007: Quantum of Solace Review (360)

007 is here….again…

A new 007 film is here and so is the game.

007: Quantum of Solace has been released in cinemas all around the globe as well as the game adaptation being released in stores everywhere in multi-format. (This review will cover the Xbox 360 version). For the Xbox 360 the game has been developed by Treyarch and is one of their newest games to date next to Call of Duty: World at War. Treyarch have tried to make this game action packed, fast paced and fun, but they have not quite hit the nail.

The new 007 game takes the Call of Duty 4 engine and throws in a James Bond world. There are a few different features to the engine but nothing that I can consider as a welcome addition. Throughout most of the game you will be playing in first person perspective up until you reach a point where you must hide behind some cover. When you go into cover you will automatically be put into a 3rd person view, this feels a lot like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas’ cover engine or Gears of War’s style. In most cases the 3rd person mechanic for this 007 game works well as you get a nice glimpse of the main character of the game, James Bond played by Daniel Craig. When you are behind cover you can pop out and take out some enemies with whatever weapon it is that you are using. It all responds well and the shooting is pretty accurate and can be a lot of fun, just like Call of Duty 4’s engine was. After time it all gets a bit boring even though this game is so short. There are a few issues I came across with the cover system though. Sometimes you will dash into cover and still get shot from behind a wall, which is highly annoying. I also found a few glitches here and there that resulted in me dying unfairly. These occasions were rare but always happened when I didn’t need it too, such as being shot at by 10 henchmen.

When I was playing through the game I couldn’t help but notice how nearly each of the enemies basically looked the same. Not only do they look the same, they all act the same too. They all do the same animations consisting of deaths, cover slides, hopping over tables and rolling. It just gets way to repetitive. You will kill an enemy look at the next and he looks like the dead guys twin. 007: Quantum of SolaceThroughout the game you will be using many different weapons and a few gadgets, it all varies. Though there aren’t many sequences where you will actually use these gadgets and to be honest, they feel pretty pointless. There are no vehicle missions in Quantum of Solace which some 007 fans may think is a shame but personally I think it’s a bonus. From all the previous 007 games the vehicle missions have always been annoying and usually boring.

With Quantum of Solace using the Call of Duty 4 engine the game does look really good throughout, just some minor texture issues here and there. Lighting effects are really good too, light shines in the most appropriate of places and does not look out of place at any points of the game. Explosions in this game should have definitely been looked at more though. There are gas canisters all over the place but if you shoot one, you will be subjected to some nasty explosion effects. 007: Quantum of SolaceThe explosions almost look cartoon like at some points of the game, and it’s hard not to notice it too. When you go into cover and witness the 3rd person camera you will see a very realistic and well rendered Daniel Craig playing as James Bond. You can really tell that the person playing through the game is Daniel Craig so Treyarch have done an excellent job with getting characters to look good, too bad there are too many of the same enemies to fight.

Cut scenes in Quantum of Solace are not all that good. They can feel real lifeless at times and just bore you completely, especially the briefing scenes before each mission. You will soon get fed up with hearing “007” (double ‘o seven) all of the time.

When I was playing through the game I couldn’t help but notice how nearly each of the enemies basically looked the same

Daniel Craig actually does the voice acting for James Bond in this game which is cool as it sounds just right. It would be stupid not to use Daniel Craig as the voice actor for James Bond given that Treyarch have included a lifelike character model. Some nice button press sequences have been added in the game too, fight scenes will include you pressing the buttons that come up on screen to continue the fight and not get beat down. Some nice cinematic moments can be enjoyed in these sequences too. Some of the missions are intense but nothing that special, there are parts where the screen shakes far too much and gets annoying.

There is online multi-player included with 007: Quantum of Solace. This is a lot like the Call of Duty online experience but without the perks and in-depth weaponry, yes you can adjust your weapons to have red dot sight or silencer but it is nowhere near as good as Call of Duty’s weaponry system. There are a number of game modes to play online ranging from straight up killing to team-based games such as a V.I.P style game mode; everyone must protect the V.I.P at all costs. The online play on this game is something to try out I suppose. The game could have been a lot better if the online play had been looked into with more depth; it would get so many more players and a much higher liking from everyone who plays it.

All in all the game is pretty bland. It lacks variety of all kinds and will not please many of the hardcore gamers around the globe as it is fairly easy, even on the higher difficulties. Some nice moments here and there but it’s just not compelling enough either, Treyarch have tried to make this game different from Call of Duty and to be honest, I would have preferred it if it was a lot more like it.

I would say it’s a game you should rent out, not to buy. The campaign is only 4 – 5 hours long and the multi-player is nothing really new or innovative, it will lead to boredom over a short time.

The Good: Some enjoyable moments in the game, intense at some points, Daniel Craig looks realistic.
The Bad: repetitive, not much variety, short campaign, online play is boring.


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3 3 / 5

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