Not only is the environment and feel complete, so are the nifty little spy gadgets, like Cate's combination lock pick and barrette shown in Figure H.

FIGURE H

NOLF comes complete with nifty spy gadgets like this barrette lock pick. Click picture for a larger image.

Between missions, Cate receives further training on various spy techniques, gadgets, and a wide range of weapons both real and fictional by going through training courses. And to get agent Archer around the environments of those missions, which range from Morocco, to Europe, the US, underwater, and even into space, she'll have the use of motorcycles, snowmobiles, cable cars and other vehicles.

One of my favorite missions takes place on an airliner that Cate is forced to bail out of without a parachute. During her freefall from 24,000 feet she has to fend off the thugs shooting at her, while desperately trying to acquire a parachute before smacking into the ground. Let's just say, if she gets the chute, one of the thugs doesn't.

No One Lives Forever was one of the longest shooter games I've ever played, and is pretty much my favorite of all the games I've ever played. As I recall, there are in the neighborhood of twenty-five missions in NOLF, which is about twice what most shooters have. No One Lives Forever isn't one of those games you can race through blowing the crap out of everything. This is a spy game, and while blowing the crap out of everything will be appropriate in some places, stealth is a big factor in this game. In Figure I, you see Cate on her first field assignment, a sniper mission to protect a US diplomat.

FIGURE I

In her first field mission, Cate gets to play sniper. Click picture for a larger image.

Monolith followed up The Operative: No One Lives Forever with No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In HARM's Way, and Contract JACK (Just Another Contract Killer), shown in Figure J.

FIGURE J

A Spy In HARM's Way, the equally successful follow-up, and Contract JACK. Click picture for a larger image.

In NOLF 2, Cate Archer, UNITY's top agent, is back to do battle with HARM once again. In missions every bit as challenging and entertaining as the original, agent Archers deal another blow to HARM with a whole new purse-full of nifty spy gadgets and much more interactive gameplay.

Monolith's LithTech game engine was updated for NOLF 2, and although I couldn't get NOLF 2 to run on my laptop, you may get it to run on yours if you have a better video card than mine. Strangely enough, I had no problem whatsoever running Contract JACK, which is odd since it came out after NOLF 2 and uses the same engine.

In Contract JACK you play the role of John Jack, a freelance assassin hired by HARM. Contract JACK is actually a prequel to A Spy In HARM's Way, setting up some of the background information that's slowly revealed during NOLF 2. Although JACK is a standalone, not requiring either of the NOLF games, it's rather short. Short but fun.

And because JACK is a freelance hit man rather than a UNITY operative, in essence a bad guy, you're free to blow the snot out of pretty much everything and everyone. There's even a spot or two where Cate Archer makes a cameo appearance. And in case you're wondering, the meaning of HARM is never revealed in any of the games.