007: Agent Under Fire

I'm not really big on the Bond games. Most of then are no more than ordinary first person shooters with licensed characters. I guess since the original Goldeneye game on the Nintendo 64 was so popular they felt like they shouldn't stray to far from the winning formula.

In this game we have a generic interpretation of Bond involved in a dull plot involving clones and kidnapped world leaders. We go through several different locations but only some of them are cool and none are used to their full potential. There are a couple of driving levels too, but the street design is just uninspired.

The best thing about FPS games is the ability to just go berserk and shoot-up the place, hoping to catch the baddies in the crossfire. But you don't really get a lot of ammo and reloading is painfully slow sometimes. And the destruction you can inflict upon the environment is very limited.

I can really only recommend AUF to Bond fans. The rest of you have soooo many other choices for superior FPS games, you don't want to waste your time with this one.

The game has excellent graphics and sound. The game is difficult yet fun at the same time. I love playing Agent Under Fire. It beats The World is Not Enough. I hope all upcoming Bond games are as good as this one. There is a new game called "Nightfire" that was released a few days ago.

The only thing that I would recommended would be to make the game longer. The game is to short. It is only 12 levels long. It should at least be 20.

Once "Goldeneye 007" was released for the Nintendo '64 console, that title instantly became the standard by which all future Bond FPS's would be judged. In the case of "Agent Under Fire" for the Gamecube, it does just enough "to get by" but fails to stand out in any of the categories that made its predecessor great.

The main problem with this game is that it just feels "clunky" sometimes. Whereas "Goldeneye" was always slick and smooth, "Agent Under Fire" is bulky and awkward.

The single player mode is hit-and-miss, with some missions being quite fun and others just being a shoot-em-up fest. Not having an actual Bond movie to base the levels around was the downfall here.

Of course, one of the hallmarks of any Bond game is the multiplayer mode, and in this aspect "Agent Under Fire" just doesn't hold a candle to its predecessors. It seems as if the multiplayer experience SHOULD be better than it is (same basic layout as other similar game modes), but again it just lacks that "punch" of the seminal "Goldeneye" multiplayer mode that re-defined FPS games.

Though some Nintendo Gamecube games still hold up today even in the world of XBOX 360 and beyond, "Agent Under Fire" is not one of them. You would be better off sticking with "Goldeneye" on the N64 than "upgrading" to this.

CIA Agent Zoe Nightshade is investigating a firm called Identicon headed by Nigel Bloch. The firm is into genetic design but the CIA suspect something more sinister Nightshade disappears when trying to get a case of vials to find out exactly what Identicon are up to. Bond investigates when the vials turn out to be human blood with the initials of the world leaders on it and uncovers a plot to replace politicians with clones that will ultimately do Bloch's bidding.

I loved Goldeneye on N64 and the first thing I got when I got a PS2 for a while was Agent Under Fire. I was hoping for the same quality of game and, in some respects that's what I got. The story is good and the graphics are fantastic. However the game was simply too straightforward. There were no puzzles that required a great deal of thought, everything worked in a straight line. On top of this the action is a lot more `just blast' than it was in Goldeneye – often the best way to go is simply to charge in with all guns blazing rather than trying to be clever or skilful. It's a shame because the mix of that is what made Goldeneye good.

This means that with a basic understanding of the game you can easily finish it in a very short time. I borrowed this game for a few days and thought I'd never get through it. Two evenings and one afternoon later I had clocked the game on all but the hardest difficulty level. Surely this shouldn't be possible!?

The multiplayer is OK but the stages are pretty open and not as twisty as I'd like – I like a hunt! Also, why no computer controlled characters – not even one! Even the N64's Perfect Dark was able to have 8 of them. This really takes away from the lasting challenge of the game as not everyone lives with another person who can play (or wants to!). Despite this I'll still pick it up and play a level here or there because it is still very good fun it's just a shame that its longevity is shortened by the actual structure of the game. Overall fans of Goldeneye will enjoy it but finish it very very quickly – even the hidden stuff is quite easy to find and unlock. This is a great game but maybe better to hire or borrow for a week instead of buying it.

10 out of 10 - A Forgotten Gem That Still Hits Like a Heavyweight

Before Nightfire took the Bond crown in the early 2000s, Agent Under Fire was out here setting the tone. Released in 2001, this was Bond stepping confidently into the sixth-gen console era, and despite flying a bit under the radar, it's packed with style, tension, and everything you expect from the Bond legacy-explosions, espionage, and gadgets for days.

This wasn't based on a film. This was an original Bond story, and that made it feel fresh and unpredictable. You weren't retracing steps from the movies-you were living out a brand new Bond mission, one gun barrel roll at a time.

Gameplay: Classic Bond, Elevated

This game's got that tight first-person shooter foundation, but what separates it is variety. You're not just shooting your way through corridors-you're ziplining, driving, sneaking, scuba-diving, and unleashing gadgets like a true MI6 agent. The pacing is slick, the missions diverse, and the action? Clean.

The gadgets are wild: laser watches, grapple hooks, remote drones, and more. You feel like a spy-not just a soldier with a license to kill.

Multiplayer? Completely slept on. Split-screen chaos with explosive gadgets, custom loadouts, and vertical map design that rewards creative mayhem.

Story: Clones, Conspiracies, and Chaos

The plot's got classic Bond flavor: a secret organization cloning world leaders, shady biotech corporations, and a mysterious villain with global domination on the brain. You're chasing intel, sabotaging labs, and trying to prevent the biggest power grab in human history.

It's campy in that signature Bond way, but it never loses its edge.

Set Piece Power

Let's talk set pieces. From covert infiltration on bullet trains to high-speed car chases with rockets flying through city streets, Agent Under Fire serves some unforgettable moments. "Poseidon" (the underwater level)? Iconic. Driving missions with the Q-laden BMW 750iL? Straight-up gold.

Everything is tightly choreographed to give you that perfect balance of spy stealth and blockbuster action.

Legacy: Bond Before the Boom

It walked so Nightfire could run. But make no mistake-Agent Under Fire still stands tall. The originality of the story, the mission diversity, and that unforgettable early 2000s Bond energy make this a must-play for fans of the franchise. It's not as flashy as its successors, but it's got heart, charm, and guts.

Final Verdict

10 out of 10.

An underrated Bond classic that holds up remarkably well. It may not be remembered as loudly as GoldenEye or Nightfire, but real ones know-Agent Under Fire is the blueprint.

This wasn't just a test run.

This was Bond proving once again: He never needed a movie to steal the show.