Goldeneye 007
Reviewed by Gennadiy Balandin
In the wide selection of various doom clones and 1st person shooters
it is not often to see a game with a "personality" of its own. Although most
such games include new features and weapons, so far, only a precious few
incorporate new and original gameplay and design. I am glad to say that
GoldenEye is amongst these, it doesn't just offer "Mario style level design"
(multiple goals) or new aim features (sniper mode, degrees of recoil
depending on the weapons and height of the character etc. etc. etc.) or, well,
just about every unique feature on the game, but, it finally allows the
possibility of a well done movie licensee.
GRAPHICS- 8.9
Fairly good graphics, though not revolutionary. A large cast of characters
and interactive & realistic environments are what bail this game out. On
the downside there is a sacrifice of quality over quantity (an N64
trademark) when it comes to enemies, they are highly detailed, but, if there
are more than 4 or 5 characters on the screen you will start to see a large
amount of slowdown, this is also why enemies disappear soon after their deaths
which takes away from the realism of the game. While this game might not
have as much blood as Turok, the death scenes are quite impressive, for starters
there is a variety different reactions when a foe (or friend) is shot, for
example: a Russian soldier is shot in the head- he drops dead immediately,
however if you shoot him in the foot he'll just hold it for a little while
and then get back to killing you, shoot him again in the stomach and he curls
up with pain and struggles for a few seconds before finally completing the
violent death- not to sound sadistic or anything, but watching this is pure
delight! Environments are fully interactive, from moving security cameras, to
exploding file cabinets, to bullets ricosheing of the walls leaving T2 like
bullet holes. Another great feature of this game is its numerous short,
real-time FMV sequences.
SOUND- 8.6
Oh, boy, although most sound effects are very realistic, I am sadly
disappointed by the lack of voices. As for the music, there is not much left
to be shocked about, a good quality digitized movie score starts of the game
and classic MIDI patterns we've come to expect from video games afterwards.
Guards don't curse, they don't call for help, they just grunt or scream and die
:(, a selection of screams depending on where they are hit sure, but just not
enough.
INTENSITY- 9
For those who have played a number of 3d shooters you know what I'm
talking about! You're walking down a hall, minding your own business when
all of a sudden a guard appears from nowhere scaring you half to death. Or,
just listening to the sound of doors opening after you shoot somebody with
your life bar almost empty. This game is a master of fright and suspense!
GAMEPLAY- 9.0
Tons of great concepts brought to life and a control skheme to match!
More difficult to control than Turok, although, like the games N64 3d
shooter predecessor, when you get used to it, you won't believe
the maneuvers you're able to pull off. Also an welcome addition
are level goals varying on the difficulty settings, the gamer
will often find himself in a labyrinth figuring out where the
keycard/mines/mainframe/programmer/natalya/exits are, this ain't
your get a key and win type of game. The rumble pack is used wisely,
often as an explanation when you get knocked back a few feet after
getting shot. Like other licensees the game follows the storyline pretty
close, yet creating its own timeline.
WEAPONS- 9.8
You have knives, you have dozens of different types of mines and
explosives, you have realistic and non-futuristic automatic-nonautomatic
handguns and rifles, and every thing you can think of. In tight quarters
where stealth is the key, it is often a good idea to use karate or a silenced
PP7 instead of an AK47 like Russian automatic, while in large open areas the
sniper rifle is the clear choice. Weapon noises can be heard by other
guards, and combined with advanced AI could make a lethal combo. Even with
the powerful 50 clip phantom (you have to reload) in hand a player is still
likely to die if faced with 10 guards- the answer... a hand grenade or a
grenade launcher, a timed or proximity mine, or the ever famous-suicidal
bomber like plastic! In other words each of the 20+ weapons and gadgets
have their own use which adds realism to the game.
LASTABILITY- 9.4
3 difficulty levels, hard to get timebased cheats, 20 levels and 11
original multiplayer levels call for weeks if not months of
entertainment.
OVERALL- 9.1 Rent it, buy it, play it!