Goldeneye Reloaded

I really really wanted to like this game. James Bond games have been pretty awful in recent memory and I hoped that a remake and reimagining of the classic N64 era shooter that changed multiplayer to what it is today could be the series’ saving grace. Although I haven’t particularly enjoyed Bond’s latest outings on the silver screen either, the Pierce Brosnan films and GoldenEye in particular, were in my opinion, some of the best.

Although more of a reimagining of the classic, it is in fact a remake of a remake, bringing the Wii game to the 360 and PS3 with improved graphics as well as a few other modifications. The Wii game fared pretty well (see the review) giving me hope that the Xbox adaptation would be equally as fun. My expectations plummeted pretty quickly after starting the first level.
Despite the graphics overhaul, they still feel dated compared to other games on the market.

Indeed the experience as a whole felt like it was a few years too late. The shooting mechanics weren’t revolutionary and whilst you could argue that every Call of Duty is exactly the same year by year, at least they play well. This felt like a step back. None of the motions felt as fluid, especially they melee attacks. Although you can perform cool take down moves on unsuspecting targets, more often than not when hitting them with the butt of your rifle, they simply dropped to the ground as if pretending to die. Moments like this as well as the notorious invisible walls (many of which are present), take one out of the experience and remind you that it is just a game.

Nonetheless, I persisted, determined to find something I like about the game. The story is essentially the one from the film but in a modern day setting. You no longer play as Brosnan but now Daniel Craig’s Bond, a touch that I appreciated. Though often slightly silly at times, it was characteristic of the series and on the whole intriguing enough to keep you playing through.

The weapons are the standard weapons you get in any shooter today, with a variety of assault rifles, snipers and pistols to choose from. You’re also equipped with a smart phone packed with a few gadgets you can use throughout the campaign; my particular favourite the hacking tool, allowing you to take control of sentry guns and maliciously mow down bewildered enemy troops.

This became less fun though as I discovered that the enemies I was facing were somewhat stupid. When using the nun chuck combination on the Wii, I can imagine the AI was well suited for the game. However, perhaps all that COD practice has finally paid off but I felt with my Xbox controller I could easily target enemy troops, especially when they dived from behind cover into my line of sight.

With the single player being a bit of a letdown, I hoped that by facing real humans in the multiplayer might prove more of a challenge. I was quickly proven right.

Multiplayer is where this game shines brightest. Although borrowing heavily from the Call of Duty series, with the availability of perks, weapon customisation and so on, it did tend to work well and ran smoothly on most occasions. Despite the whole Call of Duty aesthetic, the game makes the multiplayer its own with a consistent James Bond feel. In some ways, the slightly off shooting mechanics and the lack of smoothness made it retro and led to some exciting multiplayer matches. That is, the ones I could find.

Unfortunately, the game does seem to lack an adequate player base. I did find games, but it could often be a few good minutes before they filled up enough to launch.

All in all then is this game enough bang for your buck? It’s a fair attempt at swaying you from Call of Duty titan in terms of multiplayer. However, the resemblances are too many and at the end of the day, as repetitive or unchanged COD may be, it is still the superior game.