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I truly feel sorry for developers tasked with making modern-day James Bond-based games. Because no matter what they bring to the table, no matter how incredible their technology is, no matter what assets might be at their disposal, no matter how hard they try, their game will immediately receive the “Is it the next Goldeneye?” treatment. And inevitably, the answer will be “No.” Not surprisingly, the newest Bond installment, Activision’s Quantum of Solace, once again fails to live up to the standard set by its untouchable cousin back on the N64. But is that reason enough to discharge this secret agent from its service or should you consider reenlisting it for one more mission?

Quantum of Casino Royale

Don’t be fooled by the title. Quantum of Solace actual has more Casino Royale in it than anything else. Sure it kicks off where the previous movie left off and throws you into a few missions based on the new movie, but then the game flashes back and you play through a sort of Cliff’s Notes version of Royale. Fans of the previous film will certainly get a kick out of reliving some of its most memorable parts (Sadly, there is no protect-your-nuts-from-being-smashed-by-a-ball-on-a-rope mini-game). For everyone else, it will be a little confusing and disorienting as you jump between two barebones stories.

The single player portion of the game can be summed up (and then expanded on at great length) in one word: short. Even on the higher difficulty settings, Solace clocks in at between four and six hours, depending on the player. It’s designed to be the video game equivalent of a mindless, big-budget action movie, and for the most part it does its job. It’s big, it’s loud, lots of stuff goes boom and countless henchmen meet bullet-ridden, yet bloodless, ends. But given that it costs the same as other far more epic and rewarding games, the length is a major disappointment.

Through Your Eyes Only

In terms of the gunplay, the game does little to distinguish itself from other shooters out there, other than offering some Bond-ish weaponry. Thankfully, the enemy AI makes the shootouts a tad more enjoyable than they would otherwise be. Enemies will take and keep cover and even flank you fairly regularly. It’s certainly appreciated, but there are also far too many instances where enemies either run right at you or just stand out in the open waiting to receive your hot lead. Their animations are generally convincing, although there aren’t very many of them, so expect to see the same ones over and over.

The environments are very well done and include tons of impressive details. However, some of the levels feel like they were lifted straight from other games. There is a cavernous level and a firefight at the end of a train level that just scream Gears of War. The train section also takes a bit too much inspiration from Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Like most Call of Duty games, the levels are very constricting, and you will feel not-so-subtly funneled through them. While it’s becoming more and more out of fashion these days, it generally works well to keep the action moving. However, it also means you have to deal with tons of invisible walls, and you will very quickly crave the freedom of other modern-day first-person shooters.

A Third-Person View to a Kill

When you aren’t running and gunning your way through these explosive sequences, you’re sneaking through stealth-based missions or matching button combinations in interactive cut-scenes. While it certainly is a thrill picking off unsuspecting baddies with your trusty P99 (silenced, of course), it feels out of place in a game that seems to be all about explosive action (Luckily, the game doesn’t go as far as Nightfire did with its sleeping-dart sections). Then again, at least you feel like you’re part of the action, unlike in the game’s other third-person sequences.

Some of these encounters can be avoided all together by simply not using the game’s take-down mechanic. If you want to use it though, the mechanic is simply enough, requiring you to just click down on the right thumbstick when you’re close to an enemy. The perspective then shifts to third-person, and you have to hit whichever button appears on the screen in order to execute a successful take-down.

The mechanic has been seen before and executed better in other titles, so it sort comes off as unnecessary and gimmicky here. Plus, when you shift back into first-person, it takes a few seconds to reorient yourself, and those few seconds can oftentimes end up killing you. Don’t you just love having a mechanic that hurts you more than helps you?

The game also shifts to third-person when you take cover (ala Rainbow Six: Vegas) or when you’re forced to balance across precarious beams. The cover system works well, and it ends up being essential to your survival. A simple push of the A button makes Bond slap his back against most surfaces, and holding down A when near an appropriate surface will cause him to sprint to it. The cover system works well, but similar to the button-synched fighting sequences, it ends up feeling out of place, despite how frequently you use it. After all, Bond has a license to kill, not a license to pop out from behind cover and pick off guys. But at least it sort of makes sense within the context of the game and adds something to the overall gameplay.

The balancing mechanic, however, is completely unnecessary, mainly because the game forces these sequences on you at very specific parts of the game. And since there is little to no emphasis on finding multiple paths through levels, you will do this balancing act exactly when the developers want you to. It’s forced and uninspired and, appropriately enough, one of the game’s major missteps.

Between the cover system, the hand-to-hand sequences, the cut-scenes and the balancing mechanic, it makes you wonder why the developers didn’t just make Solace a third-person action game. Or ditch these poorly designed features (not counting the cover system) in favor of a more satisfying first-person experience. At no point during the game did I feel like I was James Bond. I felt like I was watching James Bond do a bunch of cool things in a video game. And jumping between perspectives so frequently is a sure fire way to make sure players never feel connected to their game character.

You Only Respawn Twice

The game also features a pretty satisfying multiplayer experience. While it certainly won’t replace COD 4 anytime soon, it has enough options (perks included, although they’re called gadgets) and plays well enough to not feel tacked on, like many of the game’s single-player features. The seven modes include your standard deathmatch, team deathmatch, and control point modes. There is also a Bond-centric VIP mode and the highly enjoyable, The Man with the Golden Gun mode, where players vie for control of a single golden Magnum that fires explosive rounds. It’s chaotic, intense and provides quite a surprising bit of edge-of-your-seat tension.

The game’s 12 maps ensure constantly frantic battles by never feeling too big or too small, regardless of the number of players. It would have been nice to be able to filter games by maps, but that’s a minor issue. I encountered a few instances of lag and stuttering during my playthrough, but not enough to cause major problems.

Adding to the multiplayer’s legs is the weapon store and weapon customization feature. Each multiplayer game you play nets you credits, which you can then put towards buying new weapons, gadgets and attachments. The gadgets work like perks and let you do things like add more damage to your bullets, carry more ammo, or have steadier aim. Each weapon can also be fitted with gold plating for those players gunning to impress. You can also tweak weapon attachments and add sights for added accuracy. It’s a bit like an overly simplified version of the COD 4 multiplayer, but, for the most part, that’s not such a bad thing.

Buy Another Day

I feel bad for Bond game developers the same way I feel bad for Quantum of Solace. Not just because it’s a mediocre shooter that offers some quick thrills and a decent multiplayer experience, but because it has to compete with so many far superior, must-own titles that have either already been released or are going to be released soon. Bond fans will get a kick out of stepping into (and out of on a regular basis) the shoes of the world’s greatest secret agent for a few hours, and the multiplayer can be enjoyable for about that same amount of time. But this is not a game you’ll be playing months from now.

Article written by: Jake Gaskill