James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

"A game that keeps dissappointing..."

This is the very first James Bond game I've played and this game is the first bond game to be played from the third person perspective since Tomorrow Never Dies, I think. Anyway, I was really excited because first of all this IS James Bond! everyone's favorite super spy and because I trust EA GAMES to deliver the goods...but somehow, after I finished the game I walked away, wishing it was SO much better than this. Anyway, here are my opinions on the game:

STORY
You are James Bond. the sexiest, most daring and radical secret agent the British government has ever employed and as everything goes, you have to save the world from some russian patriot-like man who first, wants to take over Russia and then the World using a destructive nano technology stolen from other governments. Blah blah blah yada yada yada. Been there, done that EA! I mean the story CAN be bearable if you're a 007 fan but it's the same old stories we've seen in every single 007 title. movie or game. No. the story won't engage you to go on and play to see what's going to happen next and that's a BAD sign for an adventure game.

CONTROLS
The worst part of this Game can be the controls. The XBOX version is like this anyway. the "lock on" button (right trigger) which is used for the various weapons 007 uses goes AWOL just when you need it. so before you could ever get a chance to lock unto your enemies so you could actually HIT them, you'll be long dead and have to restart the same old lame scenario over again. you also have some driving levels which are done arguably well and there is no problem with them. neither when driving a car or a motorbike. there are also some problems with the inventory selection controls that I can't exactly put my finger on it. all you have to know is that the controls are not so responsive and THAT inevitably means you're going to die often in this rather challenging game.

SOUNDS
The sounds are very nice in quality (they are all THX approved). so if you have the right sound system, you're going to hear a lot of explosions, gunfire, various vehicles, different weapons and many enjoyable 007 music along with it. the voice acting is also great and ALMOST flawless. the sounds of the different characters are done by the 007 movies' stars (Pierce Brosnan and etc...) themselves so there is quite a movie feel to it. If there's ONE thing EA has done right in this game, it's the sound and the music.

GRAPHICS
This game, although which gets very boring after just a few levels, DOES have some variety in it. you'll be controlling Mr.Bond himself in almost 80% of the levels and in the rest of the 20% is spent Driving your Bond car, a helicopter, a motorbike, a futuristic tank AND falling down a very high cliff while dodging gunfire and other obstacles. yup. that's the best level ever and I mean THE best level ever in ANY 007 game. to bad it only lasts for a minute or two. The graphics are also very nicely done. the environments are natural enough. they vary from a hotel to a village to a cliff to a secret underground base and many more. the character models are also mediocre and resemble their living counterparts and are easy on the eye. the special explosion effects are also very well done but I noticed some frame rate chops when there was a lot going on the screen like an explosion in some level(s).

GAMEPLAY
This is also another part of the game they have messed up. and messy gameplay means they can kiss a lot of gamers who are willing to buy or like the game goodbye. The level designs are just unacceptable and sometimes go on the verge of being plain terrible. you often get confused in the levels, not knowing where to go next until you FINALLY (after bashing your head on the controller or the wall. take your pick.) find out that you had to use the rappel to reach somewhere higher or you had to send one of those little spider robot thingys through a little itsy bitsy hole in a distant corner so it could open up a way for you from the other side. I like decent exploration but this is ridiculous! the game can also be VERY challenging cause if your enemies shoot, you're most likely to be hit and since your health meter is almost 6 centimeters long and you can't find much armor throughout the levels, you'll always be limping like a wounded dog till the end of the level trying to just finish the uninspired level.there are also some hidden opportunities called "Bond Moments" scattered throughout the levels. they often occur when you blow or shoot SPECIAL objects whenever you're driving or are on your feet. These moments consist of something [not so] exciting to happen. for example, when you blow a bridge which stands over an enemy tank, the bridge falls over the enemy tank which is an alternative way to destroy that specific enemy. these things really don't add to the much boring and lame gaming experience you'll encounter especially towards the end of the game.

LAST WORDS
If you are a 007 fan, indeed rent this game and try it out. there are a very few good levels in the game which you'd appreciate and there are some other stuff to unlock depending on how good you play the game. for others, I don't think you'll like this game a lot. because it's disappointingly boring. it mostly just gives you an ALMOST fun level here and a VERY bad level the next. and to know you've gone through all that just to watch a questionable 10 second ending FMV? oh no. I don't think so. if you haven't played this game yet, don't bother. otherwise just rent it for a day or two.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/04