work, but there’s not a gamer on the planet who can’t handle it. Ruling the
world, however, is not something we’re used to doing. Sure, the bad guys make
it look easy – luxury cars, expensive suits, high-def TVs — but they’re
professionals. They’ve been taking over empires for generations.
Now it’s your turn to take
over the world. As exciting as that may or may not sound, the real excitement
comes from the source of your world-taking: James Bond gameplay.
You don’t play as James
Bond. You don’t constantly hunt for James Bond. But you will feel like James
Bond’s evil brother, wreaking havoc on anyone or anything that stands in your
way. Some objects are destructible, and virtually every enemy in the game can
be taken hostage, forming a shield to protect against all the bullets flying
at your chest. How’s that for being evil?
As I’m sure you’ve heard
by now, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is the long awaited non-sequel to everyone’s
favorite James Bond shooter, GoldenEye 007. The star is a rogue agent
determined to get ahead without working for the good guys. He’s not overly
thrilled with the bad guys either though. When evil forces are fighting other
evil forces, which side should we be cheering for? The side you’re on, no
question.
Although it’s a
non-sequel, the GoldenEye name tells you exactly what the developers wanted
you to know: this is the gameplay sequel to GoldenEye 007. The controls,
character movement, level design, weapon style, mission objectives — every
gameplay element is a tribute to Rare’s classic. Their take on the genre was
so well received that it paved the way for the only game that could replace
it: Halo. EA’s take on Rare’s take on the genre is exactly what GoldenEye
fans have been waiting for Santa to bring them. For them, Electronic Arts is
Santa.
If you’ve been playing
Halo 2 lately (and who hasn’t?), Rogue Agent is going to feel really strange.
The gameplay is slow like Halo but does not have any of that game’s realistic
elements. It’s hard to put into words. I felt like I hovered over the
environment as opposed to walking or running across various terrain. Most
weapons are without realistic feedback — they stay in position (or close to
it) at all times, firing as if the person was holding a toy. These are tiny
and mostly pointless differences, but you will notice them now that every
other FPS on the market has gone realistic on us. It was necessary for EA to
design the game this way though, if only to preserve the classic GoldenEye
experience. Evolution is necessary for this new (possible) series to survive,
but it must be done slowly.
Rogue Agent’s weapon
selection is a combination of inspiration, mainly from GoldenEye 007, and
perhaps a little from Halo. From handguns (Spec-9) and submachine guns
(HS-90) to assault rifles (AR4 Commando) and rocket launchers (Harpoon RL),
Rogue Agent has excellent firepower. If you can hold a weapon with one hand
you can wield two of them simultaneously. Some are triggered automatically,
but the standard way to dual-wield is to press both shoulder buttons, just
like in Halo.
There are secret weapons
like the Omen XR, which is said to use "mass energy neutralization
technology." Translation: should you choose to shoot an enemy with this
thing, it will vaporize him or her instantly. I can’t tell you how to get it,
but when you do, try it on your friends! Don’t let ’em know you’ve got it
either. Grab it, sneak up and shoot. Then laugh at the dumbfounded look on
their faces.
Core gameplay mechanics
aren’t the only thing that justifies the name. Rogue Agent’s leading man is
missing an eye when the story begins. His eye isn’t replaced with gold (they
only do that with teeth), but instead a high-tech computer device that lets
you see the world like never before. Security guards may run but can no
longer hide thanks to your eye’s ability to see through walls. It’s not
always possible to shoot through walls, but that’s what grenades are for.
Toss ’em over or around a wall for explosive results your target won’t soon
forget. There’s a weapon that does essentially the same thing, except it
looks like a plasma shot and sticks to whatever it touches, including
enemies! Pull the trigger once to fire; pull it again to detonate. A cool
weapon to use during single-player games, an awesome weapon to use in
multiplayer.
