The Ps1 version of The World is Not Enough was my first exposure to Bond. Agent Under Fire was the first Bond game I ever owned. When I was starting to become a Bond fan as a kid, I saw the game at Toys R US, which had such an appealing cover and features including driving and multiplayer nearly making me beg my mom to purchase the game for me. I played the game throughout my childhood in story mode and versed my brother Jesse in multiplayer. Before NightFire, it was my go-to Bond game, despite the disc I had would stop working in one of the last few levels, where I had to rent the game for GameCube to finish it, eventually getting a replacement over time. I have many nostalgic memories of playing the game, exploring the areas, and goofing around.
When I started making this list, I was initially going to place it in the number 5 spot, with From Russia with Love as the fourth for a few reasons. Aside from how the Bond model is not designed to look like any of the actors, the game has no gun-barrel sequence, but instead, a trailer takes its place. Bond inside the gun-barrel sequence is such a signature image in the franchise that even Goldeneye 64 can recreate that it feels a little empty not seeing it. I wouldn't care as much if I saw blood dripping on the screen whenever Bond dies in the game to make up for it, but EA does not bother showing it, either. The image tilts, Bond moans (sometimes long enough to sound like he's poorly impersonating a monkey while having an orgasm), and the screen fade to black. The game does not give Bond a proper build-up or grand introduction in its opening cutscene, he just appears without a word, and the game begins. Bond also never wears his famous tux, just a stealth suit and business suit, which I found disappointing at the time of the game's release.
All those reasons I originally wanted to place the game as number 5 are nitpicks compared to its more significant issue with the story and some of the characters. Released after 007 Racing, the mission briefings in this game are better, but not by much. Unlike the previous game, where there are few cutscenes, resulting with a player to read to understand the story, Agent Under Fire, has cinematic cutscenes to tell the story and visuals assisting the information M and R provides. Unlike how Tomorrow Never Dies and the Ps1's The World is Not Enough had some distinct visuals to make the players emersed, the game presents a very standard slideshow, with no gadget to view the briefings like in Tomorrow Never Dies or additional cutscenes or neat transitions to move to the next slide. Watching the briefings shouldn't matter as much because, in the opening cutscenes, M repeats precisely what she said before, making the pre-mission portions pointless. However, if you're trying to follow the plot, some crucial details are mentioned in the briefings, which will make no sense if a player skips them. When it is not story related, it is mission objective related. For instance, in one mission, I'm chasing after a van, and none of R's advice tells me what gadget to stun the van without destroying it. A player would only know what to do if they watched the briefings. 007 Racing is still the worst when setting up missions, but I will credit it for having at least one visually cool scene with Bond learning about his mission. The briefings in this game appear bland, half of the time pointless, and the other half so important that skipping them would have a gamer lost and confused.
In terms of a story involving clones, as a Bond game, I don't mind the idea. I expect Bond video games to be excessive with its camp, action, and stakes. My problem is the annoying fake-outs whenever an essential character dies. CIA agent Zoey Nightshade gets caught and killed during the blast of a rocket launcher from a badass-looking assassin called Carla, the Jackal, who is heavily skilled and brutal at her job. But it turns out later on that Zoey is alive and that it was a clone of her used to gain inside information that was not meant to die in the blast, as the hit was target towards Bond. In hindsight, this explanation makes the Jackal a horrible shot and not the brightest. Her goal is not just to kill Bond but to obtain a briefcase with vials inside, and yet she uses a rocket launcher, which will kill Bond (if she is good at her aim) but would undoubtedly destroy the exact item she has to recover. The twist with Zoey as a clone in the first two missions makes even less sense, considering that Bond has to save her. She is not placed in a prison for Bond to easily rescue her; she is attached to a submarine and will drown in five minutes if Bond doesn't save her in time. Why take the chance of killing off a clone designed to gather information?
