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Becoming James Bond is every mans dream, Beautiful women, fast cars, working for MI6 and becoming and international spy. You can almost mark it on your calendar every year that a new James Bond game will be released and nearly always it coincides with a film release. Before ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ Bond games were based around the movie release of that year and this limited EA’s use of the bond license. If you had seen the film you knew what was going to happen in the game, however this wasn’t the only thing which kept the Bond games from reaching their potential. After ‘Goldeneye’ EA would always have a hard job at creating a game to challenge Rare’s classic but every year that has passed since gamers (including myself) have kept their fingers crossed for a release that would defy the greatest bond game ever created!
EA started with a 3rd person adventure that they thought would give Bond fans a different perspective on the action and a chance to control their idol from a different angle. It all started with the release of ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ on the Playstation and ever since EA haven’t looked back! ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ relied on the film script to push the game through every step but it wasn’t enough for Bond fans and the game turned out to be a huge disappointment. EA tried to include gadgets, guns and vehicles but the game was over shadowed by ‘Goldeneye’ in every way. The Nintendo 64 was the most powerful console the world had seen and with twice the power of the Playstation Bond fans were hungry for more, not from EA but from Rare!
People hoped that maybe EA and Rare would team up to create the ultimate Bond experience however this wasn’t to be. Rare had handed over the licence to EA like a set of car keys and their Bond classic was the new benchmark which EA new they would have to beat in order to earn the respect they hoped for. Surely the Bond licence wasn’t going to be wasted wouldn’t the gadgets, beautiful Bond girls and the element of Stealth be the inspiration that EA needed to create a classic? Questions were asked but EA couldn’t reply.
As yet another year went by yet another game which fell short of Goldeneye was released, this time the World really wasn’t enough. Using the limited hardware of the Playstation EA couldn’t reach the graphical limit of what the Nintendo 64 used to create Goldeneye. As with the previous EA Bond release ‘The World Is Not Enough’ was powered by the coincidental film release from MGM studios. Taking the Bond game back into First Person View Point EA had the license to turn a great film into an equally great game. The game started promisingly, the first level gradually drew you into the world of James Bond before dropping you from a great height and then stamping on you as if to say “We give up”!
The Playstation was coming to the end of its life and the Nintendo 64 wasn’t selling enough for Nintendo to keep up with Sony’s breath taking sales figures. This was the moment EA had hoped for, a console that was faster and more powerful than the Nintendo 64, a console that would create the Goldeneye beater! Along came the release of the Playstation 2, the October of 2000 would hopefully see the look of EA and MGM Interactive studios change, the break they needed had arrived!
EA and MGM Interactive (along with a 3rd party developer) were quickly working away on the first bond game not to be based on the release of a film. Previews excited Bond fans across the world, EA promised that this would be the game to ‘Challenge Everything’ this would be EA’s new motto! Going by the name of ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ the game would see the player controlling Bond through is most exciting adventure yet and in an adventure that would see a mixture of Shooting, Driving and On-Rail missions. The game was finally released on the American shores and at first gamers took to it like a horse to water, but things soon went from bad to worse. Once again the game fell drastically short of the Goldeneye classic, the shooting missions lacked inspiration, the driving missions lacked in length and the On-Rail missions weren’t enough to change the every day Bond ‘wannabe’!
Gamers had lost faith with EA, MGM interactive and 3rd party developers were reluctant to work with EA on their next Bond release. ‘Agent under Fire’ was better than its EA predecessors but it wasn’t enough to keep Bond fans coming back for more, sales were going well but reputations were getting shaken, that’s ‘shaken not stirred!’ EA didn’t waste any time though and they were looking for a 3rd party developer to work with them on their next bond game.
November 2001 and EA were ready to confirm the name of their next bond release. Finally the hardcore Bond fans that had stood by EA through a set of below average games were waiting for the title of the next game; they were waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers. The date arrived and the name was released out of the bag, going by the name ‘007 Nightfire’ the game would see gamers take on the role of Bond in a whole new adventure that would be a standalone release with a totally original storyline! Was it going to be role on 2002 or role back to the Nintendo 64? Was it going to be a Bond too far?
EA had teamed up with ‘EUROCOM’ to develop the next Bond game which once again was described as a Goldeneye beater! Positive previews kept the anticipation alive, yet another Christmas release was set to boost sales of the game. Trailers were released on Television sets and the game looked promising. November came around and the game was released across all 3 next generation consoles as well as the PC. Bond fans rushed out to the shops to grab what could be the game they had waited over 4 years for. Being a big fan of First Person shooter games and stealth I was one of those anticipating the release and the game I had waited so long for arrived only this time I wasn’t disappointed.
