GoldenEye 007: Reloaded

Introduction

Bond, James Bond. The most famous spy in the history of the genre. A character who has been immortalized in over twenty films, many books, and an increasing amount of video games. In the past three gaming generations, countless Bond games have come and gone. Some of them were good (Everything and Nothing from last gen springs to mind), others not so much (the disappointing movie tie-in for Quantum of Solace did the series no favors). But without a doubt, the most acclaimed and revered Bond game to date was the one that started it all: Goldeneye. Originally released on the Nintendo 64, the game was most memorable for its split-screen multiplayer that inspired epic gaming sessions. Anyone who had a Nintendo 64 remembers just how fun it was to get three friends over for a long night of Goldeneye’s multiplayer. The game proved so popular that EA saw fit to commission a remake. The Wii version has been out for several months, and now we belatedly see a release on the other consoles. Does this version scale the same heights as the original, or does it fail to recapture the magic?

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Goldeneye Reloaded is not a hi-res redo of the original game. Rather, it’s a new game that uses the original as a foundation to create a new experience. The biggest change is immediately obvious. In the years between the N64 game and this one, Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has come and gone, replaced by Daniel Craig in the films and for this game. Some players may lament the loss of Brosnan, and I will admit it does feel strange to play through classic moments without him, but Craig has proven himself as Bond on film, so ultimately I have no problem with him taking over here either.

After that initial shock, the other changes become more apparent. While Goldeneye is loosely based on the film of the same name, it takes plenty of liberties in the details, providing you with a different take on events. This allows for some immaculately crafted levels. The main gameplay tactic is stealth, and you’ll certainly spend a lot of time crouched down and sneaking through vents. Should a firefight break out, though, you’ll find the game has the same sharply honed shooting mechanics that the original did.

Interestingly, for a game that relies so heavily on stealth, there’s no real penalty for being seen and shooting your way through a level. Compare this to something like Metal Gear Solid, where you get bonuses for getting through levels without ever being detected, and this lack of consequences feels a bit surprising. In fact, unlike so many stealth games these days, once you take out a target, he quickly disappears, leaving no trace. In most games of this kind, the body would remain to be discovered unless you had the foresight to hide it out of the way. Given how tight the shooting mechanics are, perhaps the developers wanted you to blow holes in bad guys more often than not.

One of the best things about Goldeneye Reloaded is how each level is constructed to allow for different tactics. Hidden routes are littered throughout each area, some of them not even apparent until second or third play throughs. There’s certainly a main path that is very obvious, but half the fun is in finding the alternate routes. And in later levels, when the difficulty ramps up considerably (perhaps even too sharply), finding and using these roads less traveled become almost a necessity if you want to make it through alive.

If you just want to recapture your glory days as the best shooter among your group of friends, Goldeneye Reloaded is ready to accommodate with classic four-player split screen multiplayer. You can play as several famous characters from the Bond series, some of them with their own attacks (Oddjob throws his hat, just as you would hope). As an added incentive to buy the game new, packed in the case is a voucher for Hugo Drax from the 1979 film Moonraker and his laser gun. The multiplayer is as fun as it was back in the N64 days; a joy undiminished by the passage of time.