James Bond 007: NightFire

"Bond hasn't let me down yet."

James Bond has always had wonderful games. I'm with many people when I say that Goldeneye was probably the best of them all, but in my eyes, this one comes quite close. It's gorgeous visually, and has the sound quality to match. EA has done wonderful things with this license, and as much as I liked Rare handling things, EA has definitely got a good thing going.

Graphics 9/10: This could use a few tweaks, but it is essentially great. The character models are well done, and if you watch, you can even see a character's eyes looking left and right. Despite how well the character models are, there are a few flaws. For one, I saw a fireplace that looked incredibly laughable. Some things still look slightly odd, but the majority of the things in this game look superb.

Sound 10/10: No gripes here. The sound in this game is excellent. The James Bond theme is as recognizable as ever. There are not very many differing tunes in this game, but that is fine. The songs you hear are masterfully done.
Sound effects are great too. The gunshots are very realistic. Voices in this game are very clear and easily understandable. You will be greeted by guests at a party in the first level and they will all turn and say hello.

Controls 9/10: Good ole Bond style shooting. There isnt a lot to say about this, but I can try to stretch it to make the 400 word requirement.
The controls are run of the mill. A few minor tweaks to your usual set up are all you'll encounter. If the controls set at the beginning of the game are not your style, then you can choose from a plethora of different ones. The different styles are named after many of the Bond movies, some old, some new (i.e. Goldfinger, Dr. No, Goldeneye.)
Turning while running seems a bit slow, but it's something that I can live with.

Gameplay 10/10: I love the gameplay. There are three different styles, just like in Agent Under Fire, if you have played it before.
The first is your regular first person shooting style. One change in this game is that, unlike AUF, you are trying to use stealth to accomplish your objectives. Bursting in and attacking doesnt always get the job done in this one. In this mode, you have access to many different styles of weapons and gadgets. I believe this is my favorite style of play
The second style is the driving levels. You drive James' Aston Martin car and have access to a considerably smaller range of weapons. These levels include many gadgets, though, including a smokescreen, a wedge to get between tight spaces, and an insanely fast speed booster.
The third and, in my opinion, most boring gameplay style is the rail shooter. You are on a preset path shooting at fairly obvious targets. They are fun, but grow boring over time. These and the driving levels are the least used, but nevertheless, they add a much needed diversity to the way you play the game.

Final Verdict 9/10: I believe this gamereally captured the James Bond spirit, from the cars, to the girls, to the witty comebacks. I would suggest buying, especially if you have friends that are into it, because the multiplayer is great. Bringing back the likes of Jaws, Oddjob, and Baron Samedi (to name a few) is a great idea.
If, however, you are skeptical about Bond, or don't have a lot of friends to play it with, then you may want to try a rent, because if you worked at it, you could easily complete this game in a weekend.

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