Mixing elements from Bond films across the years as well as taking elements from the positive sides of ‘Agent under Fire’ and ‘Goldeneye’ the game is a blast, this is the game that not only has it shaken me but I have also been stirred! The graphics are lush, the gameplay is positively brilliant and I would say that the ‘Goldeneye’ beater has arrived. EA ask the question “Do you have what it takes to be BOND?” and I reply with a big fat yes along with a thankyou, a thankyou for creating one of my favourite releases on 2002 and a thankyou for restoring my faith in the Bond licence. Have EA and ‘EUROCOM’ brought us a ‘Bond too far’? Or is this the start of the Bond revolution? The evidence lies within the game and on that evidence alone I would have to say Roll on 2003 and not roll back Nintendo 64!
Thankyou for Reading
~ALASTAIR~
EA started with a 3rd person adventure that they thought would give Bond fans a different perspective on the action and a chance to control their idol from a different angle. It all started with the release of ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ on the Playstation and ever since EA haven’t looked back! ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ relied on the film script to push the game through every step but it wasn’t enough for Bond fans and the game turned out to be a huge disappointment. EA tried to include gadgets, guns and vehicles but the game was over shadowed by ‘Goldeneye’ in every way. The Nintendo 64 was the most powerful console the world had seen and with twice the power of the Playstation Bond fans were hungry for more, not from EA but from Rare!
People hoped that maybe EA and Rare would team up to create the ultimate Bond experience however this wasn’t to be. Rare had handed over the licence to EA like a set of car keys and their Bond classic was the new benchmark which EA new they would have to beat in order to earn the respect they hoped for. Surely the Bond licence wasn’t going to be wasted wouldn’t the gadgets, beautiful Bond girls and the element of Stealth be the inspiration that EA needed to create a classic? Questions were asked but EA couldn’t reply.
As yet another year went by yet another game which fell short of Goldeneye was released, this time the World really wasn’t enough. Using the limited hardware of the Playstation EA couldn’t reach the graphical limit of what the Nintendo 64 used to create Goldeneye. As with the previous EA Bond release ‘The World Is Not Enough’ was powered by the coincidental film release from MGM studios. Taking the Bond game back into First Person View Point EA had the license to turn a great film into an equally great game. The game started promisingly, the first level gradually drew you into the world of James Bond before dropping you from a great height and then stamping on you as if to say “We give up”!
The Playstation was coming to the end of its life and the Nintendo 64 wasn’t selling enough for Nintendo to keep up with Sony’s breath taking sales figures. This was the moment EA had hoped for, a console that was faster and more powerful than the Nintendo 64, a console that would create the Goldeneye beater! Along came the release of the Playstation 2, the October of 2000 would hopefully see the look of EA and MGM Interactive studios change, the break they needed had arrived!
EA and MGM Interactive (along with a 3rd party developer) were quickly working away on the first bond game not to be based on the release of a film. Previews excited Bond fans across the world, EA promised that this would be the game to ‘Challenge Everything’ this would be EA’s new motto! Going by the name of ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ the game would see the player controlling Bond through is most exciting adventure yet and in an adventure that would see a mixture of Shooting, Driving and On-Rail missions. The game was finally released on the American shores and at first gamers took to it like a horse to water, but things soon went from bad to worse. Once again the game fell drastically short of the Goldeneye classic, the shooting missions lacked inspiration, the driving missions lacked in length and the On-Rail missions weren’t enough to change the every day Bond ‘wannabe’!
Gamers had lost faith with EA, MGM interactive and 3rd party developers were reluctant to work with EA on their next Bond release. ‘Agent under Fire’ was better than its EA predecessors but it wasn’t enough to keep Bond fans coming back for more, sales were going well but reputations were getting shaken, that’s ‘shaken not stirred!’ EA didn’t waste any time though and they were looking for a 3rd party developer to work with them on their next bond game.
November 2001 and EA were ready to confirm the name of their next bond release. Finally the hardcore Bond fans that had stood by EA through a set of below average games were waiting for the title of the next game; they were waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers. The date arrived and the name was released out of the bag, going by the name ‘007 Nightfire’ the game would see gamers take on the role of Bond in a whole new adventure that would be a standalone release with a totally original storyline! Was it going to be role on 2002 or role back to the Nintendo 64? Was it going to be a Bond too far?
EA had teamed up with ‘EUROCOM’ to develop the next Bond game which once again was described as a Goldeneye beater! Positive previews kept the anticipation alive, yet another Christmas release was set to boost sales of the game. Trailers were released on Television sets and the game looked promising. November came around and the game was released across all 3 next generation consoles as well as the PC. Bond fans rushed out to the shops to grab what could be the game they had waited over 4 years for. Being a big fan of First Person shooter games and stealth I was one of those anticipating the release and the game I had waited so long for arrived only this time I wasn’t disappointed.
Mixing elements from Bond films across the years as well as taking elements from the positive sides of ‘Agent under Fire’ and ‘Goldeneye’ the game is a blast, this is the game that not only has it shaken me but I have also been stirred! The graphics are lush, the gameplay is positively brilliant and I would say that the ‘Goldeneye’ beater has arrived. EA ask the question “Do you have what it takes to be BOND?” and I reply with a big fat yes along with a thankyou, a thankyou for creating one of my favourite releases on 2002 and a thankyou for restoring my faith in the Bond licence. Have EA and ‘EUROCOM’ brought us a ‘Bond too far’? Or is this the start of the Bond revolution? The evidence lies within the game and on that evidence alone I would have to say Roll on 2003 and not roll back Nintendo 64!
