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November 2, 2005 | 12:57 AM PST
by: Ray Almeda
Ever since the glory days of GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64, James Bond games have gotten more and more complicated, revolving around more futuristic themes and unbelievably over-exaggerated action scenes. We’ve gotten our share of somewhat disappointing first-person shooters within the Bond video-game license, but neither of them are as memorable as that once legendary N64 classic. But a few years back, Electronic Arts decided to risk it all in an all-new third-person angle in James Bond: Everything or Nothing (EON). Because of its gigantic leaps over presentation and entertainment value, the Everything or Nothing’s gameplay meshed together quickly. Then in early 2005, EA had announced another new mold using the Bond license. This time, everything was going retro.
Definitely Shaken, Not Stirred
When From Russia With Love was announced, people were skeptical about the fact that EA had chosen to turn a Bond classic into a videogame – a 1963 film at that. Still, no one could hide the fact that the biggest addition to the game series was a re-intervention of the man himself, Sir Sean Connery, who had agreed to voice his own likeness in the movie-based title. Everything was set by EA, including the comprehensive if a bit revised story-line plot from the movie, and a list of characters that didn’t need the traditional “hyper-treatment.” In addition, the much-praised Everything or Nothing view and system were also implemented from the ground up. With enough solid backing from the previous title, EA had no other choice but to expect success on their journey back into James Bond’s early history. Disappointingly enough, this was what kept From Russia With Love from being what it could’ve been. EA’s third-person action title is certainly an enjoyable ride from start to finish, but is too simple and too easy to warrant attention from the hardcore gamer. Don’t expect another fantastic third-person game here. From Russia With Love doesn’t do nearly enough to raise the bar for future Bond games and beyond. Still, don’t get me wrong, the game’s recognizable likenesses alone are some of the few things that make it worthy of a long look.
When Sean Connery announced his plans to voice his own likeness in the game, critics already knew what type of game From Russia With Love would be. Taking place in the 1960s, you can forget about all of those proximity mines, laser guns, and high-speed motorcycle chases. This game sticks to its time period, and puts players in a position to realizing some nostalgia. Connery may be well past his acting prime, but his name alone gives the title enough flair to be considered a true Bond game. Joining him include two well-known hotties, Maria Menounos (Former Entertainment Tonight host, Fantastic Four nurse) and the increasingly-popular UK pop-star Natasha Bedingfield. Menounos takes the role of Eva, the bad girl, while Bedingfield’s likeness will feature her as the UK Prime Minister’s daughter. Both additions mirror exactly that of Everything or Nothing, where bombshells Heidi Klum and Shannon Elizabeth were implemented into the digital Bond mix. Immediately recognizable from the start of the game are the references to the original 1963 film including its theme song and logo on the main menu screen. Combine these elements with some decent voice-acting and interesting cut-scenes, and you already have the expected Bond experience.
For those who have seen the film for themselves, the video-game follows the same story of multiple Cold War conspiracies, adding several side-missions to expand the growing conflict. Oddly enough, EA decided to trash the original name of the culprit organization SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge Extortion), and rename it to a similar group called Octopus. The plot follows James Bond as he travels to Istanbul to meet with a Russian defector, obviously his love interest throughout the story. Furthermore, this newly met woman turns over a Lektor, a Russian cipher device, in exchange for this possible love interest. Orchestrated by a mischievous trap by SPECTRE [in this case Octopus], the enemy’s goal is to facilitate war between MI6 and its allies. The plot thickens even more when a vicious mercenary named Red Grant is hired to eliminate Bond and his slowly diminishing list of local friends. Hence, even with the woman, Bond’s got a lot on his hands.
Good ol’ Sean Connery as James Bond in the Hedgemaze level
There are 14 regular missions and 4 bonus levels – 18 altogether – but many of these missions stray away from some of the movie’s most enjoyable moments. These events are either sidetracked or completely replaced with totally new missions and objectives not found in the film, that certainly question the optimism about their development in the first place. Playing as the younger version of James Bond, using Connery’s voice and likeness, each of the regular missions contain a certain required set of objectives to complete the level. Usually, these objectives are pretty-straightforward and obvious, eliminating the need for constant level back-tracking and such. The four bonus levels, obtained by scoring well at the end of a level, are multitudes of challenges that require most of the game’s action mechanics, such as defusing bombs or completing a mission before an allotted time limit. Evident from playing the first two levels, you’ll realize how solid this game is, despite its lackluster attempt at becoming anything spectacular. From Russia With Love has its tweaks and gameplay additions, but none of them open enriching experiences for the experienced gamer. As the controls are concerned, EA decided to make the scheme simple and easy enough for even the most casual of gamers to feel comfortable.