Another instance involving the annoying clone twist is with one of the game's key villains Nigel Bloch. Bond successfully kills him, yet at the end of the game, the real Bloch is alive, as it was the clone that Bond killed. It is not uncommon for Bond villains to somehow survive a death you swear is final, but this comes off as cheap plot armor, especially when the game already played its clone card as an excuse for survival before. What is further aggravating is making Bloch as the final boss feels like a missed opportunity for Bond to fight against the game's main villain Adrian Malprave. She is only seen twice in the game in person (counting the final level). Malprave looks like she can be a worthy match for Bond for her physical appearance, intelligence, black jumpsuit (making her appear like an assassin), and carrying a state-of-the-art weapon. A boss fight could have made up for her lack of appearance, but Bloch gets the spotlight instead. In contrast, Malprave gets an underwhelming death in a cutscene of her dying in the background of an explosion instead of in the foreground with Bond elaborately killing her. I can almost swear that her inclusion in the game's final frame with Bond escaping was added in at the last minute as if the makers forgot that she was the main villain since Bloch shows up more times than her.
Another issue I have with the story and character is the Bond girls. I have yet to see any form of Bond media that offers such a wide variety of Bond girls and yet does nothing with most of them. Apart from Malprave, the Jackal, and Nightshade, the rest are underused. Bond encounters two twins working for Malprave, who are hinted as clones. The two have the potential to fight Bond, given their authority (there are giant portraits of them in the office hinting they are more than securities) and suggested gimmicks, or women for Bond to woo. Sadly, they are never seen again after they appear. Bond later encounters a female diver, leading him to a secret lab, and that is all we see of her. Bond never stealthily follows her, nor is she the one to sound the alarm in the next mission. That job goes to another random girl Bond encounters, who is more interesting than the diver since she is turned onto Bond's charm yet actively works against him, and never appears again. She could have been either a decent femme fatale or a reformed henchwoman turned ally for Bond. But no, her appearance is to start the action. She is not even a playable character in multiplayer (most likely because she is only in one of the cinematic cutscenes), while the diver is.
Outside of the minor female villains, the other female allies are no better. Through a mission briefing (and a cutscene with the same information, almost word for word), Bond has to rescue and recover a data chip from a scientist named Dr. Natalya Damescu, who used to work for Malprave. Her character and background sound like she would be the game's Bond girl, only for Bond to meet her for less than thirty seconds and part ways. Bond never rescues her, nor does she do anything active. And she has no personality. R's female assistant Z who has as much screen time, has more personality than her. Z's inclusion could have been a great character working alongside R with Q's brains and Moneypenny's flirtatious nature. Tragically, she never says anything or does anything (on-screen), serving more of a punchline for Bond's quips.
With offering so many Bond girls that do so little, and with the game portraying Bond at his horniest, it is equally annoying to discover that Bond does not make love to any of the women. Oh wait, he has sex with Nightshade after discovering she is alive, but that is if the player finds a hidden item. It is not asking too much for Bond to get a few love scenes; that is part of the character's traits. And while I don't need a game to be filled with scenes of him in bed with women, I would, at the least, expect to see him passionately kiss or make out with a few. It is like the game is trolling Bond fans hoping for some form of eroticism as they play. At one point, the game ironically does by having Bond find a woman in the shower (And for those who played this game as an adolescent, don't act like you haven't used the sniper scope to curiously gaze at her nude body closely). But not just any woman, but a woman resembling the "deceased" Nightshade. Before Bond could even speak to her, it was revealed that this was a hologram projected from R to gain Bond's attention. It is one of the funniest moments ever shown in a Bond game, while also the creepiest for Bond's perverted intentions and that R is playing a sick joke on Bond by luring him with the image of a recently "deceased" ally.
