James Bond is back on the game system that made him a legend in the first player shoot ’em up gaming world. Bond and N64 came together a few years ago to make Goldeneye. Quite possibly, this was the greatest multiplayer game in the history of video games. Bond is back on N64 with The World Is Not Enough.
A few changes have been made since Goldeneye. Number one is the maker of the game. Rareware was too busy making the incredible Perfect Dark, therefore leaving the job to Electronic Arts to make The World Is Not Enough.
EA is most notably known for their incredible skill at making sports games. Their technical prowess for making realistic football, baseball, and hockey games is unprecedented in the gaming world. Not much can be said for the other genres that EA has delved into. Bond was a perfect opportunity to get the EA name attached to a great action game. Unfortunately, The World Is Not Enough does not live up to the pure fun which made Goldeneye such a great game.
The main problem is the multiplayer aspect of the game can be summed up in two words: it sucks! Instead of being able to jump into any level, grab tons of ammo and blast everything in site, EA opted to make it more realistic. This means you can’t go around shooting everything because the guns don’t hold enough ammunition.
The characters are also a lot weaker. A couple of shots and you’re dead. This makes it a little better for more skilled players, but it ruins the fun in playing while you’re drunk and stoned off your ass because you’re always dead.
Other problems are the long load time, usually associated with PlayStation games. Of course the graphics are better than Goldeneye, but instead of the game zooming in on Bond while it loads, you have to see the same scene of Bond, Elektra and Christmas Jones. This may not seem bad, but after playing for nine hours straight, any pause in play will drive you insane. If you plan on saving your game and continuing at another time, buy a memory pack. Just another way N64 will make money off of you.
Besides these problems, the game was enjoyable. It did follow the story line point for point. Make sure to watch the movie before you play the game because it will really help you solve some of the puzzles. Some of the levels are annoyingly difficult, but they’re enjoyable and like Goldeneye, they become addictive. If only the multiplayer had been a little better, this could have been one of the best games on the platform. As is, it’s only a good video game. Bond does put it a cut above the rest, but not much.
Be the first to comment