Once in a while a game comes along that has a real wow factor. Games that feature an innovative system of gameplay, mechanics and artificial intelligence mixed with equally impressive graphics and presentation are always a rare breed. Video games that fall into that category are legends of the industry and provide players with an unparalleled experience. Unfortunately, unlike its 64-bit predecessor, the highly anticipated addition to the Bond series, 007 Legends, is not that game.
Last Year Eurocom delivered what could only be described as the best Bond game since the original N64 GoldenEye 007, and that’s because it was that game. A remaster of the classic game, appealing to a whole new generation of gamers.
The idea of a Bond game that takes the player on a journey through classic films and ending with the newest movie Skyfall would fill any Bond fans appetite. After all how hard can it be to make a Bond game?
Focusing on key moments from classic Bond films should have been easier than rebooting and remastering an excellent classic game, but in the case of 007 Legends, Eurocom has really made a mess of things. The films chosen and the sections in each movie that Eurocom have decided to focus on should have been perfect for 007 Legends.
007 Legends sees you step into the shoes of the most recent Bond star, Daniel Craig, as you play through five of the classic films. The game starts out with a scene from the upcoming movie Skyfall and shows Craig being shot by a sniper whilst fighting on top of a moving train. His limp body then falls from the train and into the river below and as he fades into the darkness, Bond’s last adventures flash before his eyes and your adventure begins with memories of Goldfinger.
In my opinion Eurocom has come up short in attempting to play on the nostalgia and 50th anniversary of the series. Seeing Craig replace the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnon leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Each actor has brought their own individuality to the various films and removing them in favour of Craig really cheapens the experience from a Bond fan perspective.
Your first mission sees you play out key moments from Goldfinger, ending with an assault on Fort Knox. However, it is the assault that should have been the highlight to this section of the game. The camera pans in at the start to reveal a well fortified and heavily defended entrance. You are met by CIA ops who just infinitely spawn as they stand by you in a quest to enter the Fort. Problems soon become apparent and you realize that the AI is infact subpar. Your friendly AI seem to want to stand behind the same cover that you are in and will force you out of cover and the enemy AI love to stand in one place and wait to be killed. If you pause for a moment and take a look back toward the level start you can actually see the AI spawning on the spot. Because of the dull and uninspiring colour schemes used it is hard to make out the enemy, not because of camouflage but because they are the same colour as the concrete backgrounds.
Sluggish controls and unimpressive battle scenes really put a damper on the whole Bond experience. All the missions play in the same fashion, plowing through a slew of various henchmen moving from one uninspiring battle to the next. And ending with a quick time event to kill one of the classic villains. The occasional vehicle-based segments are frustrating at best and add no real depth to the overall experience. The control scheme is something many gamers will be familiar with as it is identical to that of Call of Duty, even going as far as to snap onto the enemy while looking down the sights. But even with the backing of what is arguably the best FPS on the market, somehow Legends isn’t up to snuff.
You will however have the opportunity to do more than unload on below par AI. 007 Legends includes some of Bonds most famous gadgets. Do you remember the laser omega watch, the blow dart pen and the very modern HI-Tech all scanning mobile phone? You get to use all these devices and more as you plod your way through each level. Problems again arise with the use of these gadgets, Why does Bond have a mobile phone in 1964 (Goldfinger)? Why do I have to use my mobile phone on every level and in every room to scan the area?
To me it would seem even the biggest of Bond fanatics would take issue with the title. Despite paying homage to the classics of the series, Legends forces the setting of each film into modern-day. The all too obvious product placement of the Xperia and the power it holds as Bond gadgetry, is nothing short of lame. These points become painfully apparent when you consider that the game is based on a series of flashbacks due to Bond ‘drowning’ in the river, that feel more like they took place 4 months ago instead of 40 years ago.
The story itself, although a wonderful idea in theory, doesn’t deliver. Perhaps the most confusing part of it being the ending. Or lack thereof. The game kind of just ends out of nowhere after one of the missions. It would appear the free DLC Skyfall mission is not just an extra but in fact the end to the game itself! Now, when you consider the DLC is free of charge it’s not as much of a blow to the consumer and it is a cool way to tie into the film. But I have to say, making it the end of the game instead of an add-on extra mission makes it feel more like a cheap marketing ploy for the movie and less of a genuine experience for gamers. I can honestly say that you will not care about or feel the need to download the Skyfall DLC in a months time.
Graphicly 007 legends is again below par, with its dull colour pallet, and uninspiring level designs. The developers had a perfect opportunity to build on extra sections and offer the player and fans a real insight into the Bond universe. Instead players are provided with what feels more like a re-skinned Call of Duty than an original IP.
Multiplayer brings back 4-player split-screen play but that is where the similarities to Goldeneye end. Again, you’ll find yourself in somewhat familiar territory when playing the online multiplayer of Legends. Activisions flagship brand rears it head again as several multiplayer elements are recycled in Legends. Progressing through the rank system is practically identical to the system that is already in place in the Call of Duty franchises. Players can rank up to level 50, then move on to the 00 mode which is comparable to CoDs prestige mode. As with the campaign multiplayer brings with it the same controls and mannerisms of its sister series and it’s features like these that solidify claims of Legends being nothing more than a dumbed down CoD clone.
We need to look at other titles that will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Bond this holiday season. Titles such as Halo 4, Call Of Duty Black Ops 2, Need For Speed Most Wanted, Borderlands 2 and Forza Horizon. And ask ourselves will 007 Legends take pride of place at eye level in your local game store? The answer is no but you may find it in the bargain bucket on the way out.
There are other areas that we need to take into account when summarising this review. The game/plot was written by no other than Bruce Feirstein who wrote the action packed 007 films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough. So how the Hell did this game end up being such a rushed, unfinished, plotless game? From each mission nothing is carried over to the next, there is no real goal, the side missions within each movie are not clearly set out and the story lacks credibility. I am left with the question as to why EON greenlighted this project.
To Quote the Press Release: “007 Legends pays great homage to the Bond legacy and is another way for fans to interact with the world’s favourite spy as we celebrate the 50th anniversary.” David G Wilson VP of Global Business Strategy, EON. Well David did you play the game? You say the words “homage to the the Bond legacy.” If anything it has taken the fun, enjoyment and excitement from the last 30 years that I have been watching Bond and turned it into what can only be described as a low budget B-Movie. For anyone who wishes to Pay True Homage to the Bond Legacy I would say save your £44.99 and subscribe to Sky Movies HD for the month where you can watch every Bond Movie in HD when ever you like, with the original actors might I add.
It’s unfortunate that Bond games have been plagued by disaster in recent years and even more so that one of the most anticipated titles in recent memory doesn’t break that mold. It’s obvious when creating a game under the brand that holds the title of (arguably) the greatest videogame of all time, means that any title bearing it’s name will always be compared to it as such. No one should expect another Goldeneye because that time is over, but what fans do expect is quality in design, innovation and originality. Eurocom wanted to capitalize on the current success of the FPS and I feel they went a little too far in integrating those elements into Legends. What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander.
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