For all my criticisms of the story and characters, I will give credit for the game's originality. 007 Racing is the first to present a different story in gameplay form but lacks a cinematic experience as most of it involves reading the story and barely shows Bond interacting with the characters in the game. The game, through its various cutscenes, long list of characters, music, and innovative level designs, outdo 007 Racing's attempts at storytelling by a long shot. Initially, the game would not have an original story but would be a Ps2 port of The World is Not Enough with updated graphics. Luckily, the investors had the idea dropped for the film's lack of relevance. However, ideas, characters, and locations from the film are mirrored in the game. The main villain is a cold rich tycoon woman like Elektra King. The red herring for the game's main villain is a bald terrorist working for the villainess like Renard. Zoey Nightshade's personality and design are similar to Christmas Jones. The man with the briefcase in the opening cutscenes resembles Swiss banker Lachaise. There is a piano that plays the Bond theme, like in the Ps1 version of The World is Not Enough. Some music cues from the Ps1 game are reused (particularly for the shower scene). And there are two levels revolving around submarines. In fact, if Bond stays on top of the submarine in the first mission after time runs out, an oxygen bar will appear as soon as Bond is underwater, suggesting the game was originally going to recreate the underwater submarine level in the N64 version of The World is Not Enough. The level with Bond chasing after Bloch in the high-speed tram cars was also going to be based on the scene when Bond and Jones are riding on the transport rigs through the King Pipeline.
While The World is Not Enough was a heavy influence, the game also homages many other Bond films. The concept of cloning, though never a grand scheme in the Bond films, does hark back to Diamonds Are Forever. Blofeld's clone dies by falling into a pool of hot molten, while Bloch's clone suffers a similar fate, both playing out as fake-out deaths. The demise of Nightshade's clone from a drive-by assassin missing her target that was meant for Bond is a fate all too familiar to Tracy's death at the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. But the references to the film don't end there. Bond disguises himself as reporter Mr. Somerset (an alias Bond used in From Russia With Love) to get closer to Malprave's operation in a base inspired by Piz Gloria on top of the snowy mountains with a lair hidden in the ice caverns with a tram cable that Bond uses to escape like in the film, except he doesn't ski. Malprave's base is not the only level resembling locations from other Bond films. The oil rig shares similarities to Blofeld's oil rig base in Diamonds are Forever. The underwater base calls back to Atlantis from The Spy Who Who Loved Me. And Bond riding a tram car to the final room with a layout resembling a volcano with lava at the bottom and some capsule looking like something from outer space is likely a nod to Blofeld's volcano lair in You Only Live Twice. Some of the gameplay objectives allude to other action-based scenes from Bond movies. A few are obvious, like Bond driving a tank as the character did in Goldeneye. And others are a little subtle, such as Bond destroying a lab by causing the reactors to overload as he fights against henchmen in radiation suits, only more action based than the climax in Dr. No.
Despite the game's many homages to other Bond films, they contain plenty of originality to keep them from feeling like carbon copies. And for all my problems with how the game utilizes most of its characters, that does not mean they are not good. I would love to see Malprave make more appearances in the game or, at the very least, serve as the game's final boss, but she is still an intimidating lead villain filled with class. In a sense, she is like Dr. No, where her presence is always felt despite her lack of screen time. And when she does appear, she's as threatening as she is off-screen. Bloch has all of the qualities of a good Bond henchperson, for his brute design, gruff voice, and physical force. His personality is a ton of fun, too, as he goes from subtle and taunting to loud and maniacal, and still always maintaining as a force to be reckoned with who is always standing tall. As much as I criticize the Jackal for serving as a terrible shot, everything else about her is as badass as Bloch. The sunglasses, red hair, and green camouflage jumpsuit easily make her the most badass-looking character in the game. And the boss fights with her is no disappointment either, of how quick, spontaneous, and near invincible she is. Plus, out of all the characters in the game, she gets the most memorable death that can only be achieved if a player thinks out the side box instead of relying on a weapon. Her voice when she greets Bond even comes across as menacing, sexy, and confident. It makes me wish she had more than one sentence to say. And (big shock) I wish the game could use her more. Really the game has so many characters that half of them could be used in another Bond game.
