This game is based upon a book by Tom Clancy (which I strongly recommend to you). Unfortunately the game itself is neither as good nor as highly recommended. The title is very promising, yet the game is far too simple to really be challenging.
After an impressive title screen the game starts. The graphics are good enough, but there’s not much to be said about the sound. It’s not a bad game, but it could have been so much more!
The main objective is to develop your satellite system before the Soviets do and at the same time try to prevent them from getting one. This means you’ll need to set up a research team and test your technology (but be careful, there’s a chance that a leak may appear while testing). You need to guard your secrets and at the same time try to get the secrets of the other side.
For all of this you need to assign people to various duties and monitor their progress. If a spy is in danger you should take him or her off the assignment. Same goes for scientists (if they are exhausted).
Every now and again the Archer will go into action. Now this has got to be the lamest part of the game, because to achieve your objective you’ll be a purple dot on a brown background and will have to shoot pink dots on the same background (unless they start chasing you with jeeps, tanks or planes).
The game has no funding, so money is not even mentioned even if in reality it’s an important factor in weapon (or counter-weapon) development. All in all this is a simplistic version of what could be a great simulation, that’s why it deserves nothing more then a 3.