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The original novel of The Hunt For Red October is a modern spy thriller centred on naval warface, with a very high level of technical realism, and the game does not disgrace it by any means.

You are in charge of one of the latest Soviet atomic missile submarines, the Red October, and you have decided to deflect to the United States!

You have no communication with the outside world. Your own side are trying to track and kill you. The NATO forces, your normal enemy, may also attack if you pose too much of a threat. You cannot simply sail into New York harbour, you must surrender your submarine in secret. The Hunt For Red October resembles an adventure game, in that you must work out the various tactics as you do (reading the novel first helps considerably).

The first stage is to pilot the submarine at immense speed through the underwater canyons at the east of Iceland and out to the safety of the Atlantic without being caught by other ships and submarines, and without running yourself into an underwater cliff.

In particular, the terrain following sonar does not always match the sonar map, with disastrous results. Otherwise the simple, icon-driven controls of the submarine function extremely well.

After you have been sunk on your first twenty attempts (do not underestimate this game!) you will get your submarine out into the depths of the Atlantic, where it will be much harder to track. If, however, you are found by your own side then you are dead. The same realistic tactics used in the book to prevent this actually work in the game, and so eventually you will come to the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. and what do you do then? Work it out for yourself - or read the book.