James Bond 007: NightFire

"Not Goldeneye, but it works great."

Ah, what to say about Nightfire? It's perhaps the best first-person shooter I've played since Halo. It's also the best James Bond game I've played since Goldeneye. In Nightfire you play 007, AKA James Bond. Throughout the game you go to exotic locations, drive real fast in some of the sweetest cars around, and get to making it with the love with some nice ladies. All around, exactly what you'd expect from James Bond.

Gameplay:
The game is a FPS. So it's pretty much automatically an awesome game (in my eyes). You get a big variety of weapons to choose from. From the classic Goldeneye PP7, to the very new and improved rocket launcher, there's plenty to choose from. There's submachine guns, handguns, rifles, the works, everything you need to get to some hardcore ass kicking. Along with the new weapons, there's also plenty of gadgets that make you wish you were James Bond. From credit card virus', to the standard laser, all the way to the grapple, the gadgets in 007: Nightfire are awesome.

Nightfire plays a lot like Goldeneye, only not as fast. In Goldeneye the ammo was practically unlimited, and the game was insanely fast. In Nightfire, you have to think about what weapons you're using, along with keeping it stealthy through the missions. But, if you're like me, you can totally disregard the ''stealth'', and bust caps Rambo style.

The thing that separates Goldeneye from Nightfire, is that Nightfire incorporates a lot of different vehicles to use. In Nightfire you cruise stylishly in the new..umm..CAR. It's insanely fast with tons of gizmos and gadgets. You also fly high in a plane and blow uber amounts of things up. There's also a portion (which is by far my favorite), where you mount a gun behind a snow mobile and blast everything in sight, it's very fun. But, the problem with these new additions is that the whole fun of the game comes in the first few levels, and there's not much afterwards.

There's a fair amount of levels from you to play, and the last level is by far one of the coolest. I don't want to give it away, but..you're outside in SPACE!! Sweetness if you ask me.

Graphics:
The weapons are stylish. The character models are detailed. And Bond, looks like Bond. The surroundings are nice, and it brings a fresh vibe to the game. The color is nice, and I love staring at the weapons, they're just beautiful.

Sound:
It's a video game. The sounds are, of course, awesome. From the opening movie, it has it's own James Bond like song. Plus the menu has a catchy tune and the each level has it's own stylish music.

Story:
This is unique in the James Bond video game franchise. Nightfire sports is's very own story. Full of fast cars, lovely ladies, an evil madman, nuclear weapons, and the overall sweet look of Bond, really set the mood for Nightfire. Everything you'd expect from a James Bond movie, is in Nightfire. Apparently, James Bond has to stop an evil madman named Drake from blowing up the world with his big, nuclear carrying, space station. You meet several ladies to help you along your way. They all assist you in various ways..

Overall:
A solid title, definitely worth your money. The next best FPS for the Xbox since Halo. If you have a passing interest, or just need something to do, you should rent this game, it's definitely the perfect rental, and it should keep you entertained. If you're thinking about buying the game, go for it, there's tons of things to do that give this game lots of replayability. Nightfire isn't Goldeneye, but it's the next best thing..Pick this one up, NOW!

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/06/03, Updated 05/06/03