This game also includes my favorite original Q lab character in the game R. Originally, R resembled the actor playing the character on-screen, John Cleese, but was dropped due to copyright reasons giving him a nice redesign. Unlike the original take on another Q lab character, Q, in the next game Nightfire, who was just some intelligent old man who only gave exposition without personality, R in this game captures the character's spirit. R is brilliant when describing his gadgets but shows his annoyance towards Bond, and passion for his devices, with a voice resembling the actor who played Q in the films Desmond Llewelyn. The character has so much in common with Q that I wish he were Q. Zoey Nightshade is the only main supporting character I dislike. The idea could be fantastic for Bond to team up with a female CIA agent in a game, except apart from driving vehicles, she is never shown fighting alongside Bond or showing any technical skills, as she spends half of the game getting captured. When her clone self appears in the first two levels, her delivery and one-liners are as awkward and stilted as the character she is loosely based on, Christmas Jones. And when the real Nightshade enters the game, though a little more confident, she is still bland and weak as a character, with line delivery that does not sound creditable as a convincing agent.
As for Bond himself, despite not resembling any of the actors playing him in the films, his redesign is highly appealing. His design is a combination of Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, and a touch of Sean Connery, which is certainly not a bad mix. The expressions on this original Bond model magnificently capture the essence of Bond's personality, appearing cold and harsh, suave, and excitedly attracted when approaching the ladies. Adam Blockwood's (who impersonated Brosnan in previous games) voice work embodies the character's personality and the game's visuals. The character's confidence is always present through Blockwood's delivery of Bond's quips, his interaction with the Bond girls, and even when interrogating a surprise appearance of Nightshade. And when reporting to M or instructing Zoey, he sounds like the headstrong professional agent he is. My only issue with Blockwood's voice acting is how silly his line delivery can be. I expect Bond actors to ham things up, but some of his readings sounds so seductive when not commenting on the women he greets that it's hard not to snicker at for a moment. For the number of times the game refuses Bond to make love, you can almost swear he is willing to make love to objects or treat his killings as sexual pleasure.
The primary reason why I ranked this game higher than I did initially was because of the gameplay. If the story was why I'm ranking these games, I am clearly missing the point of playing a game. I, of course, want to be emotionally invested in a story when playing a game to carry me through each level, but that is not why I am playing these games in the first place. As long as I'm having fun with the gameplay and feeling like I am Bond interacting in engaging environments with distinguishing characters, I am above satisfactory. And this game makes up for its clunky story, needless long list of characters, and absence of certain Bond tropes in its gameplay.
Like many first-person shooter Bond games, the gameplay is not too different, allowing players various options for going about a mission, whether through stealth or explosive action. The latter is more straightforward; however, as someone who likes to cause chaos, I attempt from time to time to use stealth, where in some cases it works, while other times it is almost inevitable to get caught. But either way, it offers tons of amusement with exciting outcomes. Sometimes it's thrilling sneaking in through the vents and shooting guards in the head with a silencer. But other times, I want to cause mindless destruction by shooting random items like glass tubes, exploding boxes, destroying windows to gain weapons, or shooting holes in the walls to create an image. Seeing the guards' reactions adds to the fun of the different strategies. When charging at them, after shooting them a few times, some will retreat, crying for help. With stealth, on the other hand, if you shoot a guard with a silencer, a guard will watch in horror "exclaiming he's hit!" to crying out "NO!" and then search the room. Little details like this bring a bit of dark comedy and humanity to the opponents rather than having them feel like brutal generic thugs!
