There’s definitely something cool and alluring about playing a bad guy. In games like Knights of the Old Republic, and Fable playing the bad guy is usually more fun because you feel like more of a rebel. So when EA announced their new James Bond themed game and said that you’re not playing as 007 himself it definitely piqued the interest of quite a few gamers out there. In GoldenEye: Rogue Agent you find yourself playing a double-oh who’s just too bad for MI:6 -- but is he really?
It was definitely an interesting idea that EA purposed, and back at E3 last year they even went so far as to claim that you actually killed 007 in the first 5 minutes of the game, just to make sure us reporter-types didn’t get any ideas about flip-flopping back to the good side later on. That was misleading however, because you don't actually kill Bond, you just play very unfriendly-like in a simulation during the opening level.
After being kicked out by M (for that unfriendly-like behavior in the simulation) and sent on your merry way you’re picked up by Goldfinger who wants you to partake in his newest ruthless plan to do something or other that’s sure to be diabolical. Trouble is, he’s having a spat with Dr. No and needs you to take care of him. So he gives you a special cybernetic “golden eye” to help you in your missions and off you go. This all sounds well and good, but right off the bat you’re wondering, "if I’m so Rogue, why am fighing the bad guys? What about fighting MI-6 and getting back at them for kicking me out?" Rest assured you’ll be asking yourself many questions about just how you’re "rogue" in this game.
What ROGUE AGENT essentially breaks down into is just another run-of-the-mill first person shooter with a new gimmick – the GoldenEye. This eye grants you special abilities as you progress through the game. The first one you get is the ability to see through walls, but only at a limited distance. This is a semi useful skill when combined with the rail-gun weapon that will also shoot through walls. The second ability lets you control switches, computers and short circuit weapons from a distance. Thirdly you get a bullet shield that blocks all damage that you receive for a short time; and the fourth ability you obtain is a telekinetic attack that you can use against your enemies.
All these different abilities are selected from the control pad, sort of in the vain of switching visors in Metroid Prime, and they all draw from an energy pool that slowly recharges after you finish using one of the them. When it boils down to it though, the only real useful ones are the shield and to a lesser extent the hacking ability.
Apart from your “golden eye” the control and gameplay is pretty straight forward. Controls are handled by the dual analogue sticks in the standard First Person Shooter (FPS) way , but does offer a simpler aiming method for those that aren’t especially comfortable with using the dual-style. In a move similar to Halo 2 you’re given the ability to wield most of the guns akimbo, and your shield will recharge automatically. Unlike Halo 2 though, the AI isn’t that aggressive, and having your shield recharge over time just makes it too easy at some points as you can just duck and cover until you’re ready to get shot up again.
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Being released on all 3 console platforms Rogue Agent differs very little with the Xbox version slightly edging out the other two by way of having controls that are slightly tighter and graphics that are just a little sharper. That’s not to say that the graphics are really bad on any of the systems though. Most of the environments and effects are done relatively well, and all the enemies are rendered nicely. The only real pitfall for the graphics would have to be that they can become a bit repetitive, but that’s more a problem with the level design than the graphics.
Audibly Rogue Agent does a pretty good job filling your ears with the typical Bond themed music and sound effects that fit your arsenal of weapons pretty well. The star of the show, as is happening increasingly on games nowadays is the voice acting. The voiceovers you hear are pretty convincing throughout the missions, and your foes will audibly call our your maneuvers in an obviously scripted pattern, but it still adds to the immersion factor.
While there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, it certainly doesn’t live up to what it could have been (I'm still trying to figure out how to be more "rogue"). The repetitiveness of the levels and sub-par AI makes the 8 missions seem a lot longer than they should be. Add that to the fact EA is clearly trying to cash in on the GoldenEye name from the Nintendo 64 game of yesteryear, yet totally failed to capture any of the feel of that classic FPS, and you have a pretty average game on your hands. Gamers looking to relive the nostalgia of the N64 namesake should steer very clear from this latest romp through Ian Fleming’s universe. Others in search of a new FPS for their collection could have some fun with this one, but there are better games out there.
