It’s been a while since James Bond has graced the videogame world with his presence. The last entry in the franchise was From Russia with Love in 2005 and was notable for its use of Sean Connery’s likeness and voice. Over the years, the James Bond videogame series has gone through the regular ups and downs, but it hit a pinnacle with GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64. Combining stealth elements with a first-person shooter and a phenomenal multiplayer mode, it achieved a level of success that developers and publishers have been trying to replicate ever since.
This time around, developer Treyarch and publisher Activision are the ones attempting to recreate the glory that was GoldenEye 007 with Quantum of Solace for the PlayStation 3. Based on the movie of the same title and its predecessor Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace starts right where Casino Royale left off. Bond begins his quest to seek out the players behind the mysterious Organization so he can avenge the death of his lover Vesper Lynd and attain a measure of emotional peace for himself. Blending first-person shooter and a third-person cover system, Quantum of Solace doesn’t quite achieve the heights of GoldenEye 007, but it is nonetheless an entertaining addition to the James Bond videogame franchise.
The game comes with two modes, single and multiplayer. In single player, you play through the movies Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale with a lot more emphasis on the latter film, which is a little odd since the game carries the title of the former. While the game does combine first- and third-person shooting, as you’re playing, you’ll discover that it leans far more to the third-person aspect as opposed to the first-person. Gunning out in first-person to shoot up the place is almost a guaranteed recipe for failure as four to six shots in quick succession are sure to take you down.
The AI gunfire is pretty accurate, and you’ll get hit sometimes just peaking out in third-person cover mode let alone running around in first-person. It’s simply better strategy to line up your aim in third-person and pick off enemies one by one, because that’s what the AI does. More often than not, you’ll see your enemies running for cover and shooting you from behind a wall, a fallen pillar or whatever objects that can duplicate as cover. Sadly, this doesn’t leave the player much to do in first-person other than activating the close-quarter-combat system. If you successfully sneak up on an enemy or even if you run up to them point blank, you can trigger CQC and take them out with one blow by pressing the required button. It’s a simple quick-reaction minigame that doesn’t amount to much variety, but it gives you an alternative to persistent assaultive gunfire.
Like most of the current first-person shooters, your health regenerates over time, so if you take a couple of hits, look for the closest cover, and in a few seconds, you’ll be as good as new. Single-player mode comes with four difficulty settings, and unlockables consist of cutscenes and MI-6 debriefings in which you walk around MI-6 and look at various concept art, character models, guns and Bond’s car. It’s not the most amazing extra content, but it is presented in a unique way.
Multiplayer is only playable online and supports four to 12 players, depending on what mode you choose to play. There are nine different modes, each with different rules and scenarios. Gameplay boils down to teams, free-for-all and territory control. After playing a round online, you earn credits, which can be used at the weapon store where you can buy different weapons, gadgets and accessories to customize your gun. With your new purchases, you can change your starting primary and secondary weapons, grenades, and gadgets to whatever you feel comfortable with.
The blending of first- and third-person shooting works much better in multiplayer. With less accurate human counterparts, you’ll be running around a lot more in first-person, resulting in a gameplay experience that feels less restrictive than single player. It’s fun, fast and a welcome feature to the game that substantially increases its replay value. Although multiplayer is lacking offline capabilities, it’s a relatively minor complaint since online multiplayer is simply better. It allows more players to participate, and you don’t have to suffer from playing on a splitscreen. If you’re someone who enjoys competing online, you’ll find endless value in multiplayer.
The visuals of Quantum of Solace are hit and miss. This is probably one of the few games out there in which the in-game graphics are better than the ones in the cutscenes. When the game starts, you are treated to a cutscene of the end of Casino Royale. While the events play out as they do in the movie, it looks terrible. Backgrounds suffer from loading issues that make them appear pixilated, giving the entire image a low-quality color-smudged appearance. Character models only partially resemble their real-life counterparts and are basically lifeless department-store mannequins exhibiting little expression or personality. The in-game graphics look a lot better. Textures are crisp and sharp, giving the environments an element of realism. Bond continues to look like a robot in third-person view, but what can you do.
On the audio side, things are significantly better. The music in Quantum of Solace is fantastic as it helps to amp up the excitement of gameplay and manages to weave the famous Bond theme throughout. More so than anything else in the game, the music makes you feel like Bond. The voice-over work gets some kudos as the real voices of the actors behind the characters are used. Line readings are almost verbatim from the movies, which helps to add a layer of authenticity to the game. Sound design is fairly standard with explosions and gunfire being the main components. It’s by no means immersive or outstanding but manages to serve its purpose.
Quantum of Solace for the PS3 is not the next GoldenEye 007. But with fairly decent single player and solid multiplayer, it’s a decent addition to the series. One can only hope that someday soon, a James Bond game will surpass the golden standard of GoldenEye 007. But until that time comes, take solace in the fact that Bond’s back.
