I wasn’t going to get this game at first, some of the negative reviews put me off.  That was until I found myself in HMV, voucher in hand and standing next to the game offers shelf.  Before you could shake a Martini, I was walking out of the store with a copy of Quantum of Solace for the PS3 and a Dark Knight Blu-ray.

It all starts well.  The introduction level sees you escape from a mansion through the gardens, chased by a gang of sharp dressed security types.  You can feel the COD4 engine at work, but with the benefit of having a cover option which works in a similar way to Gears of War; press X to find cover or dash to another object.  Control-wise it’s all smooth and easy to use button presses, from running to changing weapons.

After the practice run, you’re treated to a typically bond-style introduction sequence which makes the game feel more like a Bond movie than just another shooter, then it’s on to a long sequence of chases from streets to rooftops.  It’s nothing sophisticated at this point, just duck and cover then run and gun stuff, but it’s entertaining.  A few rooftop jumps and rolls and you feel right at home in 007’s shiny shoes. 

Pretty soon you’ll find yourself in the first of many Quicktime scripted events where fast button presses see you defeat the traditional end-of-level bad guy.  This isn’t as bad as it sounds and for most of the games’ Quicktime moments it actually feels well thought out.

The voice acting adds another layer of authenticity to the proceedings and this, coupled with the music, sets the game apart from other shooters.  Bond fans will be pleased with the results here.

But then you start realising that the enemies don’t get any smarter and the levels are pretty much a case of running from A to B with the occasional duck and shoot tactic thrown in.  There are some stand-out levels, the Train sequence is worth a replay, but  for the most part it starts to feel quite samey.

That’s not to say it’s a bad game, I enjoyed playing through it, though it seems that it’s going to be a breeze to finish.  Bond fans will love it while it lasts but it does feel like a no-brainer action movie at times. 

Still, what I’ve played of the multiplayer modes is great and I’m confident that this will keep me coming back for more.  The Golden Gun mode, where one player gets the infamous Golden Gun, for instance, is a welcome return from the N64 Goldeneye days.  Pity, then, there’s no split-screen options.

It’s difficult to score Quantum of Solace.   What is here is polished and enjoyable, but it won’t present a challenge for hardened shooter fans and it can get a bit samey at times, bar the odd set-piece.  Ultimately, it’ll be a game that will appear in the cheap bargains soon and it’s worth picking up at the £20 mark, if only to play through the Single Player mode then keep for multiplayer. 

So, better than most of the recent Bond games, but still no Goldeneye.

7/10