Thankyou for Reading
~ALASTAIR~
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Hey look, 17 different brands of milk in the local shop!
Doesn't make the game any good though.
Shenmue is an appaling waste of space, the biggest crime commited in the computer game industry.
Lets weigh up the facts here:
Stunning attention to detail.
Good graphics.
More linear than Mario Bros.
Boring, boring, and very dull.
Nothing to do but wander around aimlessly repeating the same sentence to every person you meet untill someone gives you the answer you want.
Rubbish, un-inspired and pointless QTEs that have no effect on the game whatsoever.
Playing every day life doesn't work, the prospect of getting a job sounded good, untill you were forced into a rubbish job that you had to actually do, which involved wasting 10 hours of your actual life driving a fork lift truck backwards and forwards.
Oh YIPPEE, YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look at me everybody!!
I can sit down to play a GAME, and walk down a road and buy a can of coke!
INCREDIBLE
THE EXCITMENT! THE SHEER EXCITEMENT OF IT!!! To think I'd never ever done that before in my REAL life! And, AND, I can WATCH him drink it!!
Fascinating!!!
And I can do that EVERY FIVE MINUTES!!
Because it never loses it's entertainment value.
Onto Nightfire, it's a crap cash in game. By remarking that it's better than Goldeneye because that is too 'old fashioned' and SHOCK HORROR only a one genre game is laughable at best. Nightfire is short, easy, linear and un-imaginative.
It has nice presentation, thats about it.
If you consider it a 'thinking mans' FPS, then I can only assume you have a nasty brain deficiency.
Go and play Half-Life, Theif 1 & 2, System Shock 2 etc. THOSE are 'thinking mans' FPS, original, inspired, genre busting; the list goes on!
Nightfire is yet ANOTHER sub standard pathetic attempt at a game by EA, who bring us such revolutionary games as Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
It is a cash cow, nothing more, nothing less.
Doesn't make the game any good though.
Shenmue is an appaling waste of space, the biggest crime commited in the computer game industry.
Lets weigh up the facts here:
Stunning attention to detail.
Good graphics.
More linear than Mario Bros.
Boring, boring, and very dull.
Nothing to do but wander around aimlessly repeating the same sentence to every person you meet untill someone gives you the answer you want.
Rubbish, un-inspired and pointless QTEs that have no effect on the game whatsoever.
Playing every day life doesn't work, the prospect of getting a job sounded good, untill you were forced into a rubbish job that you had to actually do, which involved wasting 10 hours of your actual life driving a fork lift truck backwards and forwards.
Oh YIPPEE, YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look at me everybody!!
I can sit down to play a GAME, and walk down a road and buy a can of coke!
INCREDIBLE
THE EXCITMENT! THE SHEER EXCITEMENT OF IT!!! To think I'd never ever done that before in my REAL life! And, AND, I can WATCH him drink it!!
Fascinating!!!
And I can do that EVERY FIVE MINUTES!!
Because it never loses it's entertainment value.
Onto Nightfire, it's a crap cash in game. By remarking that it's better than Goldeneye because that is too 'old fashioned' and SHOCK HORROR only a one genre game is laughable at best. Nightfire is short, easy, linear and un-imaginative.
It has nice presentation, thats about it.
If you consider it a 'thinking mans' FPS, then I can only assume you have a nasty brain deficiency.
Go and play Half-Life, Theif 1 & 2, System Shock 2 etc. THOSE are 'thinking mans' FPS, original, inspired, genre busting; the list goes on!
Nightfire is yet ANOTHER sub standard pathetic attempt at a game by EA, who bring us such revolutionary games as Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.
It is a cash cow, nothing more, nothing less.
Idlewild wrote:
> I was wondering why he thought Nightfire beat Goldeneye - Until I saw
> his tagline.
What difference does my tagline make? I own an Xbox, I still own my N64 with Goldeneye, I own a PSONE and I owned a PS2. I am also getting a GameCube next year, besides the game is multi-format anyway so I would just like to know what you depicted from my tagline?
> I was wondering why he thought Nightfire beat Goldeneye - Until I saw
> his tagline.
What difference does my tagline make? I own an Xbox, I still own my N64 with Goldeneye, I own a PSONE and I owned a PS2. I am also getting a GameCube next year, besides the game is multi-format anyway so I would just like to know what you depicted from my tagline?
