James Bond 007: From Russia With Love

Sean Connery once again takes up the mantle of James Bond--this time in the interactive adaptation of From Russia With Love.

From Russia With Love was the second Bond movie to hit the silver screen (in 1963), so the film may be unknown to those who grew up with more contemporary Bonds such as Roger Moore, and--more recently--Pierce Brosnan. However, the movie is regarded by fans as one of the finest, as it's set during the Cold War, and the narrative is loaded with double-crosses, tension, and memorable action sequences. The video game version plays-out the events from the movie, and adds original sequences (such as the much-discussed jet pack and racing sequences in the Aston Martin).

James Bond is Back!
One of the game's biggest selling points is Sean Connery's actual likeness--face and voice--in the game, a first. Sure, it looks like Connery Bond, but his voice sounds 20-plus years removed and right out of The Untouchables. Other characters have also been faithfully digitally duplicated, including Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb, Robert Shaw's Donald "Red" Grant, and Lois Maxwell's Miss Moneypenny.

Yes, She Had Her Kicks
As Bond, you perform the expected globe-hopping from such exotic locales as London and Istanbul. No shrinking violet, Bond is armed to the teeth with a wide array of firearms and Q-created gadgets, such as a laser watch that can take out targets located behind heavy sheets of bullet-proof glass. One notable cool technique is Bond Focus that allows you to zoom in on a specific object or body part. For instance (on the PlayStation 2 version), press and hold L1 to lock on to an enemy, and then tap [SQ] to zoom in and bring up multiple potential targets; then use the right analog stick to zero in on a target, and then press R1 to fire. This is a convenient way to hone in on ropes suspending foes, communication radios, and even hand grenades that will explode when pierced by a bullet. It adds a nice element of skill to a solid 3D-action engine. So far From Russia has all the proper ingredients to re-create the Cold War Bond from the 1960s. We'll have the final evaluation in an upcoming issue.

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