What's also fascinating about using different methods is how some of the player's decisions can significantly alter a level or provide hidden secrets. Right from the very start of the game, gamers can enter the building through the roof or hack a code from the front door. Each route has a different outcome. If a player climbs through the roof, a player can either shoot, sneak past, or knock out a guard (when doing the latter, the player can gain a card to a vault with a rocket launcher). If one prefers the direct approach, a cutscene will appear where the main villain's voice is heard for the first time telling a guard to kill him when Bond is caught on camera, followed by a guard coming after Bond. Another example is how finding an essential item can affect the outcome of the next level. If Bond grabs a verification code when destroying a lab, Bond and Nightshade have sex, and the following level starts with them splitting up when sneaking aboard an aircraft carrier. If a player forgets to grab the item, Bond gets knocked out by gas and the next level has him awaken in a cell with Nightshade in another cell, and a guard tells them to "knock it off," where Bond has to make his escape (similar to Goldeneye 64). I remember being completely surprised to see the game change the cutscene and have a new objective, wondering what I did to cause it or if the game activated this outcome spontaneously.
The selection of Q-gadgets is some of the series' best! There's the Q-Laser to break locks, a grappling hook entitled the Q-Claw, a Q-Decryptor to unlock sealed doors, and a Q-Remote to download programs. For all my complaints about how gadgets in the Craig games are all on a mobile phone, the game does the same but surprisingly does it well. This reason is because the Craig games lacked gadgets, including a laser or a grappling hook, as the devices on the phone were generic (like taking a picture or hacking). As much as I'd rather use a laser watch, I'm glad I can use a laser, even if it's through a phone. If anything, I find it astonishing that Bond's phone can not only hack but can shoot lasers and grapple onto objects in high places, which is more than any of the later games that Bond has restricted to his cellphone. Overall, the concept of having so many gadgets on one device is simply replacing Bond's watch from the N64 The World is Not Enough with a phone. The only thing the phone does not do compared to the N64 game is shoot darts, as Bond is just given a Q-labeled dart gun (like in the Ps1 The World is Not Enough). The weapon may sound standard, but it's the best use of a dart gun I have played in any Bond game for two reasons. One is the animation for the guards instantly collapsing on the floor when shot. Most game animations have them slowly pass out, which is realistic, but not as joyful as seeing them fall as if they were shot in the head (that animation is not as violent as the dart gun). And the best reason is the guards are knocked out for the entire level. Not to say I don't like the challenge of completing tasks before they wake up, but usually, the games allow me to punch them to keep them permeably out of my way, making the weapon itself useless unless they are far away.
The rest of the gadgets are fine, though some are left to be desired. Bond later gets a jetpack called the Q-Jet, which sounds cool but only exists to give Bond a boost as he has to refill the jet's fuel every time, he uses it. I'm not expecting a first-person shooter to provide the same functions as the use of a jetpack in a third-person shooter; I only desire it to be less limiting. The only time the gadget is needed is for the final boss battle when before that, a player can travel to high places with the more exciting and reliable Q-Claw. Bond also carries ex-ray specs, which like plenty of the games that has them, are useless. At first, they come in handy when finding a secret passageway or hidden wires to cut laser trip wires, but once those secrets are discovered, unless you forget about the game's secrets, you will never need them again for another playthrough. A beta version of the game gives the gadget more purpose by having the specs see through people's clothes in social environments to see if they're armed, just like in The World is Not Enough. A cool feature that I wish made its way into this game, or any Bond game, for that matter. Despite not needing them in further replays, they are still delightful to have. Other gadgets include a skeleton key access card used for Bond's watch to unlock doors requiring a keycard, and a pocket-sized micro camera, which are both useful; I just would love to see the physical item appear as I use them.
