Spycraft: The Great Game

History

Spycraft was promoted in part by an official website with information and daily updates about the game's development and release schedule, which was highly unusual at the time. Parts of the game were coded in HTML to enable it to update elements like news reports and character dossiers in real time via the internet.

The game's script was written by James Adams, a noted author of non-fiction books on espionage.

While Spycraft was still in development it was announced that there would be a home conversion for the Sega Saturn, but a Saturn version was never released and possibly never even entered development.

Plot

The player plays Thorn, a rookie CIA agent. During training, Thorn receives word that the Russian presidential candidate has been assassinated, and during a live-fire exercise, Thorn's instructor is killed. Thorn learns that a former CIA agent (codenamed "Harmonica") is behind both hits.

After travelling to Moscow, one of the team, Parker, winds up dead at the hands of Harmonica and the other, Lange, is missing. During Thorn's travels, Thorn meets an SVR agent named Yuri Gromchevsky. With his help, Thorn learns that a mercenary agency called "Procat" has been hired to kill the Russian presidential candidate and President Brooks at the signing of the END nuclear treaty. After researching Procat, Thorn heads to London to speak with John Blake, a former MI6 agent who killed the former leader of Procat. It appears that Procat is functioning under the leadership of a new man, codenamed "Mirage". Although he has no idea where Mirage is, Blake provides Thorn with a folder of intelligence on Procat. Names listed in the file include a former FBI agent codenamed "Grendel" (Kirk Woller) and other living and deceased members of Procat.

In Moscow, Thorn heads to an informant's house only to find Lange. Lange sold Parker out to Procat, leaving Thorn with no choice but to kill his former colleague. Thorn learns that there is a mole in the CIA and that a "nuclear pit" has been stolen by members of Procat and is being sold to a former CIA asset and current Punjabi gunrunner/terrorist named "Onyx". Thorn travels to Heidelberg and meets with Onyx, who reveals the pit is being exchanged at a factory that evening. Several options are given to the player: Thorn lets Onyx go, but he warns Grendel, who kills Thorn at the deal; Thorn goes in, guns blazing, killing Grendel and recovering the pit; or Thorn poses as Onyx, taking the pit without gunplay, but Onyx escapes.

After intercepting several transmissions between Mirage and the mole, Thorn heads to Tunisia to intercept them. However, they have clearly been tipped off; only Mirage is there. After killing Mirage's goons, Thorn learns that Mirage is none other than John Blake. Blake gets the jump on Thorn, but his gun jams and Blake is held by Thorn at gunpoint. The player is given the option to kill Blake or let him go. The DCI offers Thorn congratulations either way, noting that they will "take care of Blake".

In a helicopter, Thorn opens Blake's computer, which is rigged to explode. Thorn downloads a portion of the files, then tosses the computer from the helicopter. Thorn uses these files to send a message to the mole to root him out, requesting a meeting at a dacha in Crimea. Thorn's first priority, however, is the president. After returning to Moscow, Thorn hunts down Harmonica and just as he is about to kill the president, Thorn comes to the rescue and finishes Harmonica. The DCI congratulates Thorn but notes the mole is still a threat. Thorn heads off with Yuri to Crimea.

When they get to Crimea, it turns out that it is the retreat for the replacement candidate for the Russian presidency. He is sitting there with his campaign manager, and after Yuri accuses him of hiring Procat, it is revealed that his campaign manager actually did the job. By killing his predecessor, it allowed the candidate to run for presidency, and by killing the president of the United States, the Russians would keep their nuclear arsenal. As Yuri is about to arrest the manager, the mole arrives. It is none other than Thorn's boss, DDO Warhurst. Warhurst betrayed his country because he could not stand the fact that his superior was appointed by the President. Thorn's support officer, Jaimie Seaton, sends a burst of static through Warhurst's earpiece, briefly throwing his aim off and allowing Thorn to shoot Warhurst.

Yuri restrains the manager and the candidate congratulates Thorn on a job well done. Yuri, however, seems intent on throwing the candidate in jail. Because the candidate is ahead in the polls and now supports the END treaty, it is Thorn's job to protect him. There are two final options presented to the player:

1. Shoot Yuri. Thorn gets a medal back at home and a vacation in Fiji. The Russian elections go smoothly and the new candidate seems intent on forging a good relationship with the U.S.
2. Do not shoot Yuri. Although this is easier on the player's conscience, Thorn is fired when he returns home for refusing to follow orders. Meanwhile, in Russia, chaos ensues and the old President declares martial law and seals himself off from the U.S.

If Thorn fails to recover the nuclear pit, the final scene is marred by a catastrophic nuclear explosion.

Reception

Computer Gaming World gave it the Adventure Game of the Year (Reader's Choice) award.