty of inspiration from Naked Gun, lampooning classic spy films and novels, while also tossing in a fair share of references to movies like Blade Runner and Alien. If you need a laughfest after a hard week, Jazzpunk can be your digital medicine.

3) Alpha Protocol

Obsidian Entertainment has become known as one of the better developers of modern RPGs, thanks to games like Avowed and The Outer Worlds, but in 2010, the team decided to try its hand at spy fiction. Alpha Protocol is the result, which did a treat with its Dialogue Stance System that required quick decision-making and led to plenty of player choice.

On the gameplay front, Alpha Protocol leaves something to be desired, and it’s worth noting that it had plenty of technical shortcomings. That said, Obsidian emphasized player choice to make every decision feel important. If you can get past some of the technical issues, there’s a quality story here. Honestly, it feels like a sequel could fix many of those problems, but after nearly two decades, it seems like that’s never coming.

2) Invisible, Inc.

Developer Klei Entertainment is best known for its survival game, Don’t Starve, but in 2015, it decided to release a turn-based tactics game called Invisible Inc. As you’d expect from a company with Klei’s pedigree, Invisible Inc. is a polished masterpiece that forces players to solve complicated puzzles in each level.

Invisible Inc. is a roguelite at heart, meaning plenty of meta progression that unlocks new gameplay options after completing specific goals. That gives Invisible Inc. plenty of replay value, and you’ll want to finish it to experience Klei’s anti-corporation storyline. It is a criminally underrated game that deserves much more love than it ever got.

1) The Operative: No One Lives Forever

Monolith Productions’ The Operative is a story-driven spy thriller set in the 1960s. You play as superpsy Cate Archer as she tries to prevent the efforts of the terrorist organization H.A.R.M. Not only is it a great spy game, but many reviewers praised it as the best shooter that launched in 2000.

Part of that comes down to the smooth shooting gameplay, but it’s also worth noting that No One Lives Forever mixed in plenty of innovative firearms and gadgets. That meant players could go in guns blazing or take a stealthy approach, giving each mission replay value if you wanted to try out new tactics. Toss in a great look, solid humor, and one of the best soundtracks of the era, and you have a game thatpicked up plenty of end-of-the-year awards.

That led to a sequel called No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way and a spin-off called Contract J.A.C.K. While the latter was a disappointment, NOLF 2 garnered him reviews, but we haven’t heard from the series since 2003. Since Monolith closed in 2017, we’ll probably never see another game, but fans have released unofficial remaster patches to make it playable on modern machines.

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