During the Ps1 era of Bond games, the driving levels had excellent ideas but was still in their rough stages that needed some serious work. So much work that these levels couldn't be carried out through an entire game revolving strictly around them. Agent Under Fire was the next Bond game released after the failed driving game 007 Racing, and it fixes all of the mistakes. The steering is easy, the use of rockets and missiles doesn't damage health as frequently, the machine guns can destroy enemy vehicles, and the locations are very appealing. It is everything 007 Racing desired to be. Apart from the usual set of weaponry, the cars also feature oil slick, smokescreens, an EMP, a rocket booster, and "of course a refrigerated beverage holder." None of the gadgets feel wasted or are not fun to use when stopping enemy vehicles. I always find myself having great pleasure whenever I play the driving levels, which I appreciate all the more knowing the PlayStation system's history with Bond driving levels. My biggest criticism is how there are only two driving levels minimum. In some respects, I can understand why given EA's poor reception of the previous game. To include driving levels at all is a blessing. I only wish one level wasn't shorter than the other. When driving the BMW Z8 in Hong Kong, there are plenty of places to drive around on the map, but enemies hardly ever appear until the armored van is located. There is so much room but little to do except pick up gadgets that may be useful when finding the van. And once the action starts again, all a player is doing is chasing a van while dodging enemies, which could be done in no time, as the only objective is to use a Q-pulse to stun the van before it gets away. Thankfully, the level when driving the Aston Martin has more to do and explore, with enemy vehicles and helicopters in every corner making up for the short driving level. I would have loved to have at least one more mission driving a Q-gadget-equipped car, or if the first level had more action.
There are more levels involving on-rail shooting than driving, with three total. Since the on-rails shooting in the N64 The World is Not Enough worked so well, for a game initially based on the film, it would make sense to recreate one of the best levels in the game. These levels are limiting compared to the on-rails shooting in the N64 game. The player can never alter the speeds or route, making the experience straightforward. I can understand Bond not controlling the speed of a car that Zoey drives, but how neat would it be if Bond could control how fast or slow the tram car can go? Instead of going one way in an area surrounded by goons at each exit, how about whatever section Bond destroys blocking his escape is the route he takes, rather than going one way? At one point, the game teases players into thinking that Bond driving a tank will be another driving level until it is revealed after the cutscene that it's another on-rails shooting level. While these levels don't have as much freedom as the on-rails in the N64 game, or misuses ideas for the on-rails concept, I never get bored playing them. I love shooting off the tires of enemy vehicles and watching guards fly off a moving helicopter after getting shot. I still like to blast cars and helicopters in a self-moving tank (as I am at one point suddenly required to wear night-vision goggles without choice). And the level with the tram cars is easily my favorite out of the on-rails levels in this game for its beautifully creative and atmospheric environment, various obstacles, and immersive sound design.
The Bond Move award is one element the game invents that would become a staple in future Bond games. Whenever a player kills an opponent by thinking outside of the box than just shooting them, the 007 logo appears while the Bond theme plays, congratulating the player for acting like Bond. If a player chooses to shoot down a crate hanging over a guard instead of killing him with a headshot, a player will receive an award. Shooting down a helicopter is challenging, but using a sniper rifle and aiming for the pilot's head is more Bond-like. The same can be said about shooting cars, where shooting a tanker truck will kill and destroy numerous cars than feeling the need to fire at each vehicle individually. For the longest time, it took me ages to realize that killing the Jackal with a press of a button is better than just waiting for her to drop dead as I shoot. Sometimes these awards are just handed to a player, like for entering a building or cutting a lock, but when they don't feel handed to you, there is a sense of accomplishment for putting oneself in the mind of a legendary hero.
If you've been following my ranking, then you would know by this point those multiplayer modes were scarce during the Ps1 era of Bond games. I have yet to mention that the only multiplayer available for PlayStation Bond games at the time was 007 Racing, which is as good as the game itself. Unless players wanted to kill each other with cars, the only way to roam around killing a loved one with a firearm was by playing any of the N64 games. Considering the many updates EA brought to their first Bond PS2 game, they finally allowed PlayStation players to fight against friends the N64 Bond way for their multiplayer in this game. Before my brother Jesse and I would religiously play multiplayer in Nightfire, this game's multiplayer was our addiction. It was not often we would play games involving shooting each other. Both story mode and multiplayer have a fantastic selection of firearms (some originating from the N64 The World is Not Enough), such as the Viper, the Desert Eagle, the M16 rifle (that can fire grenades), a rocket launcher, Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun, and a sniper rifle. My favorite weapon is the Photon Cannon, which is only accessible in multiplayer, most likely because it's an instant kill weapon where its powerful projectiles can follow a player for a certain amount of time. The multiplayer choice of weapons also includes mines, either used as laser tripwires or remote-controlled. The latter is my personal method, as it is always cool luring my enemies to a trap or (and don't act like you're not guilty of it) peeking at someone's screen to see if they are near my booby trap.
