James Bond 007: Nightfire
- November 15, 2002 15:50 PM PST
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007 may be licensed to kill, but will NightFire bring back his long-lost license to thrill?
A killer license like 007 deserves a great game, and after the doldrums of Agent Under Fire, NightFire looks like a step in the right direction. The last phases of development will determine if that is a giant leap or merely a baby step, but an early preview version sported plenty of sharp improvements in the enemy A.I. and graphics. Bond?s enemies were significantly more intelligent, even reacting to flanking tactics by taking cover appropriately, while the visuals depicted cool environments ranging from underneath the sea to a space station in orbit. The difficulty will also be scaled much more evenly to appeal to a broader range of players.NightFire?s original tale doesn?t follow any of the movies, but instead pits Bond against the villain Rafael Drake in levels that mix first-person combat, rail shooting, and car combat. Gadgets, stealth or action pathways, and Bond girls will return in force to round out all the franchise?s trappings. With Pierce Brosnan?s likeness adding the final flair of authenticity, the only remaining question is whether the gameplay can finally match?or even approach?the standard set by GoldenEye.
