007: Tomorrow Never Dies

"Wonder what you get if Goldeneye gets run over by a truck twice?"

And so the first installment of James bond 007 is out on the PSX. And it was the best 007 game availible on the PSX. But only because it's the ONLY 007 game out on this console.

This time, Bond is after a media tycoon by the name of Elliot Carver, who is trying to start a major war between Britain and China. And what does he gain for starting this war? Brodcasting and media rights.

With video game jocks fresh off of N64's Goldeneye, much is expected from Tomorrow Never Dies. After all, a CD can hold much more information then a cartridge can. However, most players will be dissapointed when they play this game. Perhaps one of the biggest dissapointments is that there is no multiplayer mode in this game. A one player game is the only way to go in this game. Another big change from Goldeneye is that this game is in a third person perspective, not a first person, which some players are used to.

The graphics, on the other hand, is definatley something the players would enjoy. This game offers smooth textures and details of background objects. Enemy targets could be seen clearly. And perhaps the best thing about the visual sensation of this game is the addition of cut-scenes from the movie.

The music of this game is based on the main James Bond theme. The music provides the right effect on the player, as it will pump the excitment factor up.

The computer AI (artifical inteligence) in Tomorrow Never Dies is really good in some areas, and really weak in others. Enemies have the ability to snipe you from ledges, and sneak up behind you. Bosses have a very good sense of dodging shots. However, enemies will run very carelessly around corners, or just stand in one spot shooting while you run circles around them. Because of this, the difficulty factor of this game is very questionable. It all depends on the player's skill and killer instinct.

The fun factor is not very good, mainly becuase it lacks the very popular multiplayer mode. Once the game is completed on the harder of the two dificulty levels, there is nothing else to do. The replayability is extremely poor. Most players find that they can complete the game within the first couple of weeks.

The controll setup in Tomorrow Never Dies is really easy to get used to. Mainly because you can customize the contolls yourself. And the game does not offer lots of ''button-mashing'', so no more then 3 buttons at a time is ever needed.

Overall, this game is an okay game. But don't expect too much of it if you've played Goldeneye on the N64. In fact, I wouldn't even buy it, unless you are a diehard James Bond fan.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/00, Updated 05/29/00