Shenmue is one of the best games ever created! Yo Suzuki spent years making the story one of the best yet in a video game. I never said the game is perfect as the voice acting is below par, but everything else in that game in my opinion is yet to be bettered. Once again you can't tell me that my opinion is wrong, I own Half Life, Half Life Opposing Force, Goldeneye (in my loft though), Deus EX, Halo, Nightfire and I have played games like System Shock and Quke 3 Arena yet I don't think that any of them touch on what is in Halo. For now I will let the Halo issue rest and maybe if you come into the Xbox Forum I will discuss it with you amongst others who feel the same way. Remember though you can't just play one mission and call a game rubbish, games like Halo require persistance and an understanding of the story.
This is directed at WS for now, do you own Shenmue, do you own Shenmue 2? If so then just take a look around any of the environments (preferably the Dobuita in Shenmue 1). Firstly I don't think you can say anything about the graphics as I am yet to see more than a handful of games that compete with the graphical level of the Shenmue games. Look at the attention to detail on the shop keepers as people buy things, money is handed over, facial expressions play a big part and the people actually look real!
So you have looked around Dobuita, go inside the main shop (sorry but I have forgotten the name) and maybe purchase some milk for the cat or buy a cassette to listen to on the personal stereo in Ryo's inventory. Whilst your there don't forget to put a winning can into the lucky draw to see if you have won a prize. Exit the shop and go over to one of the vending machines, buy a coke and then make your way back up to feed the cat. Then go back into the car park in Dobuita and put in a couple of hours training, practice kicking and punching and different combinations to improve Ryo's stats. Keep your eye on the clock though because you have to be back before 11pm! In and amongst doing those activities you persue the person who murdered your father in the opening scene, this could invlove an amazing QTE (quick time event invloving great cinematics) in the pub with some sailors or a fight in the park as you get jumped by some drunken thugs.
Do you see the point I am trying to make? The game includes every little detail to suit people who are looking for an in-depth adventure that will hook you in for the beginning. If you don't like games like that then go and play GTA3 where running around with a gun is all you have to do. Before you say that isn't all GTA3 is about and do you own the game then the answer is simple, I 100% completed the PS2 version and the PC version is right next to me here. Just because I don't like GTA3 as much as I do the Shenmue games doesn't make the GTA games rubbish as you suggest with the Shenmues.
If you don't like a game then stay away from it, but when you don't like a game and go around calling it rubbish like you did with the classic Shenmue then expect people not to challenge you about it. If you go into the Dreamcast forum and say that the Shenmue games are rubbish I would suspect that 90% of them would go through more or less the same as what I have gone through with you here. The Shenmue games aren't about fancy guns, fast cars and needless prostitution as with the GTA games. The Shenmue games are about persistance and how the gamer is rewarded for sticking with the story. You put time into Shenmue and you will reap the rewards of one of the best Story Driven games ever created, but if you turn a blind eye and continue to call it rubbish you will be losing out!
Back to the topic. Cookie Monster, don't you think it is time to let Goldeneye rest? The game was the best of its kind 5 years a go but now it plays like a car with no wheels. Nightfire to me is the best Bond game by EA and for me it is the Goldeneye beater. As I have said, Goldeneye was and always will be a classic game but you have to move on with the times. Aside from gameplay as that is a debatable issuse, what other areas does Goldeneye compete with Nightfire in?
Nightfire has better graphics, excellent 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio and some of the most rewarding controls available. Your control issue I can not help you with as I have the Xbox version and the Xbox pad works brilliantly with FPS games. However you can change the controls to suit a dual analog pad of either the GameCube or PS2 by going into the menu screen when you set up your profile and changing the controls from Classic Bond (like the Goldeneye Controls only using 2 analog sticks instead of one) or Nightfire controls which utilises the dual analog sticks (right analog for camera and turning and the left analog for moving backwards, forwards and strafing left and right). The controls play just like Halo and Medal of Honour Frontline if you play them like this and to me aside from using keyboard and mouse the Xbox pad is the next best thing.
With the control issue out of the way I will explain why I think the gameplay is better as this is the only debatable issue on hand (slthough possibly the most important). Pure FPS shooter games are becoming a thing of the past, vehicles, interactive machinery and even (in the case of Halo) aircrafts are being utilised. 007 Nightfire isn't about running around shooting everything in site like Medal of Honour Allied Assault or Frontline, I would class Nightfire as a thinking mans shooter.
As you said about the car levels I would have to agree. The car levels are an excellent way of splitting the FPS missions and they give the gamer the chance to see the story from a different perspective and they give the gamer a chance to power fast cars whilst in the company of beautiful ladies (some would call this an addition I would call it a nessecity ;). Every driving mission is different from is predessesor and this is what I like about Nightfire, every level you play is different from the previous in one way or another.
The on-rail missions are a case of you either like them or you don't, if you don't like them then you probably won't enjoy the game, however if my memory serves me rightly Goldeneye had an on-rail mission with the tank where you had to drive through the streets?! Correct me on that one if I am wrong but I am sure that this was the case. A few of the areas of Nightfire are done on-rail (Alpine Escape, Half of Paris Prelude and half of island infiltration amongst others) and to me this adds to the diversity of the game and instead of keeping the gamer bored of going around the same corridors over and over they whisk them away to concentrate on the shooting elements whilst someone does the movement.
