007

Okay, I have to admit this right here and right now–it has always been a girlhood fantasy of mine to be a Bond Girl. There is something about a suave, sophisticated British secret agent–that likes his vodka martinis shaken and not stirred–that is so appealing to a girl that she wouldn’t mind helping him stop some mad mastermind bent on ruling the world. Of course it helps if you have a weird name like Honey Dew. Either way, it’s fun to see James Bond back in action in 007: Nightfire. Nightfire’s original story pits James Bond against Raphael Drake, head of the Phoenix International Corporation and the man placed in charge of dismantling warheads throughout the world. The problem is that Drake’s intentions are not noble ones and he intends on stealing the missile guidance hardware that is destined to be sent to the U.S. Space Weapons Platform and use it for his mad scheme to rule the world. MI6 has sent Agent 007 to look into the matter along with French demolitions expert Dominique Paradis, CIA field agent Zoe Nightshade and MI6 operative Alura McCall. Armed with a Wolfram PP7 (you can pick up a wide assortment of weapons along the way) and a small collection of gadgets concocted by gadget master Q, Bond’s mission spans through twelve mission scenarios that takes him to various exotic locales. Like EA’s other Bond outing, Agent Under Fire, this is a first-person shooter with a light dash of driving simulator action thrown into the mix. Still, Nightfire is all about great shootouts and you will definitely get into plenty of those here. Each level has list of objectives Bond must complete in order to move the story on, in this sense; the game practically leads you by the hand. Still, this is not to say that the game really pushes gamers into quickly completing an objective–you are given a chance to explore the environment. Just be wary that Drake has an army of henchmen at his command and they do put up a fight. Some are even smart enough to take cover. Thankfully, Bond’s weapon list is adequate enough and can be fitted for silencers or set to shot quick bursts. Weapons consist of handguns, machine guns, shotguns and a missile launcher that’s handy when you need to bring down an enemy helicopter. You also put Q’s gadgets to good use like the wristwatch with the fitted laser beam (for when you need to break a steel lock) or the spiffy cell phone that also covers as a grappling hook (for when you need to reach one of those hard to reach places). Control-wise, Nightfire’s can be a bit awkward at a first glance. Targeting an enemy is not very easy, especially if the enemy in question is moving around. Still, this can be corrected by changing the control configuration early on in the game. Bond also takes control of a few vehicles, among them his Aston Martin V12 Vanquish as well as an well-armed SUV. The driving mechanics have not been corrected since Agent Under Fire but they are still fun and very welcome. The visuals are as crisp and clean as Bond’s famous tuxedos and gamers will be pleasantly delighted with the highly detailed characters–especially James Bond himself who is amazingly modeled after actor (and current Bond) Pierce Brosnan during cut scenes. Gamers will no doubt be surprised how expressive the faces get while a character is speaking to you during the game or in a cut scene. Just as impressive are the environments that look simply wonderful whether it’s out in the snow or inside a Japanese residence. The voice acting is also top-notch, although it is something of a disappointment that Pierce Brosnan didn’t lend his voice to the starring role. Still the other voice are authentic and true to the nationalities of the other characters like French babe Dominique Paradis or your enemies depending on where in the globe you find yourself. And to top it all off, there is a lot of great music found here . . . such as that wonderfully recognizable Bond Theme and a surprisingly excellent opening theme song.