James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Don't get me wrong. "GoldenEye" was revolutionary and is definitely the best FPS game to be based on the 007 franchise. But the series had fallen into a FPS rut. Enter "Everything or Nothing", which puts Bond in third-person. When I wrote my earlier review for "From Russia With Love", I had finished FRWL and just started EON and judged EON a bit harshly. Even though FRWL definitely has the edge in nostalgia and capturing the essence of the movie franchise, EON definitely is superior in terms of in-depth controls and gameplay variety. Missions range from standard running-and-gunning to driving an SUV, driving an Aston Martin, driving a limousine that is wired to explode, commandeering two different types of tanks a la "GoldenEye", riding a motorcycle, flying a helicopter, repelling down a shaft guarded by laser tripwires, and free falling after a plummeting damsel. Sure, vehicle controls are a little clumsy, but the issue here is the variety.

As movie adaptations, "GoldenEye" and FRWL were all that I could have hoped for. But EON's original storyline adds to the feeling of controlling a James Bond adventure. This is helped by the impressive cast list of Willem DeFoe, Shannon Elizabeth, Heidi Klum, and Misaki Ito. Judi Dench and John Cleese reprise their movie roles of M and Q, respectively, and Pierce Brosnan, while no Sean Connery, adds credibility to the game's proceedings. All characters resemble the stars, with the disappointing exception of Heidi Klum, who's in-game model doesn't do the real-life model justice. Mya's theme song is on par with at least some of the big screen Bond title tunes.

The game also plays tribute to some of the older Bond movies. Willem DeFoe's character is a former colleague of Christopher Walken's baddie from "A View to a Kill". Richard Kiel appears as Jaws, the hulking henchman from "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker" in three fight scenes, the first and best of which proceeds in the same fashion a fight in the movies would have.

Single-player gameplay mainly consists of standard on-foot missions as Bond. Like Bond, you will be able to choose whether to use stealth or go out with guns blazing. The game provides plenty of opportunities to utilize stealth, with plenty of wall and object cover. Unfortunately, unlike FRWL, only one button in EON controls both crouching and wall clinging, so Bond may end up crouching low when he's supposed to be peeking around a corner, and vice-versa. The game also allows players to go into "Bond reflex" mode. While you browse your inventory, everything around you will go into super slo-mo, allowing you to analyze objects around you that can be interacted with. While this takes some getting used to, eventually this mode will allow you to perform many spectacular "Bond moments", such as shooting down a chandelier to take out four goons underneath, and greatly add to the Bond movie feeling.

There are 3 available difficulty levels: Operative, Agent, and Double Oh. On Operative, you can breeze through in a few hours. On Agent, a few weeks. On Double Oh, a few months. The difficulty level can be changed for each individual mission. Garnering high scores on missions will unlock gold and platinum awards and effect features such as vehicle upgrades and the skimpy outfits the Bond girls wear. Some missions can be extremely frustrating due to a scarcity of checkpoints, but when all is said and done, no mission is any longer than a single action scene in a Bond movie.

Multi-player, unfortunately, is not as thrilling. "GoldenEye" still has the best multi-player mode of any Bond game. EON's main multi-player is a co-op campaign mode that puts players in charge of lesser MI6 agents on a less important mission than Bond's. A more standard third-person death match can be unlocked from this mode. But the single-player mode is the most complete Bond experience to date. The ending, as with most Bond games, is anticlimactic. While the final mission is one of the most aggravating of the game, the final confrontation with the villain is disappointing. Also, levels that require Bond to be speedy become largely a matter of trial and error. Still, for any serious Bond fan, not playing this game is tantamount to missing one of the Bond films.

James Bond is back! His first game since 2002's Nightfire provides a fantastic change of pace to the FPS Bond Formula. Instead, Bond has gone back to a 3rd-person shooter, but don't worry-- this isn't anything like the abysmal Tomorrow Never Dies. The story is a typical Bond-must-save-the-earth-from evil-diabolical-villain story. Nothing you really haven't seen before. If you like those kind, you'll like it, if you don't like those kind, you won't. It is as simple as that.

The gameplay is where Everything or Nothing shines. Although on the surface, it seems like a typical action adventure, what's best is the open-ended way you can tackle each mission one-by-one. Will you charge straight into a firefight or take out your enemies one by one from some cover? Will you use your gadgets to scout ahead or just keep your trigger finger ready when danger arises? Will you take out an enemy sniper from afar or use your grapple to get up to the ledge he's on and take him out with your fists? This kind of excellent gameplay allows the player to weave their own strategies on how to deal with each level. And like Nightfire, when you perform a move that's exactly like Bond would do, you'll get a higher score. And to add some variety, EA added in some awesome driving missions that rival some of the best chase scenes from the Bond flicks.