Could you think of a better way to control a mission of James Bond? If you look at his films over the years you will see that they don't all invlove him going around with a gun shooting people. Whether it be him racing Aston Martins or on the back of a tank controlling the missiles Bond isn't your average run and gun sort of guy. To me a Bond game wouldn't be the same without giving me the oppertunity to blow up some barrels to destroy a tower full of enemies whilst speeding past on a snow mobile. To portray the world of James Bond you have to get stuck into every aspect of his life and to do this you need to include on-rail, driving and shooting levels which mix together to tell the story.
If on-rail missions aren't your cup of tea then you either have short memory span from Goldeneye or you aren't too bothered about taking on the complete role of James Bond. Nightfire has a great stealth element which isn't always required but for a portion on the FPS shooter missions you are required to use it in order to survive. Personally I believe that Nightfire has been underated far too much and I would give it at least 9/10 with all things considered. However as I said to WS, if Bond games aren't your thing then stay away but there will always be people who like them and in the case of Nightfire you can't call me wrong for thinking that it is a Goldeneye beater because in the end it is my opinion and in these forums I like to express my opinion and then discuss with other people. You have your opinion too and then we can compare but you can't call me wrong for thinking that Nightfire is at last a game to defy the Rare classic that was Goldeneye!
I appologise in advance for spelling mistakes as I was typing at an alarming rate :)
This is directed at WS for now, do you own Shenmue, do you own Shenmue 2? If so then just take a look around any of the environments (preferably the Dobuita in Shenmue 1). Firstly I don't think you can say anything about the graphics as I am yet to see more than a handful of games that compete with the graphical level of the Shenmue games. Look at the attention to detail on the shop keepers as people buy things, money is handed over, facial expressions play a big part and the people actually look real!
So you have looked around Dobuita, go inside the main shop (sorry but I have forgotten the name) and maybe purchase some milk for the cat or buy a cassette to listen to on the personal stereo in Ryo's inventory. Whilst your there don't forget to put a winning can into the lucky draw to see if you have won a prize. Exit the shop and go over to one of the vending machines, buy a coke and then make your way back up to feed the cat. Then go back into the car park in Dobuita and put in a couple of hours training, practice kicking and punching and different combinations to improve Ryo's stats. Keep your eye on the clock though because you have to be back before 11pm! In and amongst doing those activities you persue the person who murdered your father in the opening scene, this could invlove an amazing QTE (quick time event invloving great cinematics) in the pub with some sailors or a fight in the park as you get jumped by some drunken thugs.
Do you see the point I am trying to make? The game includes every little detail to suit people who are looking for an in-depth adventure that will hook you in for the beginning. If you don't like games like that then go and play GTA3 where running around with a gun is all you have to do. Before you say that isn't all GTA3 is about and do you own the game then the answer is simple, I 100% completed the PS2 version and the PC version is right next to me here. Just because I don't like GTA3 as much as I do the Shenmue games doesn't make the GTA games rubbish as you suggest with the Shenmues.
If you don't like a game then stay away from it, but when you don't like a game and go around calling it rubbish like you did with the classic Shenmue then expect people not to challenge you about it. If you go into the Dreamcast forum and say that the Shenmue games are rubbish I would suspect that 90% of them would go through more or less the same as what I have gone through with you here. The Shenmue games aren't about fancy guns, fast cars and needless prostitution as with the GTA games. The Shenmue games are about persistance and how the gamer is rewarded for sticking with the story. You put time into Shenmue and you will reap the rewards of one of the best Story Driven games ever created, but if you turn a blind eye and continue to call it rubbish you will be losing out!
Back to the topic. Cookie Monster, don't you think it is time to let Goldeneye rest? The game was the best of its kind 5 years a go but now it plays like a car with no wheels. Nightfire to me is the best Bond game by EA and for me it is the Goldeneye beater. As I have said, Goldeneye was and always will be a classic game but you have to move on with the times. Aside from gameplay as that is a debatable issuse, what other areas does Goldeneye compete with Nightfire in?
Nightfire has better graphics, excellent 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio and some of the most rewarding controls available. Your control issue I can not help you with as I have the Xbox version and the Xbox pad works brilliantly with FPS games. However you can change the controls to suit a dual analog pad of either the GameCube or PS2 by going into the menu screen when you set up your profile and changing the controls from Classic Bond (like the Goldeneye Controls only using 2 analog sticks instead of one) or Nightfire controls which utilises the dual analog sticks (right analog for camera and turning and the left analog for moving backwards, forwards and strafing left and right). The controls play just like Halo and Medal of Honour Frontline if you play them like this and to me aside from using keyboard and mouse the Xbox pad is the next best thing.
