GoldenEye 007 – Preview

A classic; an outstanding achievement; a blast with friends… the original GoldenEye 007 was many things to many different people but in a bite-size sound bite, GoldenEye was a pioneering first- person shooter for the home console.

It’s a feat that has been surpassed only by the likes of Halo and Modern Warfare, simply for their contributions to gameplay and, of course, the staying power of their multiplayer hooks. And so here we are, over a decade later on the verge of a seriously compromising remake of the N64 classic, with Activision in at the wheel and original developers Rareware left gagged and handcuffed in the boot.

A few things to grin and bear, though. The original GoldenEye bond Pierce Brosnan has been replaced with Daniel Craig, the original story has been ‘modernized’ (albeit penned by the original writer Bruce Feirstein) and we’re slightly cautious to report that it’s all gone a little Modern Warfare.

From the mission briefing sequences, the in-game companion issuing orders (like a made to order Soap McTavish) and context-sensitive actions, Activision’s grubby mitts can be found all over this shooter. Even the target assist feels similar to Modern Warfare’s signature snap-targeting.

Of course, there are still some remnants of the original left intact. The dam level which opened the original now takes place in the dead of night, and a lot of the on-foot work has now been replaced with a truck ride completed with drive-by shooting and even a quick-time event. We even did a little bit of spy work, snapping pictures of a grounded helicopter. Ultimately we weren’t given much of the ‘disarm this’ or ‘apply proximity mines to that’, giving us the impression GoldenEye will be more of a hands-off rollercoaster ride than the original.

Single-player campaigns aren’t everything and for GoldenEye 007 that couldn’t be truer – the multiplayer was a time sink. Perhaps our memories of being crowded around a small TV, each sharing a quarter of it are faded but after a few rounds of traditional four-player deathmatches, we’re convinced it’s worth your time.

It serves as a testament to how far the multiplayer shooter has come. There’s no sign of trained army troops or well-oiled mercs, just spies and agents running around ruining their well-pressed suits. Deaths were a little too easy to achieve, and the small map we tried out meant there was rarely a moment where blood wasn’t dripping down the screen. Unbalanced? Maybe, but it still retains some of its former charm, and the promise of eight-player online matches, an XP system and an abundance of classic modifiers should seal the deal that Activision are cutting no corners with this one.

The good news is that those dreading the thought of using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk control method need not worry, as classic controller pro and Gamecube controllers are supported, along with the Wii Zapper if you’re feeling a little crazy.

GoldenEye 007 will be a sure-fire hit based on the name and promise of nostalgic gratification. There’s something of the N64 original still intact but built around it is a modern-day shooter. It’s not a bad thing. In fact, it has the potential to outshine others who have attempted to wave the shooter flag for the Wii before. But is it worthy of the GoldenEye name? The jury is still out on that one.

blog comments powered by Disqus