Video Game Review : James Bond - Bloodstone

A 007 game NOT based on a Bond movie actually works

Despite what people tend to say about movie themed video games (which are never positive things) Bloodstone actually is a blast to play.  That's probably because the creators didn't have to limit themselves to create within a movie tie-in world already created.  The new Bond hits all of the right marks in terms of gameplay, matching the themes of the newer Bond movies.  This includes the brutal new fighting technique Bond uses nowadays in the movies.  It is very Jason Bourne of him, but it definitely works.  The melee combat in the game is great to play around with, and it really makes you feel like your slamming a bad guys face into your knee before throwing him head first into a wall. 

Daniel Craig as James Bond

The sound effects are great as well, with every gun shot coming off with real "oomph", as well as the beat downs you use to attack enemies.  The voice talent of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are a great addition to the game as well as their likenesses, really giving you the movie feel inside the video game.  The in-game model of Daniel Craig is convincingly enough, but the same cant be said for Judi Dench.   Too bad the lip synchronizing and movement are atrocious, especially since people that are talking barely move their mouths.

The Aston Martin DBS

Another double edged sword of the game is the driving sections.  Graphically, they sport some of the best sequences in the game, with explosions and fireballs at every turn.  This, with the camerawork that shakes with every explosion, gives you a great feel of speed and how disorienting it might be to actually drive with bombs going off everywhere.  The downside of these sections are more about the routes themselves, which might have to be re-done multiple times.  One instance occurred towards the end where I had to drive around water patches, and if I fell in, it was game over and I'd have to load a checkpoint.  The thing is, though, is that the water patches look like the shadows being cast down from the surround buildings and mountains I pass.  Kind of frustrating, since i then get to here the radio chatter for the fifth time in a row  Simply memorizing the routes will get you to where you need to be instead of skill. 

The final gripe I have is the repetitive nature of the game itself, where I shuffle from exotic locale to the next location, infiltrate the said area, then blast my way out of it.  Sure, I know Bond is suave and is sneaky and such, but does every place have to have an ambush.  Can't I make it out successfully just once.  I can only pop out and shoot bad guys for so long before it becomes repetitive.  The thing that can break this monotony is the addition of a "bullet time" maneuver, which you can trigger when you first take some one out in hand to hand combat.  This gives you a "freebie" shot to one-hit-kill anyone in the area.  It's a nice touch that gives you some gratification in slow-mo killing.

Overall, this 007 outing is by far one of the better games to come out recently with the secret agent's name on it.  Since the game ends on a cliffhanger, I'm hoping there will be a sequel, where some of the shortcomings can be addressed.  After that, James Bond may have a chance at reaching the N64 Goldeneye status.  Ah, who am I kidding, Goldeneye is a classic and will never be topped.

3 out of 5 Stars