Further adding to the campaign are Q-Claw and Q-Jet, which, compared to the two, I typically use the Q-Claw. I, my brother, and others who have played multiplayer with me never get tired of using the Q-Claw, where the player is free to grapple onto anything they wish and even use it as a weapon. The Q-Jet has unlimited fuel but can only go so high compared to the Q-Claw, and it doesn't help that I'm likely going to take some fall damage rather than using it to land or hover around. Character skins are restricted to the characters from the game, which is disappointing because the game does not allow players to play as characters from the Bond movies (most likely because of licensing issues). Frankly, I'm more upset to discover that the GameCube version allows AI bots, while the PS2 version does not contain that feature. But as much as I love killing bots, this is one of the few Bond multiplayer games where playing it with just two players is satisfying enough. Unlike so many other Bond multiplayer campaigns where the maps are so big that it takes forever to find your opponent, most of them are reasonably sized for a riveting two-player experience where AI bots and a few extra players are not usually required to fill in the gaps. None of the maps are based on the levels from the game or any of the films. Though I wish to play in a level from the game, they're entertaining areas to fight in with plenty of nice little details. The Wine Cellar has some cool booby traps. The Dungeon has a cell where players can trap opponents with a secret button on the walls. And the Blue Sector has tunnels for players to roam around in and pipes that blow (harmless) steam whenever a player shoots at them.
There are three levels that are my preferred choices for combat. There's the Harbor for its sunny setting, shacks to visit, and fort-like rooftops to kill an enemy. Strangely, if one dies in the water, you can see the bodies turn gut red, which looks grotesque. It's probably not meant to be blood and more so a hidden glitch in the game, but it is an image I never get tired of seeing. Then there's the town where I could spend hours playing in, especially when equipped with a Q-Claw to double the pleasure of the experience. There are rooftops to hop on and a few balconies for a player to hide in two of the towers of the Cathedral to get a good sniper shot. My favorite little detail in the town is the sign that gives directions to other multiplayer levels, giving a slight sense of world-building for connecting these maps.
But my absolute favorite map is not designed for typical multiplayer combat. The level occurs in a train station where the player must protect a VIP agent from another player whose goal is to assassinate. Whether the target is killed or makes it on the train safely, the game would reverse the gamers roles and will continue to alternate until the player with the most points wins. In terms of Bond games, it's a unique multiplayer experience that I wish was carried on in future installments. One of my guess' as to why the idea never went forward was because of the concept. In story mode and multiplayer, a player's kills are justified by their target's carrying weapons. Killing an innocent unarmed civilian is intensely cruel and violent for a game about a secret agent saving the world, blood or no blood. When my brother and I played the level as kids, all we did was have fun killing our OWN agent while cracking jokes. The level is so dark for a Bond game that I am not only surprised it didn't receive controversy but appreciate it for going to places that the Bond-themed villain's game Goldeneye: Rogue Agent refused to go. My second guess for why this mode did not appear in future Bond games was budgetary issues, which may most likely be the case. Like the level Russian Roulette from the Ps1's The World is Not Enough, the escort campaign is a one-of-a-kind experience in the franchise that could not be duplicated in future Bond games, which is why it's so special.
