Goldeneye 007 (Wii Review) by Carl B.

Goldeneye 007
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Eurocom
System: Wii, DS
Release Date: November 2, 2010

November 5, 2010, by Carl B. - On August 25, 1997, Nintendo released the Rare-developed Goldeneye 007 on the Nintendo 64, and changed the way gamers thought about console shooters forever. Before that time, first person shooters were largely on PC with games such as Doom and Wolfenstein. Not only was Goldeneye 007 the first great console shooter, but it also revolutionized the genre with its incorporation of stealth, multiple objective system, enemy AI, and split-screen multiplayer. Microsoft bought out Rare in 2002, thus claiming all original IP developed by the studio, including Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark. In 2008, Microsoft planned to re-release Goldeneye 007 on XBLA but ran into a plethora of legal issues; while the original game was developed by Rare, the IP was still owned by Nintendo and the Bond license was owned by Activision. Nobody was able to come to an agreement, so Goldeneye 007 was never re-released on XBLA or Virtual Console. At E3 2010 it was revealed that Activision and developer Eurocom were developing a Wii-exclusive re-imagining of Goldeneye 007, along with Nintendo's support so the game could stay exclusive. Does this new title live up to the N64 original's legacy, or does it sour the Goldeneye 007 name?

The first thing about Goldeneye 007 gamers need to realize is that this title isn't a remake like what Square-Enix has done with Final Fantasy games on the DS; it's a re-imagining of a classic title, along the lines of Batman Begins and 2009's Star Treck. The game and movie's original writer has returned to deliver a more modern version of the game's story that fits the current Bond, Daniel Craig. Levels have also been completely re-designed, but their basic feel and objectives remain true to the original.

Goldeneye 007 has incredibly high production values. Many members of this same Eurocom team worked on Dead Space: Extraction for Wii, a game that had top-notch story telling and voice acting. Motion capture for Goldeneye is very well done, with characters in game having excellent lip-syncing and face models close to what the actor really looks like. Briefings before missions are of high quality as well - an MI6 agent, usually M, will give Bond the break down on the current objectives as the screen shows maps of the area and enemy character bios.

The game uses a highly modified version of the same engine used for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex on Wii. Textures and models have been greatly improved over what Treyarch's Call of Duty Wii outings offered. Environments in Goldeneye look very good, too, most notably the snow and jungle levels of the game. To top it off, environments are mostly destructible, as most forms of cover and concrete walls can be blown away. The soundtrack is as great as ever, featuring slow paced tunes during stealthy areas and fast paced beats during heated fire-fights. Unfortunately, the frame rate does hitch a little bit during heated moments, but it's nothing near game breaking and only occurs when numerous enemies are running around on-screen shooting bullets and throwing grenades.


Following the trend set by The Conduit, Goldeneye 007 lets players customize their control set ups. It isn't as liberal as The Conduit's since players can't customize their button layouts - they're limited to pre-set options - but the most important control settings are there to be customized: the dead zone. I personally felt like the default dead zone was too large to aim and turn quickly, so I shrunk my dead zone to a 22x22 square. Goldeneye 007 makes aiming even easier with a dynamic ADS snap feature, first used in Modern Warfare Reflex. The ADS snap takes players to the closest enemy automatically when they aim down their sights. Of course, aiming down sights isn't even necessary in Wii shooters since players have the most precise aiming available next to mouse and keyboard, when it's done right. Players who don't fancy pointer controls are able to play with the Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, or GameCube controller, and still have a high level of customization with those methods.