Controlling Bond Is Easy, Maybe Too Easy
The shooting mechanic, directly taken from its third-person predecessor, is controlled by using the left and right triggers. The left trigger, when held, is used to auto-lock onto a nearby enemy. The right trigger, when pressed or held, fires the primary weapon equipped. The control scheme isn’t innovative, as it can make the game extremely easy, especially when fighting large mobs of enemies. A quick L then R is probably the most important combination that players will quickly pick up after finishing the first level, overshadowing the need for a more manually-based aiming system. If that’s not enough to keep your tuxedo in check, Bond can also hide behind walls to fire strategically at specific points on an enemy. He can also roll on the ground, a tactic that usually gets our double-agent to safety from gunfire. When in close proximity to an enemy soldier, Bond can also perform several interesting melee attacks, topped off with a finishing move. These melee finishing moves are done after initially hitting your enemy, then pressing the random button that pops up right before finishing your opponent off. When far away, Bond can use a zoomed-in “focus-view” to gain accuracy from a large distance away. Making a return from EON, the aiming “pipper” allows Bond to shoot small objects attached to an enemy, including dispatch radios and grenades. Shooting these and watching the eventual outcome are just some of the several highlights of the tweaked targeting system. Small vases, paintings, and windows can also be destroyed with the use of this aiming system, but there could’ve been even more enjoyable destroyable props. The brought-over addition is certainly a change of pace from the usual run-and-gunning in the game.
Your new destination… the floor!
However, the control is still restricting, notably in those spur-of-the-moment battles. The problem with rapidly switching from enemy to enemy with the faster firing scheme is the sometimes random factor in the selected target. For example, wanting to take out the bazooka soldier before the other two soldiers within the same close proximity may be confusing at first. This forces the usage of the slower and accurate, yet more dangerous focus-aiming, which still restricts Bond’s ability to shoot whatever the pipper is targeting. Even exploding barrels can be easily missed if you’re too close. Sure it’s Bond, but the realism of defeating enemies with your gun isn’t as gratifying as it should. There’s little challenge in overtaking the opposition when most of the firefights and based solely on weapon selection and ammunition left. The surroundings of Bond will also increase his chances for survival.
Definitely Shaken, Not Stirred
When From Russia With Love was announced, people were skeptical about the fact that EA had chosen to turn a Bond classic into a videogame – a 1963 film at that. Still, no one could hide the fact that the biggest addition to the game series was a re-intervention of the man himself, Sir Sean Connery, who had agreed to voice his own likeness in the movie-based title. Everything was set by EA, including the comprehensive if a bit revised story-line plot from the movie, and a list of characters that didn’t need the traditional “hyper-treatment.” In addition, the much-praised Everything or Nothing view and system were also implemented from the ground up. With enough solid backing from the previous title, EA had no other choice but to expect success on their journey back into James Bond’s early history. Disappointingly enough, this was what kept From Russia With Love from being what it could’ve been. EA’s third-person action title is certainly an enjoyable ride from start to finish, but is too simple and too easy to warrant attention from the hardcore gamer. Don’t expect another fantastic third-person game here. From Russia With Love doesn’t do nearly enough to raise the bar for future Bond games and beyond. Still, don’t get me wrong, the game’s recognizable likenesses alone are some of the few things that make it worthy of a long look.
When Sean Connery announced his plans to voice his own likeness in the game, critics already knew what type of game From Russia With Love would be. Taking place in the 1960s, you can forget about all of those proximity mines, laser guns, and high-speed motorcycle chases. This game sticks to its time period, and puts players in a position to realizing some nostalgia. Connery may be well past his acting prime, but his name alone gives the title enough flair to be considered a true Bond game. Joining him include two well-known hotties, Maria Menounos (Former Entertainment Tonight host, Fantastic Four nurse) and the increasingly-popular UK pop-star Natasha Bedingfield. Menounos takes the role of Eva, the bad girl, while Bedingfield’s likeness will feature her as the UK Prime Minister’s daughter. Both additions mirror exactly that of Everything or Nothing, where bombshells Heidi Klum and Shannon Elizabeth were implemented into the digital Bond mix. Immediately recognizable from the start of the game are the references to the original 1963 film including its theme song and logo on the main menu screen. Combine these elements with some decent voice-acting and interesting cut-scenes, and you already have the expected Bond experience.
