I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike

Project I.G.I.
Project I.G.I.: I'm Going In	2000
I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike	2003
IGI: Origins	TBA

Warnings

GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).

I.G.I.-2: Covert Strike is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person action, FPS, shooter and stealth game in the Project I.G.I. series.

The game was launched exclusively for PC released in 2003, serving as the second installment in the Project I.G.I. series. Developed by Innerloop Studios and published by Codemasters, the game introduced a multiplayer mode, complementing its story-driven single-player campaign, blending intense firefights with stealth and strategic gameplay, creating a distinctive experience for players.

The game is playable on modern systems but suffers from performance issues, such as input delays, low-resolution textures, and glitches during missions. These problems can be addressed using the Neonix Patch, which provides compatibility fixes, enhanced textures, and input improvements for a smoother experience.

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions

GOG.com Support Page

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		SafeDisc 2 DRM^{[Note 1]}
GOG.com		Serial keys for multiplayer are shown in the game library entry; a request can be submitted to GOG support team if not found.^[3]
ZOOM Platform (unavailable)		Delisted on March 31, 2023.^[4]

SafeDisc DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected releases).

Demo

A free demo version is available on archive.org

Essential improvements

Patches

Neonix Patch

Works with IGI 2: Covert Strike version 1.3, both Singleplayer and Multiplayer.

Fixes numerous long-standing bugs and improves compatibility with modern systems.

Fixes level restart and savegame loading which resulted in a softlock.

Fixes various input issues, including mouse movement glitches and alt-tabbing errors.

Enhances overall gameplay with color-corrected high-definition textures and fixed animations fps.

Introduces a optional borderless windowed mode for improved performance and rendering.

Download the Neonix Patch.
Extract the archive to <path-to-game> and replace files when prompted to.
Launch the game and enjoy the improvements.

Game data

In-game content settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\config.qvm^{[Note 2]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\pc\savegames\^{[Note 2]}

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Hor+ gameplay and pixel-based HUD. Menu is always rendered at 640x480.
Multi-monitor		Hor+ gameplay and pixel-based HUD.
Ultra-widescreen		Hor+ gameplay and pixel-based HUD.
4K Ultra HD		Hor+ gameplay and pixel-based HUD. HUD scales poorly at higher resolutions.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		Toggle with `Alt`+`↵ Enter`.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Default mode in Windows 10. For true fullscreen, use dgVoodoo 2.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
High-fidelity upscaling		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)
Color blind mode		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.

Input

In-game control settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse sensitivity		The game filters very slight mouse movements and double mouse inputs when indoors, making it nearly impossible to aim. Neonix Patch fixes this issue
Mouse acceleration
Mouse input in menus		In some cases, mouse doesn't work in windowed mode. Neonix Patch fixes this issue
Keyboard and mouse prompts
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Audio

Audio settings.

In-game language settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound		Up to 7.0 with Creative ALchemy. Inject dsound.dll with Auto DLL Injector.
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
EAX support		Supports EAX, EAX 2 and EAX 3.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Czech				Fan translation; download
French
German
Hungarian				Unofficial localization by GameHunter TEAM.
Italian
Polish				Local retail only.
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation by GameVicio; download.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		16
Online play		16	GameSpy services have been shut down;^[5] see GameSpy for workarounds.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	8.1

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Multiplayer	GameSpy

Issues unresolved

EAX cannot be enabled through Creative ALchemy (X-Fi).

Occasionally, after using tactical tools such as Binoculars or Thermal Vision, the game may unintentionally reopen another tactical tool when attempting to close it. Once this occurs, the player is unable to fire weapons or pick up firearms until restarting the mission.

Issues fixed

Graphics not being rendered correctly

Disable Software Vertex Processing^{[citation needed]}
Start a game. Go to Configuration. Go to Graphics. Disable Force Software Vertex Processing. Confirm new settings by pressing OK.

Level restart results in a softlock

Witnessed on multiple different machines, on modern operating systems (including Windows XP^[6] and 7) and on versions 1.2 and 1.3.^[7]

Workaround 1

NeonixPatch for IGI 2

This patch is ONLY compatible with the 1.3 executable from the game.

Download at https://www.nexusmods.com/igi2covertstrike/mods/8

This patch fixes other issues of the game as well, such as the mouse sensitivity and clunky player movement.

Workaround 2

This workaround is witnessed not to work on the levels of:

Deep in the Mines (Russian campaign; level 2),
Secret Laboratory (Chinese campaign; level 4),
Libyan Rendezvous (Libyan campaign; level 1) [likely due to being spawned in water], and
Prison Escape (Libyan campaign; level 2) [likely due to missing the map computer in the beginning]

On many levels (usually those with the precise real-time map), the issue can be fixed via using the in-game map computer twice. Press M twice.

Workaround 3

Pause the game (Esc).
Exit into the main menu.
Start the game, pick the level and choose "Restart" (or "Load" → "Restart level").
Wait for the game to reload.

Notes

This workaround needs to be applied every time one needs to restart the level, detrimenting gameplay experience substantially.

Applying this workaround too many times (about 10 or higher) seems to cause other in-game bugs, such as occasional random switching between windowed and fullscreen mode, no weapon glitch and others.

Game switches between windowed and fullscreen modes

Occurs randomly and/or when navigating any game menus after playing for a while.