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Guns. Girls. Saving the world. Oh, and a vodka martini or two. James Bond 007: Nightfire blends all the classic bond elements to bring you the best Bond video game since Goldeneye 007. When Goldeneye 007 was released for the N64 back in 97, it revolutionized gaming. I myself consider it the best console shooter ever made, and it is commonly considered the best N64 of all time. But 5 years later, there still hasn't been a Bond game to top that masterpiece. The new Bond game, Nightfire, does the best job of any recent Bond game of doing justice to Goldeneye. Here's why.
The story is nothing special in terms of Bond games/movies (is it ever?), but it is passable in my book because it is presented well. An evil madman Raphael Drake is threatening to destroy the world, and James Bond 007 is (naturally) the only one that can stop him. When you're not actually playing, you're watching FMV which progresses the story and comes on before and after each mission. There's even an opening FMV title sequence complete with Bondish music and women with guns that very well simulates the real films introductions. Though I think the FMV sequences could have been done using the in-game engine, they are well done and packed with short and sweet action scenes, smoochin' with the several "Bond girls" in the game, and witty conversations with Q. They are never too long however, as EA as opted to keep you playing rather than watching (which is something Goldeneye had that made it great). My gripe with the story presentation is that unfortunately some of the coolest moments happen within the FMV, and I would have liked to be able to play them. A minor gripe to be sure, but perhaps next time EA can plan out the sequences more carefully.
Visually, the game is up to par with anything else on the PS2, though it doesn't quite pack the sharpness of its Xbox port. The models pack detail and are painted with some of the best texturing and animation on the PS2. Bond and his various lovers, enemies, and allies all animate quite well, especially facially (which gives them more life than if they were simply rushed through development). The effects lack that same lifelike feel however, the lighting isn't as dynamic as games like MGS2 and appears static in comparison. Bullet holes, shattering glass, and random breakable objects are decently done, but nothing special. They all serve to make the game more realistic and enthralling, but they don't really live up to it. Not bad by any measure, but they don't amaze me. What does amaze me however is that frame rates, which stay remarkably smooth through the entire adventure. Even during combat, there is no noticeable slowdown, which is an issue that has plagued many other games but thankfully has been perfected here. The in-game menus are another portion of the visual package that I enjoyed, they are all in the "Nighfire" theme and come complete with fiery women packing handguns (why don't more games have this feature?). All in all, the graphics are well done but don't amaze, yet the smoothness of play makes up for any of that.
The sound and music has always been a trademark of the Bond games and movies alike, and EA doesn't skimp on us here. The classic Bond music is presented here as good as ever, but the music also changes to fit the atmosphere of each level, a great touch. Also a good sound touch is the dynamically changing track that builds up to a fast, energy pumped pace during the firefights, and kicks down to a slower, more stealthy soundtrack when you are employing stealth tactics. Despite 20 movies and several games, no one can deny that the classic Bond music simply fits perfectly with the suave, sophisticated secret agent theme. As far as sound effects go, they serve their purpose well enough (though not outdoing EA's Medal of Honor games) but the real treat here is the surprisingly good voice acting. The voice talent for every character, including Bond himself (who is voiced by a sound-alike that, although he has a slightly too deep voice, does the job as well as anyone could) fits the mood of the game well, unlike the countless other games in which the voice acting makes your ears bleed. Even the constant interruptions by Q and M while playing never get terribly annoying because they sound somewhat believable.
As anyone who played Goldeneye to death will tell you, the gameplay is where the game is made or broken, and EA knew this when developing Nightfire. The game is packed with great, memorable action sequences that play out very similarly to Goldeneye. The controls will take some getting used to by default, but they can be switched to incorporate the dual-joystick setup (in which the left stick moves and the right stick is used to look) which is the way most will probably want to play the game. The learning curve is about an hour by my book, because every button does something and it can be confusing at first. But the game eases you in to the more difficult sections, so by the time you reach the more challenging levels you already are well versed in how to move Bond around, switch between gadgets and weapons, reload, etc., on the fly. The vehicle levels have good controls as well, driving your V12 Vanquish is a snap given the arcade-like nature of the driving levels. A particularly fun element is that during the driving sequences, it's not all about simply getting from point A to point B while mashing the gas; you may have to take down helicopters while skidding across a frozen lake, or, during the underwater level, use stealth and send remote torpedoes to knock out communication lines so that you can destroy patrols without being caught. These are my personal favorite moments in the game, because they are more than just standard run and gun. The objectives are a little easy in my opinion, and the game feels fairly linear, although the guards put up a fight at the harder difficulty levels and make accomplishing the objectives harder. Earning Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards will unlock new multiplayer modes and levels, and other goodies. Also hidden throughout each level are 007 points, which can only be obtained by thinking like Bond and thus reaching secret areas with your various gadgets. These don't increase the reply terribly however, which is bad because the game itself is already short, 5 hours for most players.
Nightfire is too short a game however, and that is my only big problem with it. Thus I only recommend that hardcore Bond fans buy this game, but for anyone else a rental is your best bet, as you can easily beat this game in one day of playing. That said however, I think Nightfire is the best Bond game in years and certainly should be played by anyone with a PS2.
-- Anonym. Contributor, PGNx Media
---- Nov 28, 2002
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