The Operative: No One Lives Forever

"One of the most entertaining and original fps games in a while....."

Gameplay 10/10

This game is a first person shooter. It separates itself from other games of the genre by giving you various gadgets such as a pin used to pick locks or a robotic poodle used to distract guard dogs. The game isn't to hard or too easy having just the right challenge level. The enemy A.I. is pretty good as they tend to take cover behind objects and roll away from your bullets. The levels have enough variety in them to keep you from getting bored. Some are fairly straightforward levels while others get creative and allow you to use a vehicle such as a snow mobile or a motorcycle to get around.

Sound 8/10

The sound effects sound great and realistic. Since this game is made to be semi humorous some of the voice actors have a dimwittedly funny accent. Some of the dialogue is extremely funny like in the first level one of the bad guys is pressured into purchasing a monkey. There is always something funny being said in every level.

Graphics 9/10

This is where the game really shines. The characters are well designed and highly detailed. The levels are very well designed but a bit confusing. One of the cool things I noticed about the textures was that they made the walls look rough by adding a cement look on some of them. Most of the scenery looks great except for the cars which look like boxes with wheels and headlights.

Control 10/10

The controls in this game are wonderful. In this game you are able to do a lot of things on the fly without using menus, from picking the type of ammunition to using gadgets. There are quite a number of buttons but never too many to make the game confusing. You can also use a game pad, but I highly recommend that you don't because in my opinion it’s easier to aim with the mouse. Also if you are dissatisfied with the controls you are able to easily change them.

Storyline 7/10
I got to give them credit on all the jokes and humorous situations this game has but the thing is that they aren’t that funny. The actual storyline is kind of crappy. The game starts out that you are a former cat burglar who joined up with a British intelligence agency called unity. Apparently there is a spy in your organization who is killing of all the operatives and it’s your job to catch them....blah ...blah...blah...It is somewhat original but not to interesting.

If you like fps games I highly recommend you get this game. I recommend that you buy the pc version because there are serious problems with the console version.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/02, Updated 12/27/02