Spy Hunter (PC)

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The game features a multiplayer mode, though as if to prove that this mode is mostly just a frill, the game forces you to play through the single-player mode in its entirety before you can access it. Most of the multiplayer games consist of picking up more items than the other player or just straight racing. Without any kind of networking options, and presenting a split-screen as the only means for viewing multiplayer play, the multiplayer mode hardly seems worth including.

What would Spy Hunter be without the classic Peter Gunn theme? It certainly wouldn't be Spy Hunter, and Midway knows it, as the soundtrack consists almost entirely of electronic interpolations of it. A cover of the Peter Gunn theme is included as well, complete with lyrics from nu metal outfit Saliva. The in-game sound effects are serviceable, with the Interceptor emitting different growls and hums depending on its form. There are crisp weapon effects, some decent explosions, and a predictably cool, calm, and collected female whose voice serves as your in-car computer.

Though Spy Hunter lost some of its initial shine when it was ported from the PlayStation 2 to the Xbox and then to the GameCube, the PC version takes the cake as the worst-looking version of the game. The Interceptor and the enemy vehicles still look pretty sharp, though the damage decals that appear on the Interceptor are noticeably pixelated. The environments, which were never particularly large or complex, also suffer from lots of shockingly pixelated textures. It's especially noticeable in the large background bitmap and in the explosion effects. Aside from being rather unattractive, Spy Hunter is also saddled with some bad graphics glitches. Usually when you destroy another vehicle, it gives off a little explosion and falls to pieces. Though sometimes, when you're shooting a target from a bit of a distance, it will simply just disappear. There are several occasions--on any given level--where the draw distance is within plain sight, and, despite the relatively modest graphics of Spy Hunter, the game suffers from some slowdown. This can occur even when using a high-end machine that is well in excess of the game's system requirements. Topping it all off are some horribly compressed, prerendered cutscenes that would've looked antiquated even without the amazing amounts of artifacting that plague them.

Though there was nothing groundbreaking about it, the original PlayStation 2 version of Spy Hunter was a pleasant surprise simply because it was a capable update of the classic Spy Hunter formula. Even in a no-frills package, had it been faithfully ported to the PC, Spy Hunter would still be pretty entertaining--even two years later. But in its current state, Spy Hunter for the PC is a very modest arcade driving game that's simply not worth playing.

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