For those who have seen the film for themselves, the video-game follows the same story of multiple Cold War conspiracies, adding several side-missions to expand the growing conflict. Oddly enough, EA decided to trash the original name of the culprit organization SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge Extortion), and rename it to a similar group called Octopus. The plot follows James Bond as he travels to Istanbul to meet with a Russian defector, obviously his love interest throughout the story. Furthermore, this newly met woman turns over a Lektor, a Russian cipher device, in exchange for this possible love interest. Orchestrated by a mischievous trap by SPECTRE [in this case Octopus], the enemy’s goal is to facilitate war between MI6 and its allies. The plot thickens even more when a vicious mercenary named Red Grant is hired to eliminate Bond and his slowly diminishing list of local friends. Hence, even with the woman, Bond’s got a lot on his hands.
Good ol’ Sean Connery as James Bond in the Hedgemaze level
There are 14 regular missions and 4 bonus levels – 18 altogether – but many of these missions stray away from some of the movie’s most enjoyable moments. These events are either sidetracked or completely replaced with totally new missions and objectives not found in the film, that certainly question the optimism about their development in the first place. Playing as the younger version of James Bond, using Connery’s voice and likeness, each of the regular missions contain a certain required set of objectives to complete the level. Usually, these objectives are pretty-straightforward and obvious, eliminating the need for constant level back-tracking and such. The four bonus levels, obtained by scoring well at the end of a level, are multitudes of challenges that require most of the game’s action mechanics, such as defusing bombs or completing a mission before an allotted time limit. Evident from playing the first two levels, you’ll realize how solid this game is, despite its lackluster attempt at becoming anything spectacular. From Russia With Love has its tweaks and gameplay additions, but none of them open enriching experiences for the experienced gamer. As the controls are concerned, EA decided to make the scheme simple and easy enough for even the most casual of gamers to feel comfortable.
Controlling Bond Is Easy, Maybe Too Easy
The shooting mechanic, directly taken from its third-person predecessor, is controlled by using the left and right triggers. The left trigger, when held, is used to auto-lock onto a nearby enemy. The right trigger, when pressed or held, fires the primary weapon equipped. The control scheme isn’t innovative, as it can make the game extremely easy, especially when fighting large mobs of enemies. A quick L then R is probably the most important combination that players will quickly pick up after finishing the first level, overshadowing the need for a more manually-based aiming system. If that’s not enough to keep your tuxedo in check, Bond can also hide behind walls to fire strategically at specific points on an enemy. He can also roll on the ground, a tactic that usually gets our double-agent to safety from gunfire. When in close proximity to an enemy soldier, Bond can also perform several interesting melee attacks, topped off with a finishing move. These melee finishing moves are done after initially hitting your enemy, then pressing the random button that pops up right before finishing your opponent off. When far away, Bond can use a zoomed-in “focus-view” to gain accuracy from a large distance away. Making a return from EON, the aiming “pipper” allows Bond to shoot small objects attached to an enemy, including dispatch radios and grenades. Shooting these and watching the eventual outcome are just some of the several highlights of the tweaked targeting system. Small vases, paintings, and windows can also be destroyed with the use of this aiming system, but there could’ve been even more enjoyable destroyable props. The brought-over addition is certainly a change of pace from the usual run-and-gunning in the game.
Your new destination… the floor!
However, the control is still restricting, notably in those spur-of-the-moment battles. The problem with rapidly switching from enemy to enemy with the faster firing scheme is the sometimes random factor in the selected target. For example, wanting to take out the bazooka soldier before the other two soldiers within the same close proximity may be confusing at first. This forces the usage of the slower and accurate, yet more dangerous focus-aiming, which still restricts Bond’s ability to shoot whatever the pipper is targeting. Even exploding barrels can be easily missed if you’re too close. Sure it’s Bond, but the realism of defeating enemies with your gun isn’t as gratifying as it should. There’s little challenge in overtaking the opposition when most of the firefights and based solely on weapon selection and ammunition left. The surroundings of Bond will also increase his chances for survival.
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February 8, 2010