The GoldenEye (the name
of your high-tech computer eye) has other features as well, like the ability
to stop bullets from reaching your flesh. It can’t run forever though. The
GoldenEye is limited by its power level. Use it too often and you’ll go
blind! Actually you’ll just lose its power and will not be able to use it
again until it has regained some energy.
The single-player
campaign is a fun, shoot-till-you drop adventure, but the real fun cannot be
unlocked until you plug in at least two GameCube controllers. Once plugged
in, the two controllers unlock a world of entertainment you never thought
possible: multiplayer. The more controllers you plug in, the more fun the
game becomes. GameCube has a limit of four players via split-screen, but that
didn’t stop anyone from loving the original GoldenEye. Back then all console
gamers had for multiplayer games was a split screen. To this day it is still
my favorite way to game.
The multiplayer maps,
weapon selection (some exclusive to multiplayer!) and character selection are
excellent. I know it’s easy to simply say that the gameplay experience is a
next-gen version of the Nintendo 64 classic, but it’s true. There is no more
appropriate console for this game than GameCube. I almost wish it was a
GameCube exclusive – then the graphics would have been tweaked to match the
console’s true power. As it is this is an attractive game, though I’m sure
that won’t be a selling point for any of its buyers. The GoldenEye name and
the trust that EA has gained with gamers will be the reasons why millions of
you will be adding this game to your Christmas list.
A must-buy? If you have
to ask, this game isn’t for you.
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Gameplay: 8
No one will walk
away from this game without being a little bit shocked. Player movement alone
is unbelievable. The way you walk, the way you run, the way that the view
changes as you switch targets, etc. The controls are virtually identical, the
levels are very similar, and the graphic style is what you’d expect a next-gen
GoldenEye to look like.
Graphics: 8
Impressive but
unrealistic, Rogue Agent has all the flare of a next-gen Nintendo 64 game. Of
course, we’re not in 1997 anymore, and this isn’t Nintendo 64. That said,
Rogue Agent has a lot of what you’d expect from a GameCube game: large
environments, detailed backgrounds, and…that’s about it. The standard issue
enemies are somewhat bland and don’t move very realistically. That’d be
easier to accept if the last Bond game hadn’t looked so beautiful. It’s even
harder to accept the frame rate, which slows down every now and then.
Perhaps the developers
followed the original game design a little too closely.
Sound: 8.9
Exhilarating
tunes for a game of exhilaration and world domination. This is a great game
to play if you have loud stereo speakers, or better yet, a full surround sound
system. (It’s a great game to play with any sound system, but the better your
system, the more you’ll enjoy the experience of taking over the world and
dominating your friends in multiplayer.)
Difficulty: Medium
The AI isn’t
brilliant, but the claim is true – no two games are exactly alike. Of course,
that’s true of most games with varying enemies. Still, Rogue Agent provides a
good challenge. GoldenEye masters won’t agree, and even a semi-hardcore
player could get through the game in a night or two.
Concept: 7.5
Take GoldenEye’s
beloved gameplay and pour it in a mixing bowl with a new story, a few flashy
colors, some artificial intelligence, and a dash of Sodium Musicalcium
(to preserve freshness). Bake for 12-24 months. Serve when ready.
Multiplayer: 9
The reason you
bought GoldenEye 007 is also the reason why you’ll buy GoldenEye: Rogue
Agent. Artificially intelligent enemies – who needs that. Your friends are
far more intelligent than any enemy you’d encounter in a game. And even if
they aren’t, you know it’s more fun playing against a living, breathing,
swearing human than it is to play against a computer-controlled droid.
Overall: 8
GoldenEye: Rogue
Agent is rated "T" for "Teen," but the gameplay is no less violent than Halo
2, minus the blood and gore. Humans are most vulnerable to headshots,
something that the game pretty much encourages. I’m not complaining, I just
want it to be clear to gamers that they aren’t getting a watered-down
package. This is 007 – I mean Rogue Agent – in its purest form since 1997.
