by Paul Robert Scott
There have been a number of games putting you in the very well made shoes of 007 over the years. Generally these have varied in style and quality by quite a substantial degree, having started out in the 1980’s as rather standard platformers, until GoldenEye brought Bond into the 3D FPS age. Yet, for all the opportunities provided, there has never really been a truly great Bond game
There have been a number of games putting you in the very well made shoes of 007 over the years. Generally these have varied in style and quality by quite a substantial degree, having started out in the 1980’s as rather standard platformers, until GoldenEye brought Bond into the 3D FPS age. Yet, for all the opportunities provided, there has never really been a truly great Bond game
“But what about GoldenEye?” I hear you cry.
Yes, of course the N64 classic is a great game in its own right, and a milestone in the FPS genre, but when you get down to it, no game, not even GoldenEye has been truly able to capture the feel of being Her Majesty’s finest spy. Almost every Bond game has been a shooter, presenting Bond as a gun-toting action man who blasts his way out of every situation and this is really the franchise’s main problem. It’s the fact that this isn’t how Bond behaves that sets his adventures apart from other action films. Oh, of course each of his films culminate in an epic shoot-out, but the lead up to this is generally a little more subtle… Depending on whether you’re watching Connery or Brosnan that is. And herein lies the solution. Everyone has a different idea of how Bond should act, due to everyone enjoying a different actor in the role. What the game franchise needs therefore is an element of choice. What it needs, is an RPG element.
Yes, of course the N64 classic is a great game in its own right, and a milestone in the FPS genre, but when you get down to it, no game, not even GoldenEye has been truly able to capture the feel of being Her Majesty’s finest spy. Almost every Bond game has been a shooter, presenting Bond as a gun-toting action man who blasts his way out of every situation and this is really the franchise’s main problem. It’s the fact that this isn’t how Bond behaves that sets his adventures apart from other action films. Oh, of course each of his films culminate in an epic shoot-out, but the lead up to this is generally a little more subtle… Depending on whether you’re watching Connery or Brosnan that is. And herein lies the solution. Everyone has a different idea of how Bond should act, due to everyone enjoying a different actor in the role. What the game franchise needs therefore is an element of choice. What it needs, is an RPG element.
Gameplay
2010's action RPG Alpha Protocol. On the whole, there’s no harm in keeping Bond games as an FPS, or alternatively third person, but they should not be so focused on the action elements. Much in the same way the Hitman franchise allows players the freedom to explore different methods of completing a mission, so too can a Bond game exploit very similar mechanics. Garnering entry to a villain’s evil lair, might be best done under the cover of darkness via the ventilation ducts, but equally, so could mingling at the soiree being held in his luxurious mansion; which simultaneously may be a good time to try to seduce the attractive but deadly henchwoman in the corner. Once you’ve found where your nemesis is keeping his plans to start World War Three, you could then work your way out of their deadly maze of underground tunnels by subduing the guards silently, or by causing a distraction by calling in your remote controlled Aston Martin to launch a few rockets in their general vicinity. Of course, you’ll always want to keep a couple of gadgets spare in the event of your capture, but if you were lucky enough to sway the heart of the formerly mentioned attractive henchwoman, you may just have another means of escape.
In the end you see my point. Bond has always employed numerous means to reach his goals as the character has evolved over the decades. If you were partial to a Connery way of thinking then you would most likely stalk around in the shadows and try to remain unseen as much as possible, whereas if you were more inclined towards Craig’s style then you are more likely to bash and crash your way through anything that got in your way, and if you are a Moore fan, well then you’re likely just to kiss a lot of women and use your absurd number of gadgets to get you out of any situation. In this regard an RPG would be perfect, as leveling up and gaining more experience for your own Bond allows you to become more proficient with weapons, stealth or even advance charm or intimidation techniques. If this all sounds a little familiar for a spy-themed game then I’m not surprised. Obsidian's 2010 action RPG Alpha Protocol went for a very similar style, the only downside being that the main character in this title had all of the charisma as an MI6 accountant. However, while the characters and story in Alpha Protocol may not have been earth shattering, they certainly did hold promise in terms of gameplay. The game allowed you to level up your generic spy in any manner you saw fit, as well as giving your speech options that allowed you to select the way you wanted the conversation with another character to go. This, as a concept would work brilliantly for an actual Bond game. Sure, if you wanted to still go in like GoldenEye, Nightfire and Everything or Nothing and simply shoot everything to hell, there would be nothing stopping you, but personally I’d much rather see a game that allowed you to act in a manner that we have always come to expect of Bond, and that method always involved a Martini or two.
In the end you see my point. Bond has always employed numerous means to reach his goals as the character has evolved over the decades. If you were partial to a Connery way of thinking then you would most likely stalk around in the shadows and try to remain unseen as much as possible, whereas if you were more inclined towards Craig’s style then you are more likely to bash and crash your way through anything that got in your way, and if you are a Moore fan, well then you’re likely just to kiss a lot of women and use your absurd number of gadgets to get you out of any situation. In this regard an RPG would be perfect, as leveling up and gaining more experience for your own Bond allows you to become more proficient with weapons, stealth or even advance charm or intimidation techniques. If this all sounds a little familiar for a spy-themed game then I’m not surprised. Obsidian's 2010 action RPG Alpha Protocol went for a very similar style, the only downside being that the main character in this title had all of the charisma as an MI6 accountant. However, while the characters and story in Alpha Protocol may not have been earth shattering, they certainly did hold promise in terms of gameplay. The game allowed you to level up your generic spy in any manner you saw fit, as well as giving your speech options that allowed you to select the way you wanted the conversation with another character to go. This, as a concept would work brilliantly for an actual Bond game. Sure, if you wanted to still go in like GoldenEye, Nightfire and Everything or Nothing and simply shoot everything to hell, there would be nothing stopping you, but personally I’d much rather see a game that allowed you to act in a manner that we have always come to expect of Bond, and that method always involved a Martini or two.
Cars, Gadgets and Guns
2002's James Bond 007: NightFire. While taking advantage of a gameplay style that would allow the player a new level of freedom with 007, it would still be crucial that there would still be the aspects that we know best from the franchise.
No matter what there are still moments when Bond needs to shoot his way out of a situation and there are still plenty of gadgets which he can obtain from Q in order to help progress through a mission. Certainly, having a limited amount of space on Bond’s inventory would keep gamers thinking strategically and only take the essentials they need for a mission. What clothing you choose to wear could also have an impact. While wearing a Tuxedo may allow for more places to keep hidden, life saving gadgets, its Bond’s combat suit which would allow him to carry more ammo and so on. Naturally a good agent still needs a great getaway vehicle and thus Q labs can also provide your Bond with a fully loaded Aston or BMW to give you some vitally needed back up. On the whole, as much as they are often shoehorned into the modern games, the driving missions in the likes of Agent Under fire and Everything or Nothing have often been good clean fun that breaks up what can often be a repetitive experience in Bond games.
No matter what there are still moments when Bond needs to shoot his way out of a situation and there are still plenty of gadgets which he can obtain from Q in order to help progress through a mission. Certainly, having a limited amount of space on Bond’s inventory would keep gamers thinking strategically and only take the essentials they need for a mission. What clothing you choose to wear could also have an impact. While wearing a Tuxedo may allow for more places to keep hidden, life saving gadgets, its Bond’s combat suit which would allow him to carry more ammo and so on. Naturally a good agent still needs a great getaway vehicle and thus Q labs can also provide your Bond with a fully loaded Aston or BMW to give you some vitally needed back up. On the whole, as much as they are often shoehorned into the modern games, the driving missions in the likes of Agent Under fire and Everything or Nothing have often been good clean fun that breaks up what can often be a repetitive experience in Bond games.
Shaken, not stirred...
Naturally, no matter what, any Bond game should always keep the key aspects that make the character so iconic. A game for the franchise should allow you to feel like you are living Bond’s life of sophistication and danger, making you think on your feet and always making you take split second choices that will affect the rest of the game. Sometimes, the game might force you to make the wrong call, but in the end it’s down to you, to get yourself out of any sticky situation so you can get right back to saving the world. Just remember to always add your own witty one liners…
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