Game review: GoldenEye - Nintendo Wii (From News Shopper)

Game review: GoldenEye - Nintendo Wii

10:43am Monday 15th November 2010 in Freetime By Colin Miller

Regarded by many as one of the best first-person shooters of all time, GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 is fondly remembered.

Naturally, when Activision announced they were bringing out a new GoldenEye game, I had mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand I was excited by the prospect of playing a revamped GoldenEye – imagine how great it would look using a modern game engine, and how brilliant it would feel to run around using two analogue sticks instead of one (curse that N64 controller!).

On the other hand, I had many fond memories of the game – the different techniques used to complete levels, the intricate level design and best of all, the ground-breaking graphics.

I didn’t want all that tarnished with a knocked off, sloppy remake.

GoldenEye was RARE’s baby, and the fact another developer had got their grubby little mitts all over it concerned me somewhat.

Well, have you played the original N64 game recently? I have, and you know what? It’s actually quite rubbish and probably best left in the past.

The AI is about as intelligent as agent Goodnight, and the graphics look as realistic as a CGI Pierce Brosnon surfing on an airplane wing, whilst escaping an avalanche.

So, with my rose-tinted glasses off, I am now more than prepared to have a crack at this remake, courtesy of Activision.

The first thing that strikes you about the game is Bond himself – he’s not played by Pierce Brosnon this time, he’s now played by the current 007, Daniel Craig.

It’s a strange fit that gives the game an almost “alternative reality” feel to it all. Not only has Bond been replaced, but so have the supporting characters.

At first I was taken aback by this, but as I progressed through the game it made sense. This is a different take on it and as a result, it’s a completely different world. This is also reflected in the level design.

The environments are not as futuristic as they were in the original game, and like Daniel Craig’s Bond films they have a somewhat gritty feel to them. The facility actually looks like a facility, and not some underground IKEA-inspired base.

I’m also pleased to report that the AI is vastly improved. With Russian and Janus operatives hiding in dark corners and trying to outflank you, they actually prove themselves to be quite a bit of a challenge at times.

Like the original there are different objectives to complete, but should you fail the game will carry on with the easiest setting. Meaning once you've completed the level, you go onto the next one, but should you be a completionist, you can revisit them later.

Rather interestingly the game makes no secret of Bond’s profession as a spy, and actually encourages the gamer to tackle certain levels with a stealth mentality.

If you alert the guards to your presence one of them will sound the alarm and then before you know it you are outnumbered, outgunned and well, dead. This makes a refreshing change, and keeps the game’s proceeding flowing along quite nicely.

The game also offers a very competent multiplayer mode. Easy to get into and offering up plenty of different options, it is mildly enjoyable and definitely worth checking out.

My main gripe with GoldenEye is the controls. I'm not really a fan of the whole Wii-mote set up, and after several attempts to get my head round it I just gave up and settled for the Wii classic controller. Unfortunately, while it is a solution to my inability to play like every other Wii-owner out there, the controls can feel a little unresponsive at times.

Visually, the game stands up quite strong on the Wii. While it doesn’t reach the heights of the other two machines on the market, it looks surprisingly good.

Audibly, the game stands up pretty well. The music, scored by David Arnold, naturally sounds very Bond-like, hitting all the right notes at the right time. If you shoot a guard, you’ll hear a dramatic stab that fades once the guard has been taken out, a neat little trick that adds a sufficient amount of tension.

Overall, Goldeneye is a surprisingly solid package. Despite what could of so easily been just another update/rip-off, Activision have treated the original with a nice level of respect and modernised it.

GoldenEye has a license to thrill.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

The Good
Feels like a Bond game
Good level design
Good multiplayer

The Bad
Unresponsive controls at times