The graphics and sound are also excellent. The voice acting uses some top Hollywood talent, from the regulars like Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, and John Cleese, to newcomers like Shannon Elizabeth and Willem Dafoe, fresh off his stint from 2002's Spider-man video game. There's also the opening tune by Mya, one of the better James Bond songs in recent years. Plus, the graphics are amazing. They've been rendered to look EXACTLY like the voice talent, so much in fact that at times you'll actually believe at times that you're not looking at a video game, but the latest Bond movie on your TV set. The high production values just increase EON's movie-like quality.

There's only one small flaw in the film: The camera stinks! Like nearly every 3rd person action game in existence, the camera is just awful, it will often pan to obscure angles, often screwing your field of vision up. This is especially annoying when an enemy taking potshots at you, as by the time you adjust the screen to see them your health may be nearly wiped out. This annoying tidbit can get increasingly frustrating. However, that minor complaint aside, the game is another excellent addition to any gamer's library. I recommend this to any person who is a fan of action games, and eagerly await EA's next Bond title. 9.5/10.

This game is the bomb and this is the 007 game of the year and should be on greatest hits. When I got Agent Under Fire, I thought that was a good game but then Nightfire came around and that was better, but now there is a new type of James Bond game. This time it a 3rd person shooter and there is more than 12 missions, the graphics of the game are out of this house. It even has all of the great actors and actresses in this game like Pierce Bronsan as once again James Bond, William Dafoe as the villain Nikolai Diavolo, and Judi Dench as M (forgive me all if I spell it wrong). This game would be own as the greatest James Bond game around.

I give this a 10/10

This is probably the best Bond game ever! It's almost perfect! Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Richard Kiel, John Cleese, Willem Defoe, Shannen Elizabeth, and Heidi Klum make up the cast of this spectacular game. I liked the idea of (Defoe's character) Nikolai Diavolo being a student of Max Zorin (the villain from the Bond movie "A View To A Kill"). Continuity is another movie feature that the game displays. The gameplay is excellent, as are the graphics, sound effects, and controls. From the first level to the last, there isn't a thing out of place. The only flaw is the end of the final level, which I won't reveal. The game feels like your watching a Bond movie. 10/10

I was finally able to rent this game out yesterday, and I have to say, this game is breathtaking. I haven't beaten it as of this moment, but I've seen enough to say just how incredible this game is.

GRAPHICS The graphics are nothing short of spectacular. Lighting is geniusly done, and having to use the Thermal Vision every time you walk into a dark area is a nice touch. Particle effects have also been perfectly integrated, from bright flashes to EXPLOSIONS (and believe me, there will be a LOT).

SOUND If you've played the Max Payne games, you already know of the ear-splitting gunshots and explosions (which is a good thing), but if you haven't played the Max Payne games, you're in for a surprise. From the sound of your P99 going off, to the sound of a huge BOOM from inside a building, the sound is monstrously integrated. Also, for those who have played the previous James Bond games, you will get a twist here: the actual cast from the live-action films have signed on to voice the characters in this game (that's right, no more Pierce Brosnan sound-alikes). The star-studded cast will give you the feeling that something has finally been done right. The introductory theme song is highly addictive, too.

GAMEPLAY I'll say this right now...there's a lot of cover shooting going on. Unlike in the other James Bond games, you can't just run into a huge gunfight and expect to walk out without a scratch. You must use the environment to your advantage, and fire. It is sometimes safe to run out with guns a-blazing, but only do that if you're absolutely sure you'll win. Stealth is an important factor, too. You must keep yourself well-concealed on most missions in order to at least have a dying chance at completing a level. There are also vehicle levels here. These levels are so fast-paced and exciting, I immediately became obsessed with the "Train" mission. Try and play that mission with your finger on the "X" button as long as possible...I assure you, you'll be in for a wild ride. Unlike all the other James Bond games, this game includes a Training Level that allows you to get the feel of the game before actually playing through it. The gadgets are also well-done...the Q-Spider is probably THE most useful and most fun gadget to use. There's even a level where you have to fall down the side of a mountain to catch your partner in mid-air...they did the same thing in Operation: Surma, but that way sucked badly. Leave it to this game to show them the RIGHT way to do it. The Multiplayer game is also here with a vengeance...not only can you battle others, you can also team up with a second player and play story missions. If you're a hardcore gamer, you WILL find yourself returning to previously-completed levels to obtain Platinum ranks and unlock cheats and rewards.

BOTTOM LINE: This game is worth your money, whether rented or bought. If you're a huge Bond fan, you'll definitely want to pick this up.

Final Score: 10/10