With the control issue out of the way I will explain why I think the gameplay is better as this is the only debatable issue on hand (slthough possibly the most important). Pure FPS shooter games are becoming a thing of the past, vehicles, interactive machinery and even (in the case of Halo) aircrafts are being utilised. 007 Nightfire isn't about running around shooting everything in site like Medal of Honour Allied Assault or Frontline, I would class Nightfire as a thinking mans shooter.
As you said about the car levels I would have to agree. The car levels are an excellent way of splitting the FPS missions and they give the gamer the chance to see the story from a different perspective and they give the gamer a chance to power fast cars whilst in the company of beautiful ladies (some would call this an addition I would call it a nessecity ;). Every driving mission is different from is predessesor and this is what I like about Nightfire, every level you play is different from the previous in one way or another.
The on-rail missions are a case of you either like them or you don't, if you don't like them then you probably won't enjoy the game, however if my memory serves me rightly Goldeneye had an on-rail mission with the tank where you had to drive through the streets?! Correct me on that one if I am wrong but I am sure that this was the case. A few of the areas of Nightfire are done on-rail (Alpine Escape, Half of Paris Prelude and half of island infiltration amongst others) and to me this adds to the diversity of the game and instead of keeping the gamer bored of going around the same corridors over and over they whisk them away to concentrate on the shooting elements whilst someone does the movement.
Could you think of a better way to control a mission of James Bond? If you look at his films over the years you will see that they don't all invlove him going around with a gun shooting people. Whether it be him racing Aston Martins or on the back of a tank controlling the missiles Bond isn't your average run and gun sort of guy. To me a Bond game wouldn't be the same without giving me the oppertunity to blow up some barrels to destroy a tower full of enemies whilst speeding past on a snow mobile. To portray the world of James Bond you have to get stuck into every aspect of his life and to do this you need to include on-rail, driving and shooting levels which mix together to tell the story.
If on-rail missions aren't your cup of tea then you either have short memory span from Goldeneye or you aren't too bothered about taking on the complete role of James Bond. Nightfire has a great stealth element which isn't always required but for a portion on the FPS shooter missions you are required to use it in order to survive. Personally I believe that Nightfire has been underated far too much and I would give it at least 9/10 with all things considered. However as I said to WS, if Bond games aren't your thing then stay away but there will always be people who like them and in the case of Nightfire you can't call me wrong for thinking that it is a Goldeneye beater because in the end it is my opinion and in these forums I like to express my opinion and then discuss with other people. You have your opinion too and then we can compare but you can't call me wrong for thinking that Nightfire is at last a game to defy the Rare classic that was Goldeneye!
I appologise in advance for spelling mistakes as I was typing at an alarming rate :)
I was wondering why he thought Nightfire beat Goldeneye - Until I saw his tagline.
If he thinks Nightfire is one of the best FPS around then it's no wonder he loves Shenmue and thinks Halo is the best game ever.
Oh please, Nightfire beats Goldeneye? EA took the bond license and dragged it into the dirt. I have Agent under fire and i have to say that it is quite possibly the worst game ive ever owned. The controls are totally rubbish, the AI is as intelligent as a trout and the whole thing just doesnt feel right.
Nightfire has improved on nothing, they took the AUF engine and flogged it some more. If you have a crap game to start with, and you dont improve on it, then the game doesnt get any better.
The on rails shooter sections are just so pointless. If i wanted to shoot people and have no control over my movement i would play time crisis. The driving sections are the games only saving grace.
The multiplayer is once again rubbish compared to Goldeneye, which quite frankly is unforgivable, after 5 years the inability to equal an N64 game is not a shame, its a disgrace. EA has always been far too interested in the money rolling in and not the quality going out.
They didnt even make the controls better, such a basic thing. Still you find yourself facing the air due to a totally unergonomic layout.
Goldeneye will NEVER be beaten while EA still have the license simply because they dont really give a dam. Rare put heart and soul into that game, and it shines through.
Nightfire has improved on nothing, they took the AUF engine and flogged it some more. If you have a crap game to start with, and you dont improve on it, then the game doesnt get any better.
The on rails shooter sections are just so pointless. If i wanted to shoot people and have no control over my movement i would play time crisis. The driving sections are the games only saving grace.
The multiplayer is once again rubbish compared to Goldeneye, which quite frankly is unforgivable, after 5 years the inability to equal an N64 game is not a shame, its a disgrace. EA has always been far too interested in the money rolling in and not the quality going out.
They didnt even make the controls better, such a basic thing. Still you find yourself facing the air due to a totally unergonomic layout.
Goldeneye will NEVER be beaten while EA still have the license simply because they dont really give a dam. Rare put heart and soul into that game, and it shines through.
Becoming James Bond is every mans dream, Beautiful women, fast cars, working for MI6 and becoming and international spy. You can almost mark it on your calendar every year that a new James Bond game will be released and nearly always it coincides with a film release. Before ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ Bond games were based around the movie release of that year and this limited EA’s use of the bond license. If you had seen the film you knew what was going to happen in the game, however this wasn’t the only thing which kept the Bond games from reaching their potential. After ‘Goldeneye’ EA would always have a hard job at creating a game to challenge Rare’s classic but every year that has passed since gamers (including myself) have kept their fingers crossed for a release that would defy the greatest bond game ever created!
