I was really impressed when I saw the gameplay on the new James Bond video game. I believe things are finally looking up for gamers who want to see their favorite movies on their computers or consoles. And that's because the developers are paying more attention and the big movie companies understand the profit to be made out of this. Plus, they understand that they can't just shove down a dev's throat a game project two month before the movie released and say "have it done by then".
That said, there will always be bad games made out of good movies (and probably vice-versa), and this can happen because of many factors. Ramblings aside, let's not get even further into this debate, and talk about our all-time favorite super spy: James Bond.
With Casino Royale and Daniel Craig, things took a new turn for the Bond franchise. A more humble and down to earth 007 was introduced to the public. And probably wanting to keep it fresh and of course because of the money, Activision got the rights to make video games after this new Bond.
And they are starting with the 22nd movie in the long-living series - Quantum of Solace. Quantum of Solace is, as you will see from the movie launching sometime in November, the sequel to Casino Royale.
With Casino Royale and Daniel Craig, things took a new turn for the Bond franchise. A more humble and down to earth 007 was introduced to the public. And probably wanting to keep it fresh and of course because of the money, Activision got the rights to make video games after this new Bond.
And they are starting with the 22nd movie in the long-living series - Quantum of Solace. Quantum of Solace is, as you will see from the movie launching sometime in November, the sequel to Casino Royale.
Activision made every effort to have a strong game, and they started from the ground up. What better engine to use for and action game than the Call of Duty 4 engine? CoD 4 is one of the best and most played FPS game to date. Its realism is unmatched in many ways.
Of course, the highly scripted AI used in CoD 4 is not very well suited for a Bond game. So it has been the "victim" of a complete re-write, making enemies smart and adaptive.
Quantum of Solace video game is played in both 1st and 3rd person modes, depending on the situation. Bond and his enemies can take cover behind objects, and the camera will change accordingly.
Of course, the highly scripted AI used in CoD 4 is not very well suited for a Bond game. So it has been the "victim" of a complete re-write, making enemies smart and adaptive.
Quantum of Solace video game is played in both 1st and 3rd person modes, depending on the situation. Bond and his enemies can take cover behind objects, and the camera will change accordingly.
This opens up a lot of possibilities, and players can experience different approaches to scenes that are already in the movie, like a famous chase scene. There are two types of covers: hard and soft. The soft ones, like crates for example, can be blown to pieces by weapon fire and grenades. Hard ones like walls and metal stuff are there to last however.
Since this is based on an action movie, the game doesn't have to be that restrictive anymore. Thus, many cool things like bullet time have been added. You can use stealth to quietly take down your enemies, or you can be loud and deadly instead, or any combination of the two. The great visual quality of the game lets you use the shadows for example to track your foes while they don't see you coming.
The weapons are what you'd expect from a top secret agent with a license to kill, but with the added Call of Duty flavor: very realistic and very deadly. 1 shot - 1 kill, if placed right. Unfortunately, you abide by the same rule, so be careful and play smart.
Since this is based on an action movie, the game doesn't have to be that restrictive anymore. Thus, many cool things like bullet time have been added. You can use stealth to quietly take down your enemies, or you can be loud and deadly instead, or any combination of the two. The great visual quality of the game lets you use the shadows for example to track your foes while they don't see you coming.
The weapons are what you'd expect from a top secret agent with a license to kill, but with the added Call of Duty flavor: very realistic and very deadly. 1 shot - 1 kill, if placed right. Unfortunately, you abide by the same rule, so be careful and play smart.
Environments are fully destructible, will change dynamically, and are interactive. Shooting a TNT barrel or an electrical switch will result in an explosion that can be used to your advantage.
You receive updates for your mission objectives through your mobile phone, though it's a bit odd that Bond's (and everybody else's) cool Sony Ericsson phone got replaced by a noname one.
Music is of course themed after the movie and it changes dynamically, influenced by the action pace. There are both indoors and outdoors missions and they look pretty fancy. Textures and everything else seems to be high quality on both PC and consoles. Overall, the game seems to complete the movie and goes into details more than the 2 hours of action you see at the cinema.
You receive updates for your mission objectives through your mobile phone, though it's a bit odd that Bond's (and everybody else's) cool Sony Ericsson phone got replaced by a noname one.
Music is of course themed after the movie and it changes dynamically, influenced by the action pace. There are both indoors and outdoors missions and they look pretty fancy. Textures and everything else seems to be high quality on both PC and consoles. Overall, the game seems to complete the movie and goes into details more than the 2 hours of action you see at the cinema.
Multiplayer is another story. Many classic and new multiplayer modes like deathmatch, team deathmach, domination and conflict amongst other can be found in Quantum of Solace. Up to 12 players online support and a player ranking similar to Call of Duty 4 will bring a competitive edge to it. Add to that new modes designed just for this game like Bond vs Bond and you'll start to get the whole picture.
As a conclusion, there is a reason to be excited while waiting for this game for both fans of the movie and gamers. And probably one of the few Bond games "for the books". Daniel Craig was also very supportive and lent its voice and appearance to the developers, and a few other key actors agreed to do the same. So hope for the best and check it out this November when it launches with the movie.
As a conclusion, there is a reason to be excited while waiting for this game for both fans of the movie and gamers. And probably one of the few Bond games "for the books". Daniel Craig was also very supportive and lent its voice and appearance to the developers, and a few other key actors agreed to do the same. So hope for the best and check it out this November when it launches with the movie.
