MIA (Missing In Action) is an old game, but well worth searching out even now – it still looks and sounds good, and of course most importantly plays brilliantly.
Overview
MIA is a mission-based helicopter simulator by GT Interactive (published by Infogrames) set in the Vietnam war. Promotion, medals, etc can come your way if you’re good enough, but there’s a storyline going on behind the scenes as you progress through the missions. It’s easy to get into straight away, but you won’t find yourself whizzing through the levels too quickly.
First Impressions
The gameplay starts easily enough but soon requires some genuine strategic planning on your part to complete. The action varies from slow and thoughtful to fast and frenetic – and not uncommonly moving between the two extremes in a single mission! The mission briefings range from the first simple “clear the area of enemies in readiness of our forces moving in” to escorting a convoy and making sure it gets through unscathed, rescuing troops who are hiding out after being shot down, busting prisoners out of a jail, even taking supposed allies on a mission and then having them suddenly turn against you! Sometimes you’re flying solo, sometimes you’re part of a squadron. Each mission is well designed and genuinely different from the others, and the way they all tie in with the overall story-line is very well done. Missions are challenging but never give you the feeling that they’re impossible – even at the 20th attempt! The end result of this and the game’s structure is that you feel very involved in the game, which is obviously a good thing.
Interface
The interface is pretty simple – use the throttle to control altitude, directions to control.. erm… directions – and fire buttons for machine gun / missile / heatseaker fire. You should be fine with something like the Logitech Attack 3 joystick, but this game is best played with a joystick suited to flight sims, like the Spectra 3 Phantom. (This is mainly due to the throttle but it also feels… right with that sort of joystick, if you know what I mean. You can use the keyboard but I wouldn’t advise it - it’s hard work!
Difficulty
Each mission is introduced with a video clip – of real actors not animated ones, btw – that both set the scene for that particular mission and develops the narrative of the overall plot. Yes, there’s a proper plot – not just “you’re at war, kill as many enemies as you can”. Varying missions may put you in the seat of different helicopters, which handle differently and can carry different payloads, meaning that you have to adapt to the different helicopters’ speed, handling, and weapons, adding greatly to the variety and longevity of the game. There are 20 different missions in all, which might not sound much but they’ll keep you going for a long time – these aren’t 5-minute walkovers we’re talking about here. Some of the longer ones will probably take 20-30 minutes to complete – and that’s when you get everything right!
Aesthetics
Even though the system specs are low (can’t remember exactly but in the old days I played this with a Voodoo 2 card with no problems), the game looks pretty good and the sound effects are excellent. The video clips are not of a great quality to be honest but it serves its purpose well and gives the game an added retro feel – which fits in well with the time period the game’s set in. In fact everything – from the video clips to the sound effects to the graphics are moody and atmospheric, and match the cynical plotline perfectly. The lighting and weather effects are especially good, particularly as it even interferes with your orders coming through – sometimes to the point of getting cut off – now that, my friend, is attention to detail.
Will You Still Be Playing it in 6 Months’ Time?
It’ll last you a long time, there’s no doubt about that. Even if you simply try to get through the missions without replaying any to try to get medals, there’s enough challenge here to keep you going for ages – but fortunately it’s genuinely challenge, not frustration. If you like this sort of game you’ll come back to it even after completing – there’s a lot more depth to this than at first meets the eye. I have to admit that I’m not really a great fan of this sort of game usually, but MIA had me playing for a very long time.
Is it Worth the Money?
For the price you can get it these days (listed on epinions as “less than $5”), it’s an absolute steal.
Warning for parents
Apart from the obvious violence of shooting things (there’s no gore though), there’s a fair bit of bad language used in the game – mostly in the video clips. (Which you can skip, but they add so much to the game you wouldn’t want to unless you’ve already seen that particular one.)
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Final Ratings
Graphics: - 86% - by today’s standards they begin to look slightly basic but it’s made up for by the way they add atmosphere to the game.
Sound: - 87% - definitely no complaints here – crisp samples and excellent weather effects.
Playability: - 91% - instantly playable (okay so banking properly takes a little practice).
Longevity: - 92% - this will keep you going for a long time, and you’ll probably find yourself coming back for the odd game even if you manage to complete every level. (In fact, I think I may have to have another go at it myself – hope it works on XP!)
Replay Value: - 90% - the variety of challenges here will keep you coming back for more.
Value For Money: - 100% - if it was full price it would be good, for less than the cost of a McDonald’s it’s amazing! (Probably has more nutritional value too…)
Overall Rating: - 95% - I can’t believe it’s been so long since I played this… if I don’t post any new reviews for a while, you’ll know why!
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