Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror

 PC
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
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  1. GameZone
    80
    It is a wonderfully fun FPS to play both online and off. The addition of custom skins and maps will only add to this game.
  2. GameSpy
    70
    Despite having more bells and whistles than CS, it simply fails to become addictive.
  3. Armchair Empire
    64
    To spend money on a free mod for a few extra maps just seems like madness to me.
  5. PC Gamer
    62
    It'll occasionally crash to the desktop, and has an extremely annoying bug that sometimes kills you when you start lobbing grenades. [July 2002, p.75]
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  6. GameSpot
    62
    The game is as far from original as you can get and in need of much better balancing.
  7. GamePen
    60
    While many of the same elements that made "Counter-Strike" successful are duplicated, it’s the ones that deviate from the norm that really hurt this package.
  8. IGN
    56
    Stuck somewhere in Purgatory between meticulous and methodical play and full on bunny hopping.
  9. Computer Gaming World
    50
    I'm going to be blunt: It looks like complete crap. [July 2002, p.65]
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  10. ActionTrip
    50
    The main problem with Tactical Ops is that it can capture the player's attention, but not for long.
  11. Game Informer
    50
    Tac Ops' fun will fizzle within an hour of play. [July 2002, p.91]
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  12. PC Gameworld
    49
    What happened to the once mighty Maryland game company that we find its name on the retail box of a blown up mod like Tac Ops?
  13. Electric Playground
    40
    Wake up designers; a 5.56mm round grazing a forearm doesn't kill.

Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2002
22
#22 Most Shared PC Game of 2002

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 5 out of 24
  1. overkill
    Mar 15, 2011
    10
    I've played cod4, cod6, battlefield 2, crysis2... but nothing compares to tactical ops, an excellent fps classic game

    tactical ops tactical    I've played cod4, cod6, battlefield 2, crysis2... but nothing compares to tactical ops, an excellent fps classic game

    tactical ops tactical ops tactical ops    … Full Review »
  2. LT_Gruber
    Jan 6, 2023
    10
    Ultra-Violent shooter with lots of memories.

    Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror is a Counter Strike clone that, as far as I know, faded into    Ultra-Violent shooter with lots of memories.

    Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror is a Counter Strike clone that, as far as I know, faded into obscurity. It was one of the first fully 3D games I played as a kid, and looking back, this would be one of those games that reached the news back then for kids turning into violent killers.

    The principle of Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror is simple, just like Counter Strike. You got a terrorist team and a special forces team and the two need to battle it out on a map. When starting the match, you can buy weapons, armor and grenades.

    You get cash from finding it on the map, collecting cocaine or making kills. Some maps feature special weapons that almost make you invincible, causing some balancing issues. You can also secure hostages in some maps, rewarding you with a lot of extra cash.

    Basically, that it all there is to it. What sets it apart for me, besides my personal memories from the early days, is the weapons that you can buy and purchase, the violence, in terms of the amount of blood that is sprayed everywhere when shooting opponents, the bone chilling screams of the female characters in this game when they get killed and the calm, ambient music in the background that literally made me feel like I was in another dimension when killed and spectating the map in ghost mode. When hostages pick up weapons (because someone was killed in their vicinity), they pick up the weapons and start shooting terrorists, it is hilarious.

    Personally, I only played with bots because I sucked to hard for online play and it was all I knew. The bots all have names like Steven Seagull, Jean Claude van Damn, Sylvester Stallone etc. Back then, I did not know who those people were, but after a while, I got the joke. Also, as a kid I was not familiar with multiplayer games and thought that this game had a story or campaign. It felt weird playing and after a while, I realized this was a game that you are supposed to play online. Yeah, I was not a smart boy.

    The graphics were, and still are, fine to look at. They are nothing special today but back then, I thought they looked awesome. The detail on the blood is great and explosion effects are still nice. The animations are a little mixed. There are no reloading animations on the characters and while the movement itself is fine, every other action or move is made with a stiff character, holding its gun. The animations on reloading in First Person however are great and look very detailed.

    In terms of sound, this one of those game that surprised me to this day. The sound of, reloading, the gunfire and explosions are still fantastic. The voice acting of the bots is also clean and sharp. To top it off, the moans and scared whining of the hostages is a little to realistic for a simple game like this.

    In conclusion, Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror is a good game and a classic for LAN parties or some quick Counter Strike-like fun with your buddies. For me, it is a memorable piece of my youth, although it did not necessarily needed to be.

    I recommend giving it a try.    … Full Review »
  3. storygamer
    Aug 30, 2020
    6
    I was hyped about the release of an worthy competitor for Counter Strike called Tactical Ops: Assault On Terror. After I installed it, II was hyped about the release of an worthy competitor for Counter Strike called Tactical Ops: Assault On Terror. After I installed it, I quickly became addicted for some days. But shortly after the enthusiasm transformed to boredom. Not bad at all but just another Counter Strike clone...… Full Review »
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