About a decade ago, a James
Bond-based game came out that shook the fledgling first-person shooter genre to
its very core. The game was GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64. The game was an
instant classic and one of the best games ever created, bringing innovative
gameplay concepts, intense action, and unparalleled multiplayer options. Many
gamers still look back fondly on GoldenEye, but it came with unfortunate side
effect: every single Bond game to come out since has been held to the
ridiculously high standards set by it. Unfortunately, all have fallen short,
some more spectacularly than others. However, as the first fruits of
Activision’s purchase of the Bond license, Quantum of Solace is looking to
change that.
Melding together elements of Casino
Royale and the soon-to-be-released Bond film of the same name, Quantum of Solace
marks the best example yet of film/games synergy for the Bond franchise,
featuring the likeness of Daniel Craig, as well as voice work from a good chunk
of the films’ cast, including Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Eva Green, and Olga
Kurylenko, as well as intermixed story elements from each film to provide a
cohesive experience.
Powered by the Call of Duty 4 engine
and filled with some great action sequences, Quantum of Solace is a solid entry
to the Bond video game franchise, to be sure. However, does it finally reach the
bar set by GoldenEye? Unfortunately, the game has a fair share of problems,
missing that mark of greatness. Still, if you are a Bond maniac and love a good
FPS, then Quantum of Solace is worth a look this holiday season.
As mentioned above, the game’s
storyline combines elements from the two most recent James Bond films,
effectively putting you into the MI6 agent’s most intense action situations,
beginning at the very end of Casino Royale. You’ll progress through the
situations in Quantum of Solace, and then flashback to its predecessor.
The game does a good job with the
action, but the story elements skim a good portion of the films’ plot elements
in favor of the action sequences and a voiceover cut scene to attempt to set the
scene. While this may be less than ideal compared to many games out there, it’s
an intriguing way of continuing the action without spoiling some of the upcoming
film’s plot details.
Most of what’s here is stuff that
FPS fans have seen before, there are still some great situations to be had in
Quantum of Solace. The game packs in tons of action-packed firefights, cool
destructible environments and exciting sequences to keep the game moving at a
fast pace.
While an FPS by design, a
significant portion of the action will be done from behind cover in the
third-person perspective, as in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas. You’ll be able
to find cover just about anywhere, simply hit the A button and 007 will either
get behind it or dash to it if it’s too far away. Cover works just like it does
in other games, as you can lean out to aim, blind fire, and reposition yourself
to get a better shot.
Aside from cover, there are a few
other situations where the game will switch to third-person view. You can take
down enemies in quick time event and even fight a few bosses this way, and a few
sequences will have you navigating across a narrow ledge avoiding enemy fire or
staying out of a spotlight. The game does a fine job of popping in and out of
third-person view without interrupting the flow of the gameplay.
Unfortunately, there are a few
problems with Quantum of Solace’s gameplay. The AI is pretty insipid, often
running at you wildly and shooting when cover would be the more intelligent
option. While they can take cover behind objects, they’ll often do the blind
charge, which is disappointing.
Secondly, there are some glitchy
issues with the cover system. Getting out of cover can be a pain, but sometimes
007 will pop out for no apparent reason. Another very frustrating thing happens
when you get hit by a grenade when behind cover, as Bond will pop out from
behind still feeling the damage from the grenade but now getting pelted with
enemy fire.
Graphically, Quantum of Solace can
be a mixed bag. While some of the character models look fantastic (Craig’s is
especially lifelike), many of the enemies look a bit plain and lack detail,
seeming like they would belong on an early Xbox 360 title than a current one.
The environments can also look great, but there are some bouts of slowdown and
framerate hitches when too much is going on on-screen.
The sound is very well done, with
James Bond’s immortal theme music making an appearance here as well as some
score elements from the films. The voice work by the cast members is also solid.
Quantum of Solace is a fun and
exciting Bond title that has some truly engaging situations and pretty
production values. However, there are some ugly issues, like poor AI and a buggy
cover system, that keep it from truly being a truly great shooter.
|
Review |
Gameplay: 8.0
The game packs in a lot of action, but suffers from weak AI and a buggy
cover system.
Graphics: 8.0
A bit of a mixed bag, the principal character models look good and the
environments can be great, but the rest of the characters look plain and lack
detail, and there are some framerate issues.
Sound: 8.5
The voice acting is well done, and the music fits the franchise very well.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
While Quantum of Solace doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, the
game does a solid job of putting you into some of the films’ best moments.
Multiplayer: 8.5
Quantum of Solace features the standard competitive game modes like
Territory Control, Free for All, and Team Conflict, but the Bond Evasion (a
Counter-Strike type game where a player-controlled Bond has to evacuate the
level) is a pretty fun and original mode. You can also earn points to buy
upgrades and new weapons for online play.
Overall: 8.0
Quantum of Solace is a solid Bond title that should be worth a look from
fans of the secret agent. However, the game does have some pretty glaring issues
that bring it down.