As stated earlier, the levels of Goldeneye stay true to the original game despite being completely revamped. A perfect example of this is the game's first level, the Dam; Bond starts off in the same area, only this time with 006, as he makes his way to the familiar sniper tower, picks up the sniper's rifle, and picks off enemies from afar. Instead of walking through the long, winding tunnel, Bond hops into a jeep hijacked by 006, where a well done segment of dialogue takes place between the two, before they're stopped by suspicious guards. At the end of the level Bond still jumps off the Dam, but this time around it's a little less random than in the N64 version. 006 already jumped off the ledge with his parachute, but Bond is cornered by guards before he has the chance to jump. The British spy uses his own parachute as a distraction as he plunges into the water far below. While this and several other iconic Goldeneye moments were extremely well done, there are a few disappointments I had with the re-imagining. Back in the N64 days, the jail and train levels were among my favorites in Goldeneye 007, and I was eager to see how they would be done in the Wii version. To my dismay, instead of pick-pocketing a guard with a magnetic device to escape the jail, a cinematic takes place where a Russian general barges in, kills all the guards, takes Natalya, and leaves Bond to die. In the train level, instead of making their way through a moving train, players go through a short, half-destroyed train on their way to saving Natalya.

Even with those small complaints with the direction of this re-imagining, the new additions far outweigh the bad. The best new addition to the single player experience, other than the outstanding story telling elements, is the tank level. Right after Bond escapes from the jail he jumps into a tank and gives chase to the Russian general who captured Natalya. The tank's controls are absolutely flawless, and the frame rate doesn't take any hits even when players are blasting apart skyscrapers and roads.


Goldeneye 007 wouldn't be near what it was in 1997 without the multiplayer component, and Eurocom's re-imagining stays true to that factor, too. Splitscreen multiplayer - a mode that's died off in this age of online gaming - is available for up to four players with any control method to fight it out. The mode is as fully featured as the N64 original, with modifiers available for players to mess around with - things like paintball mode, players exploding on contact, melee only, and more. To make the deal even more sweet, Goldeneye 007 embraces the current generation with an online multiplayer component that happens to be one of the most robust offerings on the console, with up to eight players in a match. Voice chat with Wii Speak or the PDP Headbanger Headset unfortunately isn't available, but players are able to play against others in a plethora of game modes: Conflict, Team Conflict, Golden Gun, Black Box, Goldeneye, Heroes, License to Kill, Team License to Kill, and Classic Conflict. After numerous hours of online play the modes I've taken the most liking to are Goldeneye and Heroes. The Goldeneye mode has each team trying to take control of and protect five different control boxes. Heroes mode is a variation of Team Conflict, or team deathmatch, where a super powerful "hero" can be played as by one person on each team. This hero has extra bullet damage, added health, unlimited ammunition, and can heal players that are near them. When the hero dies, another player on that same team will become the hero. Customization is still a big part of the game even online. Players can play with nay control scheme they want, and mix and match different weapon load outs similar to Call of Duty. Out of every match I played I never experienced lag of any kind, but the frame rate isn't as steady as the single player offering - again, nothing game breaking, but it's noticeable for those who are looking for it.


For added incentive, classic cheats can be activated for the single player campaign and a "007 Classic" mode can be selected, giving players the hardest difficulty and replacing the regenerative health with a classic health and armor HUD.

The Verdict

Sound
15/15 - Goldeneye 007's soundtrack is fantastic overall. Voice acting for the title is also very well done, as every character sounds natural.

Graphics
17/20 - The title has a great deal of polish in the visual department, making it look better than any Call of Duty game on Wii. The art style and environments in the Bond universe have always been exceptional, and Goldeneye 007 is no exception. However, some frame rate problems are apparent.

Appeal
23/25 - Goldeneye 007 features an amazing single player experience that lasts eight to ten hours on the third highest difficulty setting. Splitscreen multiplayer is back and better than ever, and the title's online offering is one of the more robust ones on Wii.

Gameplay
35/40 - With enough control modes to make everybody happy, Goldeneye 007 is sure to play well for most gamers. Level design is very well done to fit the modern era, but a few iconic levels, such as the jail and train, were completely different than the original game.

Overall
90/100 - Goldeneye 007 stays true to the original game in many regards, but this title isn't a remake – it's a re-imagining of Goldeneye in the current era. The story is extremely well told, the visuals are polished and look nice, but most importantly, the level designs have been overhauled and most are so well done it makes Goldeneye 007 the best single player shooter on Wii, and even one of the best to release this generation as a whole. Multiplayer, both splitscreen and online, will bring players back for more and more.