007: Tomorrow Never Dies

"Trys so hard to be Syphon Filter but fails horribly"

In the previews that I had seen for tomorrow never dies, I had become quite hyped about the game, I even thought it could turn into the next goldeneye, but after I rented the game from blockbuster, I found that it was nowhere near the quality of Goldeneye. This game is clearly trying to be a syphon filter clone, the control system is almost the same and the view is the same, and even the premise is the same, but this game is nowhere near the quality of syphon filter either. This game is horrible. The worst part of it is the control and the gameplay. Just like in syphon filter you have a auto aim feature that placees a big cross-hair over the enemy you are trying to shoot at but if you try and strafe and shoot the bad guy, you miss and are shot four times as you run around in circles shooting at nothing, while the cross-hair is still over the enemy but some how the bullets don't go there.

The weapon selection is also very meager. I used the Ak-47 assault rifle pretty much through the whole game, exept whent I had no ammo and used the pistol. the Sniper rifle is possibly the worst gun in the game. At first I thought, cool a sniper rifle, but as I looked into it a first person view, I tried to zoom and I only seemed to zoom in about two inches, what a piece of crap, and then, I try to shoot with the cross-hairs over the enemies head, and I hear the bullet go off, but nothing happens, I try again, and again, nothing. there seems to be some stupid distance probelm with this hunk of crap game but the bad points don't stop there. Even with the Infared Sniper Rifle, on the level where you are supposed to take out the guys with the rifle, you can only see their legs behind a tree but when you shoot, yet again nothing happens. even as you move closer to them, nothing happens. there seems to be some protective lining around the trees, or its just some stupid game bug.

Another thing is how when you're in 1st person mode and you try to move the cross-hairs around, they move sooooooo slow. At one point you have to take out a helicopter with a rocket-laucher and you can't help but get hit while moving the cross-hairs up and across to line them up, but even the helicopter flies across faster than the cross-hairs move. The most annoying part about the enemies is how they have pin-point accuracy every time, even when it seems like they're a mile away and you're crouched down in the "stealth mode" it's like if they are turned in your direction they shoot you from wherever they are but if they are turned around, they just stand there, even if a bullet hits the wall beside them.

Now to the so called "Stealth Mode." All this does is make you walk instead of run and rolle to the side instead of strafe, and it makes no difference if you run, or walk, it all depends on if they are turned towards you or not. Now to the ratings

Graphics-5- some good characters, but crap textures and horrid animations. Cool intro right from the movie

Sound-7- crap sound effects, but great memorable bond music score. great Sheryl Crow intro

Gameplay-1- Crappiest of the crap- tries to be syphon filter and fails miserably. Whole gun selection, Sniper rifle, and Stealth mode parts mentioned above.

Overall-3- Horrible game- DO NOT BUY, if you did go trade it in now before the trade in price drops. If you want Immersive, awsome espionage action, get metal gear solid, if you want action movie coolness and best action sequences on the PSX or possibly anywhere, Go buy Syphon Filter- I made the mistake of renting Syphon Filter without buying it. Don't do the same as I did, go buy Syphon Filter or MGS Right now and don't even think about tomorrow never dies.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/99, Updated 12/27/99