Bons baisers de Russie

Good: Engaging cinematic firefights, great presentation, vehicles are actually fun to drive, fairly appealing multiplayer, faithful to the movie, and the list goes on.

Bad: Main missions are a bit short.

This game defines what a "good" third person shooter(not necessarily a spy-game) is. Great firefights carry on the story and make you want to complete EVERY single mission through, and unlock all the genuine bonuses the game has to offer. The hype this game had, was lived up to, and I personally think you should buy it, and hook up with a couple of friends and play this one. Loads of fun.

The sound in this game, is a rip-roaring achievement from a few previous bond games, and firing a weapon, really feels like you're firing a weapon. It ties in with the aspect that you are a deadly and ruthless spy.

All in all, this game makes you excited and satisfied after you make it through, and some multiplayer that can compete with the standards of the crafty James Bond "Nightfire" game for gamecube.

This review is for the PS2 and PSP version.

To start off, I have not seen the movie. In the behind the scenes clips featured in this game, the creators wanted to make a directors cut movie edition of the game...interesting take. The impression I had was the creators wanted to be as close to the film as possible and exploring more of the world of the movie in a video game setting, which I very much enjoyed.

Now for the PSP version, it felt very lacking, all the car chase or vehicle sequences chapters were cut out in it's entirety. A pity. If you want the full experience, play the console versions.

Games based on the James Bond franchise have always been hit or miss, this game fortunately is one of those hits, it's another really solid entry in the Bond video game franchise as well as another solid licensed game.

This was a different entry because here they were once again making a game based on an actual bond movie but one from the classic era. This I thought was a really cool concept, a lot of us that are both gamers and are Bond fans and have seen each of the different eras of Bond and probably thought this or that film could've made a good game.

It looks like that wish finally comes true with a film from the Connery era made into a game. I'll admit I honest never thought this would ever happen in almost a million years and I'm glad someone finally had the guts to make it reality, especially a much beloved entry in the franchise; though personally this isn't one of my favorite Bond entries but I'm fine with it all the same.

I really like how this game really gets a lot of the film and its story to a tee. From the graphical presentation which I thought was sold as it was able to reproduce an era of James Bond long gone. We get most of the famous scenes from the film as well as storyline, so if your familiar with the film they you can easily remember and even see what's about to come in the game.

However, like with most licensed video games they've added plenty of things which of course is a way to make the game a little longer and provide more gameplay. But I also feel enhances the game to make it stand on it's own as this game sort of feels like an alternative version of the original film which makes it all the more interesting, even adds a bit more to the original storyline without hurting it.

Really like the voice acting as it surprising consists of some of the original cast members of the film, thankful they got there just in time because like a lot of fans I'm not sure I would want it any other way. It was a real treat hearing one of my favorite actors Sean Connery reprise his signature role for the first and last time in a video game and last time in general. It's true his voice right now might not fit perfectly like a glove for what he was back then, though same can be said for a few of the actors reprising their roles in the "Doctor Who" audio plays from Big Finish; however like them it really didn't bother me because after a while I got use to it and strangely it felt right.

The gameplay is sold, there is plenty of variety as each stage you go though you do something different which keeps the game fresh and is true to Bond fare as being constantly busy doing different things is what James usually does in all his films.

You have the standard run and gun/stealth action which are solid if nothing amazing. Really like you have a targeting system where you can focus on the target you want to take down and changes color to indicate the target is weakened and then neutralized. But also there is some sort of focus system when your in stealth attack mode or a certain distance from you enemy, in this system there are little targets on them circled, once you hit them at those spots their taken down instantly. This is a good tool to use to save ammo, good precise kills but mainly to disable you enemy of whatever tools they must thwart you like a communication device or a big gun.

Really like that you get to use Q's gadgets in places of the game, even like the look of them as their old-fashioned tech but due to the era this Bond was in they were high tech. And the gadgets are still interesting because of how ahead of their time they were, like the RC chopper you control to go inside and detonate is like the drone tech we have now.

The driving sequences are solid, the car handles well and like the look of it as it's the trademark classic 007 car the Aston Martin. Their fun as some of them are you standard drive from point A to B without dying or even chase sequences which are slightly similar to the arcade game "Chase H.Q." where you have to track and chase down one of the enemy cars and blow it away. Your car is armed with guns and missiles, using them is fun reminds me a little of the arcade game "Roadblasters". If your car is damaged and you run low on missiles, there is a special garage that is there for you to make a pit stop for repairs and reloading, then you're as good as new.

There are gunning sequences, like you're on a boat and you man a turret to take the bad guys down before they take you down. Sniping sequences which are a bit similar to the arcade game "Silent Scope" as you have the task of covering your buddy by nailing the bad guys from a distance before they nail him or even you.

Another really fun portion which is my favorite is when you get to use the rocket pack from "Thunderball" which is actually cool, as you have freedom to fly above ground however high or low you want. But what I really like is how you can gun down or shoot out missiles at any enemies stationed on the ground, flying jet packs or any flying vehicles gunning for you. Though this rocket pack doesn't make you bullet proof, so you still have to take evasive action and make sure you don't take too much damage. Thought there are also pit stops in this where you can land and then get a new jet pack and your good as new.

Only misfires of the game are there are some places where the difficulty ramps up a bit almost at a ridiculous level mainly in the shooting segments. Not to say they were unbeatable mainly due to the short length of them, but I felt they could of lightened up a bit like have a piece of armor to shoot and refuel your armor gauge a little.

