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Before Counter-Strike, before I ever knew what the hell FPS means, there was this game — Project I.G.I or “I’m Going In” in some regions.
No, seriously. This was my first-ever fully 3D FPS before CS 1.6 or even 1.2 entered the damn chat.
And how did I get it?
Well… This was back in the pirated-CDs-in-plastic-sleeves-from-broke-ass-shops era.
You know, when your PC barely ran Minesweeper and your idea of a GPU was pretty much like this:
But man… when I ran that game…
Surreal.
This Game Shoots Like It Means Business
Let me tell you — the damn game still slaps.
The weapons? Loud, punchy, crispy, actually feels like they do damage — not some feather-duster stuff most modern shooters throw at ya.
The sound design? Holy Crap! Those devs deserved a damn raise IMO. Some devs today can’t pull this out and make the guns sound real.
In IGI, you fire outdoors? BOOM — The echo rings out like a damn cannon.
You fire indoors? You might as well be demolishing drywall with a sledgehammer and some TNT.
You shoot 1 bullet, and everyone in a 3-mile radius comes running. As it should be.
“Bad AI”? Give me a damn break!
People tend to say the AI in Project IGI is “stupid.”
Bro… Have you played half the garbage that dropped off after 2010?
Let’s go down memory lane and see the “worse than IGI AI” list, because it’s a long one, buckle up:
Games With AI So Dumb It Hurts:
- Aliens: Colonial Marines — A typo in the code literally broke the damn AI.
- Rambo: The Video Game — Enemies stand still like mannequins at Target, to be shot.
- Sniper: Ghost Warrior — Either sees you from Mars, or ignores your damn existence, even if you dance right in front of them.
- Soldier of Fortune: Payback — AI thinks that running in a straight line like a damn ruler is peak strategy and tactical advantage.
- Turning Point: Fall of Liverty — Doesn’t react to bullets or corpses. Must have been the wind, I guess…
- Ride to Hell: Retribution — Everyone walks into fire, or walls. And the damn game sucks.
- Conflict: Denied Ops — Suicidal Teammate AI, in every single mission.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Launch Edition) — Cops spawned behind you from thin air. Peak immersion right there. And don’t get me started on the other crap that I’ve seen there.
And you want to come at Project IGI for having “dumb” AI?
Pretty please, with a sugar cube on top, F*ck off.
The only game that beat that, AI-wise?
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
That game had guards who radio for backup, flank you, and steal your horse if you blink.
IGI wasn’t that smart, but compared to the walking lobotomies in modern shooters? It’s a genius
No Armor, No Mercy, No Bullsh*t
You start with your gear and that’s it.
No regenerating health. No red-screen trauma breathing simulator or Wim Hof breathing in a corner until he’s healed. No BS.
You get hit? You bleed.
You heal only by finding a medkit, and it’s slow, so… good luck with that.
Enemies actually change as you progress.
Early guys? Potato aim.
Late-game Spetsnaz? Straight-up KGB-sponsored laser beams.
Add in no armor, tiny health pool, and enemies that flank your soul, and you’ve got yourself a challenge, even modern games forgot how to deliver.
Level Design? Criminally Underrated.
The level design in IGI is so damn good it hurts.
Sneaking? You can do that.
Guns Blazing? Go for it.
Each level is a sandbox of options, with guard routes, alarms, sniper towers, and real damn consequences if you mess up.
Oh, and that Map Computer?
Still cooler than half the crap HUDs you see in games today.
Satellite feed, Zoom, mission zones, and that slick UI?
Chef’s kiss.
No Saves, No Tutorials, No Handholding — Good!
Here is a plot twist — you can’t save mid-mission.
You die? Start over, Git Gud, buddy!
There’s no tutorial whispering “Press W to move forward.“
No blinking arrows pointing you to your handholding nanny checkpoint.
Just you. Your gear. Your brain. And a mission that doesn’t give a single f*ck about your feelings.
Verdict: Is Project IGI Still Worth Playing in 2025?
Hell YEAH!
It’s a game that respects your time and skill, and punishes your stupidity.
It doesn’t try to be the prettiest, or the fairest, or polished.
It tries to be real, tactical, and fun — and somehow still beats half the shooters out today.
So yeah.
Still Worth it.
Still going in.
And still shooting better than most shooters in 2025.
Also, if you love old-school games like this, check out what I’m still playing on my Retroid Pocket 5.
Seriously — nostalgia hits hard: What I Play on RP5 – Pt.1 (PS1-PS2)