EA started with a 3rd person adventure that they thought would give Bond fans a different perspective on the action and a chance to control their idol from a different angle. It all started with the release of ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ on the Playstation and ever since EA haven’t looked back! ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ relied on the film script to push the game through every step but it wasn’t enough for Bond fans and the game turned out to be a huge disappointment. EA tried to include gadgets, guns and vehicles but the game was over shadowed by ‘Goldeneye’ in every way. The Nintendo 64 was the most powerful console the world had seen and with twice the power of the Playstation Bond fans were hungry for more, not from EA but from Rare!
People hoped that maybe EA and Rare would team up to create the ultimate Bond experience however this wasn’t to be. Rare had handed over the licence to EA like a set of car keys and their Bond classic was the new benchmark which EA new they would have to beat in order to earn the respect they hoped for. Surely the Bond licence wasn’t going to be wasted wouldn’t the gadgets, beautiful Bond girls and the element of Stealth be the inspiration that EA needed to create a classic? Questions were asked but EA couldn’t reply.
As yet another year went by yet another game which fell short of Goldeneye was released, this time the World really wasn’t enough. Using the limited hardware of the Playstation EA couldn’t reach the graphical limit of what the Nintendo 64 used to create Goldeneye. As with the previous EA Bond release ‘The World Is Not Enough’ was powered by the coincidental film release from MGM studios. Taking the Bond game back into First Person View Point EA had the license to turn a great film into an equally great game. The game started promisingly, the first level gradually drew you into the world of James Bond before dropping you from a great height and then stamping on you as if to say “We give up”!
The Playstation was coming to the end of its life and the Nintendo 64 wasn’t selling enough for Nintendo to keep up with Sony’s breath taking sales figures. This was the moment EA had hoped for, a console that was faster and more powerful than the Nintendo 64, a console that would create the Goldeneye beater! Along came the release of the Playstation 2, the October of 2000 would hopefully see the look of EA and MGM Interactive studios change, the break they needed had arrived!
EA and MGM Interactive (along with a 3rd party developer) were quickly working away on the first bond game not to be based on the release of a film. Previews excited Bond fans across the world, EA promised that this would be the game to ‘Challenge Everything’ this would be EA’s new motto! Going by the name of ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ the game would see the player controlling Bond through is most exciting adventure yet and in an adventure that would see a mixture of Shooting, Driving and On-Rail missions. The game was finally released on the American shores and at first gamers took to it like a horse to water, but things soon went from bad to worse. Once again the game fell drastically short of the Goldeneye classic, the shooting missions lacked inspiration, the driving missions lacked in length and the On-Rail missions weren’t enough to change the every day Bond ‘wannabe’!
Gamers had lost faith with EA, MGM interactive and 3rd party developers were reluctant to work with EA on their next Bond release. ‘Agent under Fire’ was better than its EA predecessors but it wasn’t enough to keep Bond fans coming back for more, sales were going well but reputations were getting shaken, that’s ‘shaken not stirred!’ EA didn’t waste any time though and they were looking for a 3rd party developer to work with them on their next bond game.
November 2001 and EA were ready to confirm the name of their next bond release. Finally the hardcore Bond fans that had stood by EA through a set of below average games were waiting for the title of the next game; they were waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers. The date arrived and the name was released out of the bag, going by the name ‘007 Nightfire’ the game would see gamers take on the role of Bond in a whole new adventure that would be a standalone release with a totally original storyline! Was it going to be role on 2002 or role back to the Nintendo 64? Was it going to be a Bond too far?
EA had teamed up with ‘EUROCOM’ to develop the next Bond game which once again was described as a Goldeneye beater! Positive previews kept the anticipation alive, yet another Christmas release was set to boost sales of the game. Trailers were released on Television sets and the game looked promising. November came around and the game was released across all 3 next generation consoles as well as the PC. Bond fans rushed out to the shops to grab what could be the game they had waited over 4 years for. Being a big fan of First Person shooter games and stealth I was one of those anticipating the release and the game I had waited so long for arrived only this time I wasn’t disappointed.
Mixing elements from Bond films across the years as well as taking elements from the positive sides of ‘Agent under Fire’ and ‘Goldeneye’ the game is a blast, this is the game that not only has it shaken me but I have also been stirred! The graphics are lush, the gameplay is positively brilliant and I would say that the ‘Goldeneye’ beater has arrived. EA ask the question “Do you have what it takes to be BOND?” and I reply with a big fat yes along with a thankyou, a thankyou for creating one of my favourite releases on 2002 and a thankyou for restoring my faith in the Bond licence. Have EA and ‘EUROCOM’ brought us a ‘Bond too far’? Or is this the start of the Bond revolution? The evidence lies within the game and on that evidence alone I would have to say Roll on 2003 and not roll back Nintendo 64!
