From Russia With Love

There's no shortage of action in this latest James Bond game, but the unmanageable controls will have you shaken more than stirred.

Hot in the Cold War
Think of this PSP version as From Russia With Love light. The majority of the gameplay from the PS2 and Xbox version is in tack, but some levels have been shorten or completely taken out. For instance, there are no driving sequences in this version. Nevertheless, the game's intent remains the same: play through one of James Bond's most memorable movie as the super agent 007. From Russia With Love is set in the 1960s Cold War era, and as Bond, your mission is to retrieve a decoding device while protecting, of course, a damsel in distress.

The exploits of James Bond, however, aren't about the story or the women...in the game, that is. From Russia With Love is about precision shooting. In eight missions that are split into 32 stages, you'll run-and-gun using the typical special agent weapons, from Bond's standard Walter PPK and powerful assault rifles to Q's miniature helicopter and serum darts. To help dispose of enemies in style, you're prompted with Bond Focus, a targeting system that lets you aim at specific "special" areas of an enemy, which when shot, gains you extra points. Much of the game is centered on how well you use your Bond Focus rather than just shooting everything you see.

Also unique to this Bond game is its presentation. Visually, the graphics explode with sharp detail, and there's no slowdown, even during heavy firefights, which plagued the console versions. Although his voice certainly sounds his age and not reflective of his younger days, hearing Sean Connery in the game is still a heartening pleasure to the ears and adds to the authenticity of From Russia With Love.

License to Kill Revoked
He may be suave on the big screen, but Bond moves with ungraceful acrobatics on the PSP. Controlling Bond is a trying task. Instead of using the shoulder buttons, the circle and square buttons are used to maneuver the camera, but the square button also doubles up as the Bond Focus. Consequently, in a heated battle where moving around and getting the best view of the enemy is essential, the square button is not your best friend. Moreover, cycling through to your next target is an exercise in frustration, as the closest desired victim sometimes isn't targeted at all. And locking on to a target from behind corners is just as inconsistent.

Sadly, the horrible control scheme puts a damper on this dapper British agent. Definitely watch the movie, strongly consider playing the PS2 and Xbox versions, and try out From Russia With Love on the PSP only if you haven't already had enough Bond moments. Otherwise, this is one James Bond experience you can play without.

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