Shadow Ops: Red Mercury focused heavily on cinematic action, heavily inspired by Hollywood blockbuster movies of its era.
The game was built on , a powerful engine at the time that allowed for detailed environments and character models. To create immersive and believable levels, the developers photographed real-world locales and digitally re-created them within the engine. Character movements were also brought to life using motion-capture data recorded by actual Special Forces teams, lending a degree of authenticity to the animations.
The game takes you from the snowy landscapes of Russia to the urban environments of the Middle East, offering a good mix of close-quarters combat (CQC) and long-range engagement.