Thankyou for Reading
~ALASTAIR~
EA started with a 3rd person adventure that they thought would give Bond fans a different perspective on the action and a chance to control their idol from a different angle. It all started with the release of ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ on the Playstation and ever since EA haven’t looked back! ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ relied on the film script to push the game through every step but it wasn’t enough for Bond fans and the game turned out to be a huge disappointment. EA tried to include gadgets, guns and vehicles but the game was over shadowed by ‘Goldeneye’ in every way. The Nintendo 64 was the most powerful console the world had seen and with twice the power of the Playstation Bond fans were hungry for more, not from EA but from Rare!
People hoped that maybe EA and Rare would team up to create the ultimate Bond experience however this wasn’t to be. Rare had handed over the licence to EA like a set of car keys and their Bond classic was the new benchmark which EA new they would have to beat in order to earn the respect they hoped for. Surely the Bond licence wasn’t going to be wasted wouldn’t the gadgets, beautiful Bond girls and the element of Stealth be the inspiration that EA needed to create a classic? Questions were asked but EA couldn’t reply.
As yet another year went by yet another game which fell short of Goldeneye was released, this time the World really wasn’t enough. Using the limited hardware of the Playstation EA couldn’t reach the graphical limit of what the Nintendo 64 used to create Goldeneye. As with the previous EA Bond release ‘The World Is Not Enough’ was powered by the coincidental film release from MGM studios. Taking the Bond game back into First Person View Point EA had the license to turn a great film into an equally great game. The game started promisingly, the first level gradually drew you into the world of James Bond before dropping you from a great height and then stamping on you as if to say “We give up”!
The Playstation was coming to the end of its life and the Nintendo 64 wasn’t selling enough for Nintendo to keep up with Sony’s breath taking sales figures. This was the moment EA had hoped for, a console that was faster and more powerful than the Nintendo 64, a console that would create the Goldeneye beater! Along came the release of the Playstation 2, the October of 2000 would hopefully see the look of EA and MGM Interactive studios change, the break they needed had arrived!
EA and MGM Interactive (along with a 3rd party developer) were quickly working away on the first bond game not to be based on the release of a film. Previews excited Bond fans across the world, EA promised that this would be the game to ‘Challenge Everything’ this would be EA’s new motto! Going by the name of ‘007 In Agent under Fire’ the game would see the player controlling Bond through is most exciting adventure yet and in an adventure that would see a mixture of Shooting, Driving and On-Rail missions. The game was finally released on the American shores and at first gamers took to it like a horse to water, but things soon went from bad to worse. Once again the game fell drastically short of the Goldeneye classic, the shooting missions lacked inspiration, the driving missions lacked in length and the On-Rail missions weren’t enough to change the every day Bond ‘wannabe’!
Gamers had lost faith with EA, MGM interactive and 3rd party developers were reluctant to work with EA on their next Bond release. ‘Agent under Fire’ was better than its EA predecessors but it wasn’t enough to keep Bond fans coming back for more, sales were going well but reputations were getting shaken, that’s ‘shaken not stirred!’ EA didn’t waste any time though and they were looking for a 3rd party developer to work with them on their next bond game.
November 2001 and EA were ready to confirm the name of their next bond release. Finally the hardcore Bond fans that had stood by EA through a set of below average games were waiting for the title of the next game; they were waiting with baited breath and crossed fingers. The date arrived and the name was released out of the bag, going by the name ‘007 Nightfire’ the game would see gamers take on the role of Bond in a whole new adventure that would be a standalone release with a totally original storyline! Was it going to be role on 2002 or role back to the Nintendo 64? Was it going to be a Bond too far?
EA had teamed up with ‘EUROCOM’ to develop the next Bond game which once again was described as a Goldeneye beater! Positive previews kept the anticipation alive, yet another Christmas release was set to boost sales of the game. Trailers were released on Television sets and the game looked promising. November came around and the game was released across all 3 next generation consoles as well as the PC. Bond fans rushed out to the shops to grab what could be the game they had waited over 4 years for. Being a big fan of First Person shooter games and stealth I was one of those anticipating the release and the game I had waited so long for arrived only this time I wasn’t disappointed.
Mixing elements from Bond films across the years as well as taking elements from the positive sides of ‘Agent under Fire’ and ‘Goldeneye’ the game is a blast, this is the game that not only has it shaken me but I have also been stirred! The graphics are lush, the gameplay is positively brilliant and I would say that the ‘Goldeneye’ beater has arrived. EA ask the question “Do you have what it takes to be BOND?” and I reply with a big fat yes along with a thankyou, a thankyou for creating one of my favourite releases on 2002 and a thankyou for restoring my faith in the Bond licence. Have EA and ‘EUROCOM’ brought us a ‘Bond too far’? Or is this the start of the Bond revolution? The evidence lies within the game and on that evidence alone I would have to say Roll on 2003 and not roll back Nintendo 64!
Thankyou for Reading
~ALASTAIR~
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