  The original James Bond, Sean Connery, makes his video game debut in 'From Russia With Love'. |
Until 007-in-waiting Daniel Craig shows everyone what a true badass James Bond is like -- seriously, did you see the guy in Layer Cake? He's awesome -- it will go without saying that Sean Connery was the definitive double-oh super-spy. Although we shall never speak of Never Say Never Again. Ever. Again. Never.
So what could be cooler than a retro-Bond sequel to last year's astounding action game 007: Everything Or Nothing? A sequel that follows the plot and characters of the 1963 film From Russia With Love, no less? Is that a match made in heaven or what?
Not really, as it turns out. Make no mistake, 007: From Russia With Love is a solid, well-produced game, and the sheer novelty of playing as a young, vigorous Connery (with dialogue voiced by the man himself) is almost worth the price of admission alone.
But there's just something missing, and I can't quite put my finger on what. As much fun as From Russia With Love is to play, it just doesn't have the same wow factor as Everything Or Nothing did. In fact, it's almost like watching an old Bond movie -- you enjoy the characters and the story, but the spectacle of it all seems oddly muted compared to what we see on the big screen today.
Things have been tweaked here and there, like the game's new two-step targeting system, dubbed Bond Focus. Using it, you can zero in on enemies' specific body parts, such as the ubiquitous grenades they carry. Shoot one off Comrade Yuri's belt, and he and his nearby buddies are going to the big vodka distillery in the sky.
Also new to this game is the ability to upgrade your weapons and change outfits at any time, with a wardrobe ranging from Russian soldier disguises to Bond's impeccable white dinner jacket. Yesh, Mish Moneypenny, I do cut a rather dashing figure.
But the driving segments in From Russia With Love aren't as satisfying, the jetpack flying levels are simply too easy to be memorable, the new (but offline-only) multiplayer mode is far from innovative, and the 75-year-old Connery's delivery is sometimes jarringly out of step with his 33-year-old digital persona. The man's Scottish burr is so thick now, it sounds like he's got peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth.
And then there are the other little niggling things, like having to stop to rappel down a wall face instead of just leaping into the void and shooting the grappling hook out behind you, like the digital Pierce Brosnan did in 007: Everything Or Nothing. None of these is a deal-breaker on its own, but added together they make the game just a little less thrilling than its predecessor.
Finally, the game is ridiculously easy, and only playing at the 00 Agent difficulty setting are you likely to be sufficiently challenged. As with this summer's slick but ultimately disappointing Batman Begins, EA seems to be trying too hard to target a more casual action gamer, while leaving little up to the imagination or skills of longtime thumbpad twiddlers.
If you're a fan of classic Bond and liked 007: Everything Or Nothing, then you're sure to have a good time with From Russia With Love. Just don't expect the Sean Connery experience to measure up to what we got with Pierce Brosnan. And wow, does it ever sound weird to say that.
BOTTOM LINE
This follow-up to 007: Everything Or Nothing is similar in a lot of ways, but even the novelty of playing as Sean Connery's classic Bond can't overcome the feeling of been there, done that.
WHAM! Rating: |
7 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
T (Teen) |
Official Web Site: |
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