WinBack: Covert Operations

by Koei

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059Z7Y
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 28, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,458 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

WinBack: Covert Operations stars French agent Jean-Luc Cougar, member of the S.C.A.T. team, which must use stealth and firepower to wrest control of a military base that's been overrun by terrorists. Based on the Nintendo 64 game of the same name, WinBack: Covert Operations will feature much more detailed graphics and animation, as well as full voice dubbing, more maps, and more selectable characters in multiplayer mode.

Product Description

This is the game WinBack: Covert Operations for the Playstation 2. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Controls and a Killer Bot Mode, May 4, 2001

By 

Christopher (DeForest, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WinBack: Covert Operations (Video Game)

I first rented and played Winback for the Nintendo 64. Since Koei, the makers of the popular strategy series Romance of the Three Kingdoms, had never made a shooter before, I wasn't expecting much, but, though it wasn't a great game, it was fairly good. Now Koei has released Winback on the PlayStation 2, and they've even added a few things.

The graphics in this Winback have been updated from the N64 version as you might expect; they don't take advantage of what the PS2 can handle, but they do look a lot better than before. Music isn't great either, but it does fit the game's situations, and when you take damage and are near death, the music changes and becomes faster to express the urgency. The story in Winback kind of reminds me of the movie The Rock: some madman acquires the use of a powerful weapon, and you and several other special forces units are sent in to attempt a forceful recovery of the weapon before it is put to use. Depending on how fast you are and how few times the weapon strikes, you will receive one of three endings. The story could have been better if the characters were developed, but they weren't, so every time a character is killed--and they are killed a lot--you don't really care.

The one-player Story mode in Winback is pretty simple. It is divided into 31 stages, where you basically move forward by eliminating enemies. Puzzle-solving is limited to involving the player in finding the key to a locked door or destroying the source of a laser trap that blocks the way. The rather dry simplicity of the gameplay, however, is made more enjoyable by the variety of moves you can perform. Imagine yourself with your back against the wall of some building. You slide along the wall, come to its end, and carefully peek around the corner. An enemy! You remain calm and check your surroundings. From where you stand you can only see a lone crate that may be of help. Suddenly, you swing around the corner, blast a couple shots at the baddy, and make a mad dash for the cover of the crate. By now the enemy notices you and has his gun aimed in your direction. You've almost reached the crate when you hear his gun go off, but a quickly executed somersault barely saves you from the fast approaching bullets. Keeping your head down behind the crate, you wait until the firing stops. Finally, silence. The enemy must be out of ammunition and in the process of reloading. You take this advantage and come out from hiding, prepared to take down the enemy. But as soon as you're about to take your shot, you spot two enemy reinforcements coming to their partner's aid. That's when you see it! A crate filled with explosives, right in the midst of the enemies. You pump it full of lead and watch the explosion as it sends your enemies to their feet. It's moves like these that make the game come alive.

In Winback there are two battle modes to choose between: Versus Mode and Bot Mode (added from the previous N64 version). Versus is a battle that can be played by 2-4 human players, in one of nine arenas, in any of six different modes of play. Among these modes, two worth mention are Death Match and Cube Hunt. The first is standard fair for multiplayer shooters: each player's objective is simply to eliminate the other player(s). In Cube Hunt, each player must collect seven different colored cubes; taking damage means losing a cube, which the player will then have to find over again. Bot Mode is only 1 or 2 players and is played the same way as a game of Death Match, except that there can be computer-controlled characters and there are always two teams. You can play this mode by yourself against an army of bots, or you can play on a team of bots against another team of bots. Two players playing Bot Mode can play against each other with an assortment of bots on both their teams, or they can work together on the same team (with or without bots) against a team comprised solely of bots. Sadly, Bot Mode only has five arenas, but they are different from the nine you can choose from in Versus Mode, and a couple are fairly large. Also, it should be noted that there are a good deal of options to customize your battles, from adjusting the strength of weapons, to changing the difficulty of bots; you can even choose from over 20 characters.

Winback may not be a Metal Gear Solid, but for Koei's first attempt in the genre, it isn't bad. Probably the worst thing in Winback is the artificial intelligence, especially in Story mode. An enemy confrontation typically unfolds as follows: you swing out from behind a wall and draw the bad guy's attention; you then swing back behind the wall for cover and watch the enemy stupidly discharge a magazine of bullets at the spot where your head was a second ago; a real person placed in the computer's shoes would next either close in and destroy you or seek cover for himself, but the sick AI continues to stand there like a sitting duck until a couple more stolen shots around the corner have finished him off. This isn't to say the game isn't a challenge; the enemies' unnatural actions just make it seem a little silly. Still, Winback is a good game and is probably one of the best that you can get for the PS2 to date. If you already have the N64 version, this is just one to rent, but if you don't, this is a solid buy.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great game just like the N64 version only BETTER!, April 8, 2001

By 

Ryan DeLeon (Hockeytown, MI USA!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WinBack: Covert Operations (Video Game)

This game is one of the greatest Third-Person shooter games available on any system. The PS2 just makes it better. The graphics are amazingly detailed and the sound effects are awesome! In the new feature, BOT Mode, you feel you are really in the game with all of the gunshots wailing past your head. It's one big shootout. This new mode is my favorite part of the game. It includes a custom version and challenges, which when you complete, characters become unlocked. It's a team version of the versus mode. The story mode has a great setting and for all beginners, a tutorial mode to explain the basics is available. You must take my word and buy or at least rent this game! It's a must-have for anybody!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It'll Tide you over Until Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty, March 16, 2001

By 

"soul_reaver" (Lost Vegas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WinBack: Covert Operations (Video Game)

I have played both the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation2 versions of Winback. They are quite similar but just different enough for people to take a look. The graphics have been totally souped up making it look very nice. The controls are easy to use, definitely easier than the Nintendo 64s controls. If you have played and beaten Winback for the Nintendo 64 you might still want to give this game a try the easier controls make for an enjoyable gaming experience and with the improved graphics this is quite some eye-candy. The plot hasn't changed at all and is just a revamp of the one for the N64. PlayStation2 owners who are fans of the Metal Gear series will enjoy this game and it will get them ready for Metal Gear Solid 2:Sons of Liberty.