Remember all those years ago when someone was spreading around the rumor that Rare was considering a re-release of the Nintendo 64 classic Goldeneye? Those rumors went over pretty well, complete with fake screenshots and reports that Activision had picked up on the project. Alas, the game never surfaced, though Rare did try to comfort the fan base by releasing a fairly faithful port of Perfect Dark instead – one that certainly suited them for the time being. Now imagine the irony. After the demanding public had calmed down and Goldeneye had found a re-release on the Nintendo Wii last year (complete with an all new story mode featuring now-Bond Daniel Craig, replacing Pierce Brosnan from the original), we FINALLY get Goldeneye on Xbox 360. But it's not the classic version, rather a revamped version of the Wii game that turned heads last year. Get ready for Goldeneye 007: Reloaded.
Activision recently unveiled the game at its Comic-Con party last week, shortly after details had leaked online a couple of days before (along with screenshots). While that dulled the excitement a slight bit (and, hey, James Bond's not exactly notorious with a comic book crowd), players nevertheless got their chance to go hands-on with the game for the first time, to see what it was all about. The plot is loosely based on the film of the same name, but there are obviously some tweaks to make this feel more like a modern adventure. A Soviet satellite called Goldeneye has been swiped, and it unleashes technical turmoil every time it's activated. Bond is called in to find out what's going on and stop it before London becomes nothing more than a ghost town. You know, usual "save the world" type stuff. All in a day's work for Daniel Craig.
Speaking of Craig, he lends his likeliness and voice to the proceedings, interacting with a number of folks, including M (voiced by Dame Judi Dench, same as the films), as he proceeds through each stage, using his quick wits – and trigger finger – to stay in one piece. The presentation in this game is a huge step over last year's Wii game, with high-definition visuals that really take advantage of the Xbox 360's processor. These levels run very smoothly, around 30 frames per second, and even though there were some moments where the game looked rough around the edges, there's still time for it to be cleaned up, as it's not due for release until later this year. Let's talk gameplay. In Goldeneye's main story mode, you'll fight amidst a sea of soldiers and other gunmen as you try to track down the satellite's location, fighting in both locations taken from the film and a few original locales as well. There are a variety of weapons available, but your best friend will probably be your classic PK, capable of taking someone out silently, so you can avoid detection by guards. Still, if you get surrounded, it's best to have an assault rifle on hand as well.
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