Another is the upgrade system is kind of lame, despite the ability to buy upgrades I didn't feel there was too much difference in what I already have, except being able to carry more ammo and longer clips for longer shooting time. This could have been handled much better like being able to buy different kinds of parts for the guns you have, so you can build a better and more effective gun than before.

Overall a very solid James Bond game, if you a fan of the original film or of the bond franchise, or just simply like play spy and action games in general, then this entry is worth a shot.

Rating: 3 and a half stars

Very fleshed out and well made game. Back when Activision actually cared about the quality of the games they released. Good upgrade system where you can tweak with weapons and gadgets that you find throughout levels which also contains my only gripe with the game; I prefer starting with a pistol and picking up various weapons from fallen enemies rather than the more arcade-y route this game went down where you carry over weapons from level to level. It may be a bit of a nitpick and at the end of the day it doesnt take away from how amazing the rest of the game is but I just like the more realistic approach rather than having an arsenal stuffed in Bonds prison wallet.

Beyond that the combat feels very good and you are able to target various weakpoints on the enemies body including grenades they have on their belts to chain kill enemies around them which can lead to some cinematic moments. Car chases are a staple of Bond games and movies and they do not slouch in this game. Alongside cars however you will be driving and gunning in a variety of different machinery, my favorite of which is the jetpack. Flying around in a jetpack as Sean Connery (who voices himself in the game which is just amazing) while launching missiles and bullets at angry russians with guns is the pinnacle of James Bond gaming and, among others things, really sets this game apart from the rest of the flock.

All in all I think From Russia with Love, Everything or Nothing, and Blood Stone are the three games that capture the movies the best within their gameplay and stories respectively.

The goal of any James Bond game is to make the player feel like he is fulfilling an ultimate fantasy: step into the shoes of Agent 007. "FRWL" comes closer to this goal than any other game, because this time you control the real James Bond. No offense to Pierce Brosnan, who made a fantastic Bond and loaned his voice and likeness to "EON", but Sean Connery was the original James Bond, and there will never be anyone who comes close to his level of cool.

I must say at this point, like many others who have reviewed this game, that Sean 70 year old voice doesn't fit his 30 year old image on screen, and this takes some getting used to, but it's certainly worth it. He makes lines like "Bond… James Bond" and "Shaken, not stirred" into a big deal again. But controlling Sir Sean as he takes on the evil organization known as OCTOPUS is, as Bond said in "Octopussy", "only the tip of the tentacle." The awesomeness of the game begins with the opening gun barrel. It's the original gun barrel from the movies. Then you take on first mission, rescuing the Prime Minister's hottie blonde daughter from terrorists at Parliament, and everything from the cars to the clothes is perfectly retro. The world of the game is truly the world of the original James Bond, right down to the classic rock-n-roll rendition of the James Bond theme that finally plays during a key moment late in the game, as Bond infiltrates a secret factory.

After the game's opening, the plot faithfully follows the plot of the movie "FRWL." James Bond is sent to Turkey to retrieve a Lektor device from a Russian cipher clerk who claims she has a crush on him. In Turkey, Bond teams up with lovable sidekick Kerim Bey. Bond must retrieve the device, protect the damsel in distress, and get both safely back to London. Bond screenwriter Bruce Feirstein worked on the script, and he's done a good job of making the game the same but different to the movie. The characters from the movie are all recreated well, but some are better than others. The impersonators voicing villains Rosa Klebb and Red Grant are uncanny. And there's a moment early on in the game where you interact with a Miss Moneypenny, M, and Q who all look and behave as they did in the original Sean Connery 007 movies.

What puts this game miles ahead of the other Bond games, besides Sir Sean's voice and likeness, is two notable features in the game play. One is Bond focus. While you can dispatch villains simply by locking onto them with one button and killing them with the other, an additional button push will allow you to zoom in closer on a target and choose between spots Bond would shoot at, such as a grenade attached to a belt that will dispatch an enemy and a few of his friend or a rappel cord that will cause a suspended enemy to plunge to his death. The other notable feature is the stealth and mêlée kills. When you're in close enough range, just hit a button to beat down an enemy with the raw brutality that only Sean Connery's James Bond displayed.

Sean Connery's Bond relied mostly on his raw wit and talent, so you only have a few gadgets, but they're good ones. The Q-copter is a remote control helicopter that can self-destruct and explore areas Bond can't reach, like the Q-spider in "EON", only better. The classic laser watch is useful, not just for getting into sealed rooms, but dispatching enemies when you have no other weapon available. Sonic cuff links and a serum gun are the most fun to play around with, but you must experience them for yourself. Besides the gadgets, you can go dress Bond up in a number of retro costumes found during the game, including the gray suit from the movie, the standard black tuxedo, a retro stealth suit, and that classic white tuxedo, all which look exactly like they did when Sir Sean wore them in the movies. When you drive in the game, you drive the Aston Martin DB5 straight out of "Goldfinger." It can't turn invisible, but it has a gadget for popping tires like in the movie. And when you're not flying down the streets of Istanbul in the "Goldinger" car, you can fly through the air in the "Thunderball" jet pack.

Then there's the multi-player. Of course, it has to be compared to the standard of the "GoldenEye" game, and it fails. Also, you can only play Bond villains rather than Bond himself or the other heroes of the game. But the multi-player is amusing, and a decent bonus since the awesomeness of the single player campaign alone makes the game worth playing. The basic game does have other flaws. Some of the movie's most exciting moments, particularly the gypsy camp shootout, Bond's brawl with Red Grant on the Orient Express, and a confrontation between Bond and Rosa Klebb's bladed shoe, aren't done justice in game form. And the game is a fast play, even on the hardest difficulty. But overall, this game is the best James Bond experience so far.