Goldeneye 007
Reviewed by Raymond Almeda
Ever since Atari foisted 1982's E.T. (The Extra Terrestrial) on an
unsuspecting public, companies have used high-profile movie licenses
to sell otherwise mediocre games. And at first glance, Goldeneye 007
might appear to be yet another Doom-style shooter in Hollywood clothing.
But playing this title reveals Goldeneye 007 to be not only a great license,
but a brilliantly innovative game. Kudos to Rare and Nintendo for producing
what is probably the best first-person shooter available on any system.
Unlike virtually every first-person shooter that has preceded it,
Goldeneye 007 rewards stealth as well as slaughter. In the typical
first-person shooter (Quake, Doom, Hexen, etc.), players simply acquire
the most powerful weaponry available, and kill everything in sight. But
several levels in Goldeneye are best completed by careful, quiet progress,
as opposed to brute force. Goldeneye gameplay thus provides a refreshing
break from several tired first- person cliches.
For example, Bond's weapon of choice is often the PP7 Special Issue (a
pistol equipped with a silencer) instead of say, a rocket launcher. Weapons
that make a great deal of noise simply attract more resistance from the
enemy. Some levels are guarded by alarm systems; too much noise and a guard
will trigger the alarm, ending Bond's chances for a successful mission. The
stealth factor adds an extra element of fun and strategy to Goldeneye that
distinguishes the title from other games of this genre.
Goldeneye 007 offers a wide variety of realistic weapons, from a totally
silent throwing knife to the aforementioned rocket launcher to an
extreme- range sniper rifle. The sniper rifle is particularly fun to use,
as its scope allows Bond to "neutralize" enemy soldiers from an extended
distance. There's nothing more fun than picking off an unsuspecting Soviet
guard from half a mile away. The remarkable cinematic effect of this
experience must be seen to be appreciated.
In addition to the vast arsenal of weaponry, Bond is armed with a number
of cool gadgets (bomb defusers, microcameras, watch lasers, and the like).
The effective use of these gadgets is often essential to pulling off a
particular mission objective. The gadgets add yet another compelling twist
to Goldeneye gameplay that you simply will not find in other first-person titles.
The innovative gameplay in Goldeneye is accentuated by truly breathtaking
graphics that surpass even the best PC efforts to date. Remarkably detailed
levels are based upon actual movie locations, and convey very believable
environments. From the Siberian tundra to Soviet missile silos, the
Goldeneye 007 levels are simply the most realistic ever to grace a video game.
The attention to fine graphic detail in the Goldeneye environments is
fantastic. Transparent windowpanes that are shot will initially register
bullet holes, and if shot repeatedly, will shatter. Bullets ricochet off
pavement and walls in a puff of whispy white smoke, leaving behind
visible pockmarks. Large explosions produce clouds of dark smoke that
slowly dissipate for several moments.
Even more impressive is the incredible variety of enemy responses to
the intense fighting action. Wounded enemy agents bleed in the particular
area of bullet entry. Soldiers react differently depending on which area
of the body is injured, whether it be chest, head, or leg. For minimal
resistance, head shots do the trick. It's even possible to shoot the hats
off of enemy soldiers without wounding them, while enemies wearing
metal helmets are that much more difficult to kill. Again, the typical
first-person shooter displays none of this intense graphical detail.
Matching the Goldeneye graphics are excellent sound and Rumble Pak
support. Each weapon has a different (and very realistic) trademark
sound when discharged. One even hears the sound of expended shells
bouncing off the floor. The individual weapons even make the Rumble
Pak shake in a subtly unique fashion, an excellent touch.
There is a surprising amount of realistic violence in Goldeneye 007.
No other Nintendo game has ever portrayed violence so believably.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is literally cartoonish by comparison. The
bodies of slain enemies, however, quickly disappear into nothingness,
thus softening the violent effect.
Rounding out Goldeneye is excellent split-screen multiplayer support.
Goldeneye 007 features several head-to-head "deathmatch" and
"capture-the-flag" modes which allow two to four players the opportunity
to duke it out with high-powered weaponry. While split-screen play remains
a poor cousin to networked Internet Quake, it nevertheless is a great low-cost
N64 alternative. It's also a promising sign that Nintendo is committed to
supporting multiplay in its releases. The upcoming 64DD (disk drive) add-on
device is rumored to include a modem, and modem-based Goldeneye would
certainly be a blast.
The critic will find a few minor flaws in Goldeneye. The music, while very
good, does not meet the cinematic standards established by the sound and
graphics. Also, there is occasional graphic clipping; in other words, at
times enemy soldiers can be seen through what should be solid doors and
so forth. But these complaints are exceedingly minor in light of the overall package.
Goldeneye 007 is an innovative first-person shooter that represents a step
forward for the genre. Let's hope that the PC programming wizards at ID
Software and 3D Realms are paying close attention to the gameplay of
this N64 title. In the meantime, every N64 owner is encouraged to try this
one. Nintendo's "quality over quantity" philosophy may remain controversial,
but there's simply no denying that it produces great games.
Overall 11 out of 10