I can pick on the story and poor use of characters all I want with this game, but that does not change how incredibly amusing and groundbreaking (by 007 game standards) the gameplay is! EA took everything that worked from the previous Bond games, while also improving upon the ambitious failures from their previous Bond games in the Ps1 era. This is the first first-person Bond game to incorporate all the ingredients together such as driving levels, on-rails shooting, Bond move awards, multiplayer, original story, and a cinematic presentation that would influence future Bond games. And unlike how people appreciate some of the PS1's Bond games more for their attempts for something new than the actual gameplay, this game is legitimately fun and exciting from start to finish! Yes, the story is weak, but there's still plenty of things to enjoy from the inventive references to the series, and most of the important characters (even if they don't live up to their full potential). I am grateful for the memories it gave me as a kid and how it changed Bond video games, that still holds up as one of the franchises best!
Least Favorite: Poseidon
I find no level in the game frustrating, dull, or a chore to play. The mission Poseidon has an appealing futuristic level design for the underwater clone lab, subtle callbacks to Dr. No, and a decision that will alter the ending of this mission and the start of the next. One of my favorite things to do to the guards on the level is to turn on the laser tripwires for them to walk through, which will cause the drone guns to fire upon them. What's disappointing about the level is although this lab is one of the bases for Malprave's cloning operation, it's a relatively small location. I probably wouldn't mind so much the size of the lab if it were a challenge, with maybe a boss fight. But drone guns aside (which are easily avoidable), there are fewer guards to fight compared to other levels. Destroying the lab itself is not complicated. All I'm doing is using the Q-remote. If guards came rushing in every time I used it, that would be some form of challenge. And after easily destroying this important hidden lab, I'm playing a rehash of the climax to the game's first mission that's shorter and smaller in scale, with no stakes. I won't hold this next tidbit of personal information against this level as my least favorite. In connection with my nostalgia, this was the same level that prevented me from progressing forward to the game. Right after I destroyed the clone lab, my copy would get stuck with the never-ending loading screen.
Favorite Mission: Cold Reception
Like From Russia With Love, this game has so many wonderful levels that picking a favorite gets harder and harder. It's hard for me to not to go into details about missions like Bad Diplomacy, Fire & Water, Night of the Jackal, and Forbidden Depths. Maybe someday, I'll make a mission ranking list for some of the Bond games, but for now, I will give the spotlight to Cold Reception. Of all the missions, this is my favorite level to explore. As a kid, I loved it, for the first part of the level taking place in a beautifully designed office environment, and the rest in an ice cavern lair. As an adult, I appreciate the level design as an homage to Piz Gloria from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (along with its story nods to the film), that's more atmospheric and interactive than the official video game version of Piz Gloria. I'm usually the player who goes around shooting guards, but this is one of the few levels where I love using stealth mechanics, given the numerous vents and distinctive ways to kill off guards. What I love to do, specifically, is fire an unsilenced weapon at a door to lure them in, kill one with a silencer as I hide, and hear the other react. Unlike how the alarms in most levels are no threat, this is one of the few where raising the alarm alerts more guards or tries to seal you in. And as it goes off, you can hear Malprave on the speakers ordering her men to kill Bond, giving her a sense of presence and authority.
The level has one of the most pointless uses of a timer I have ever played in a game. In the first half, Bond has to collect evidence of Malprave's plans before time runs out which can be easily done since the timer is over 10 minutes. And when making it to the next floor, a player is granted additional time. I appreciate that the game does not have me rush through the first part of the level, but the timer is so pointless for giving the player more than enough time to complete the objectives that it may as well not be included. On the bright side, when I want to mess around, I play the first half of the level for an unofficial game of survivor mode. I do it by pressing the alarms to alert guards and killing as many as I can until I either die or, if time runs out, without acquiring any health. When time runs out, nothing happens; no cutscene or announcement from Malprave. But if a player in the level's finale jumps off the tower, instead of using the tram cable to escape, a broken record version of the Bond theme plays, leading to a game over. I have never heard the iconic Bond theme get so (intentionally) comically botched in a game, making it one of the funniest moments in the series. It's one of the rare levels in Bond games past the N64 generation, where I have more freedom to do whatever I want, making it my favorite and most replayed level in the game.
