WinBack: Covert Operations (1999). Play Free Online

Summary

I was blown away by WinBack: Covert Operations’ cover system – it let you duck behind corners, pop out, and blast enemies, a mechanic that later inspired classics like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Gears of War. The game also introduced a laser‑sight that made aiming feel precise without lock‑on, and the basic handgun never ran out of ammo, giving a comfortable fallback when you ran low on ammo‑draining rifles.

Combat mixes rifles, shotguns, a silenced pistol, and even a rocket launcher, while you can melee enemies from behind for instant kills. Puzzle moments pop up as you hunt for keys, disable laser grids, or blow open secured doors, keeping the pacing lively between fire‑fights.

Beyond the single‑player trek, the title packed six multiplayer modes – Death Match, Lethal Tag, Quick Draw, Cube Hunt, Team Battle, and Point Match – supporting up to four friends. A quick tutorial lets newcomers nail the control scheme, and the 2021 Nintendo Classics re‑release brings the N64 classic to modern hands for another round of covert action.

Storyline

In WinBack: Covert Operations, the Crying Lions—a terrorist group from the fictional country Saroczia—seize a space‑based laser called the GULF system. The U.S. Secretary of Defense orders the Special Covert Action Team (SCAT) to retake the complex. Players control Jean‑Luc Cougar, the last survivor after the team’s helicopter is shot down. He must locate scattered teammates, avoid laser traps, and reach the satellite control room before it recharges.

The mission features bosses Jin, Deathmask and deputy Cecile. After killing Jin, Jean‑Luc defeats Deathmask one‑on‑one and chases Cecile, who betrays Colonel Kenneth Coleman to claim the satellite for blackmail. The SCAT leader Dan reveals himself as a half‑Saroczian traitor, responsible for the deaths of Steve and Thomas, leading to a final duel in the control chamber.

Three endings depend on how fast Jean‑Luc reaches the control room. In the good and normal endings, Dan dies, Lisa is rescued, and the GULF satellite is destroyed, making the operation a success. In the bad ending, the laser fires twice, destroying the Pentagon and White House; only Jean‑Luc and Keith survive as the mission fails.

Edited by Maya Carter