GoldenEye: Rogue Agent – Review

GoldenEye? Wait.. Like the ultra cool, groundbreaking title on the N64… great! I’ll take one please. The cynical may suggest that this is indeed the strategy used by EA and why the name ‘Goldeneye’ was attached to this title in the first place, but, I want to be fair and unbiased, so let’s assume the name is there because this is an attempt to bring back some of that old magic the N64 version had and not that it was a bare faced ploy to get all those fans of the original to part with their gaming pennies.

This title has been slated enough in this reviewers opinion and in many ways it seems to me for little more than being an EA title. I’m not going to get into a diatribe as to why this is unfair, I’m going to review this title without being led by those who have gone before me, so here’s my thoughts on GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.

Rogue Agents single player campaign has you play as a former MI6 operative who has fallen foul of the Ministry of Defense after an incident involving the death of 007, of which you are responsible. The name GoldenEye relates to the fact you have one electronic eye after a rather unfortunate incident involving Dr No. The replacement eye is golden in colour because it was provided by one Mr Auric Goldfinger, who you now work for in his conflict with Dr No. As you can already tell this title differs from other Bond outings since you play someone who is essentially ‘bad’. The addition of the ‘eye’ also means you have special abilities that will aid you in your tasks, such as seeing through walls, shielding yourself etc.

Graphically speaking GoldenEye Rogue Agent is a tough one. It’s far from what the Xbox is capable of (the version being played), with backgrounds appearing a little flat and dare I say bland, but this brings up an interesting question, was this done on purpose? The usual EA loathing mob would suggest it was not on purpose but just lazy and rushed, however I have to admit that the entire look of Rogue Agent does convey a similar ‘feeling’ that the N64‘s GoldenEye had. That’s not to say this is a title that looks like it should be on the N64 but that it just has a certain retro appeal that is in keeping with that particular title on that particular machine.

Sound is all in THX certified splendor and it’s noticeable. Bullets whiz by as though you’re in the thick of things (at least they do if you have a surround sound kit at your disposal), explosions rock the sub-woofer and to top it off the voice acting and music isn’t too shabby either, all of which come together in a well made package. There’s some nice touches too with the way in which the enemy will react to what you’re actually doing “Get him, He’s Behind the forklift!” or whatever the situation may be.

Gameplay has a few tricks up its sleeve also with the much hyped ‘dual wielding’ of Halo 2 fame just one of Rogue Agents options, strange it’s not as hyped here as it was with that title and others that utilise this feature since it is essentially the same mechanics. Added to this however is the ability to take enemies hostage and use them as a body shield.. sweet! You can also employ the in game surroundings to your advantage and use them to dispatch your enemies. A couple of complaints however to neatly round off the compliments… the save function, why they didn’t make it save where you like when you like is beyond me, some of us gamers lead busy lives so having to wait until the end of the level is a pain in the.. derriere. The enemy AI is at times unconvincing as anywhere near intelligent as they skate from side to side like ducks in a shooting gallery. And here’s the big one, which may not affect everyone but it certainly affected this reviewer, motion sickness, if you tend to suffer from this in some FPS titles then be warned that GoldenEye:Rogue Agent had me feeling queasy on more than one occasion and I can’t for the life of me see why since there appears to be little sway. Just thought I’d warn you.

Multiplayer Xbox Live comes courtesy of a friend as I’ve had little time to explore the wonders of this title on Live. Here’s the scoop however. It’s reportedly a little laggy but it’s still enjoyable given the plethora of maps available. The only real complaint was that some of the maps could have done to be smaller. So if you’re looking for a break from Halo 2 and this is on sale, grab it.

Female Gamer Angle doesn’t bode well since you’re playing the lead character in the testosterone filled Bond universe, even the start of the game rings with M stating “Good Luck Gentlemen” as you head out on your mission. There are female characters who make an appearance but again given this is a Bond title expect the worst with Xenia Onnatopp and Pussy Galore both making an appearance.

In conclusion I have to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised by GoldenEye: Rogue Agent particularly given the slating it’s had by certain areas of the industry. Luckily I like to make up my own mind when making games purchases and I despise those people who will get on a soap box to complain about something they haven’t actually tried because X or Y said it stunk, it doesn’t stink, it’s a slightly above averge title, thus the score.

Rogue Agent is not an affront to the GoldenEye name, it’s an enjoyable action title with loads of Bond atmosphere and some wonderful aural delights. Sure the graphics could be better, but it does have some inventive additions such as the hostage taking, dual wielding and of course the use of the eyes many functions. I doubt Bond fans would be let down by this title, FPS fans wont be either, provided they’re not on an incessant rant to compare it to the all powerful Halo 2, it isn’t Halo 2, but what title is? We can’t forever bang on about how crap every title is because it isn’t Halo 2, we need to look at each title with a new eye and if that eye happens to be golden then that’s good enough for me.

Review by Angela

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment