Review: James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace

James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace
Activision, Treyarch
Available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS & Playstation 2

I honestly feel sorry for the developers of James Bond video games. Past and present they have all tried to live up to the legacy of developer Rare’s 1997 GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 which was not only the best Bond game ever but one of the greatest games of all time. EA tried for years to make as good a game coming close with their best effort in 2004’s Everything or Nothing but eventually gave up after several critically panned titles, relinquished the license to kill to Activision. They in turn tapped developer Treyarch to make the first 007 game for current generation systems to try and breathe life back into the franchise. The result is the newest 007 game, Quantum of Solace.

In Quantum of Solace you play the part of super suave secret agent 007 James Bond, the game is played mostly in first person perspective but occasionally jumps to third person allowing players to see real life Bond actor Daniel Craig who lends his likeness and voice to the game. It is mainly a first person shooter based on the successful engine of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Quantum uses the engine well and adds a cover system similar to Gears of War allowing players to dive behind cover during firefights.



The game’s plot combines the storylines of the current movie of the same name and the previous movie Casino Royale. Unfortunately the plots of both movies are not told well, especially Quantum’s which is interrupted part way through to have you flashback and play through the main highlights from Casino Royale. By the time you return to Quantum’s storyline you’ve forgotten about what was even going on. In between all the levels of shootouts much of the storyline is told through boring and incoherent cut scenes that feel completely detached. In fact it seems like the game was originally designed with the Casino Royale plot as the main focus with the Quantum of Solace plot parts tacked on later to cash in on the movie’s concurrent release.

In most of the game’s levels you’ll be told stealth movements such as avoiding cameras and using silenced weapons are the best approach to mission success but no matter how careful you move inevitably you’ll find yourself in a firefight with multiple converging enemies. While the AI does a good job of flanking you, its movements are repetitive and predictable. The game features a variety of typical weapons for gunplay but Bond can also perform up close takedowns that are too easy to accomplish and feature the same animation over and over again. It also wouldn’t be a Bond game without the prerequisite exploding containers such as barrels and fire extinguishers for you to shoot, in Quantum of Solace they are everywhere and out of place.

Quantum of Solace claims to provide the player with the experience of being Bond but in most of the game’s exciting situations such as chase sequences or boss battles (if you can call them that) it simply gives you too little to do but press a button and watch a cut scene play out. You wish you were more involved in what is happening. The third person perspective of watching Bond sneak around window ledges avoiding enemies gets old by the third time around and the lock picking mini game is simply unoriginal and too simple.



Aesthetically Quantum of Solace is also uninspired, at times I honestly felt like I was playing a last generation game on my Xbox 360. The environments and audio could have used some polishing though there were some nice lighting effects The waves of enemies all look the same, act the same and die the same and with all the exploding containers lying around haphazardly you’d think the developers would have designed better explosion animations.

Quantum’s multiplayer offers the standards with Bond themed versions. One includes a mode where everyone is playing as Organization members with one Bond on the map, basically everyone gangs up on Bond. Whichever game designer thought 6 against 1 would be a fun scenario should be fired. The classic Golden Gun mode makes a reappearance and then there is another mode where two teams each have a Bond VIP that must stay alive. For the most part the multiplayer just felt like a stripped down version of Call of Duty with less interesting maps.

Quantum of Solace falls short as not only an interesting shooter compared to what else is available this season but also as a fun James Bond video game. The main storyline is short and can be completed within four or five hours and with a lackluster multiplayer experience even the biggest Bond buffs should make this game a rental.

Rating: 6 out of 10
Rent it!

Review: Burnout Paradise - Available for PS3 and Xbox 360

Welcome to Paradise city where there are no boundaries.

Electronic Arts is spicing up the racing world with a new open world concept for the latest chapter in the Burnout series, Burnout Paradise which is bound to attract even the most casual gamer. Players will have the ability to explore every roadway in the city even before they enter their first race, which will allow new gamers to familiarize themselves with the game first and for hardcore fans to learn every secret shortcut to help them dominate in online racing world.

Over 120 events are available from the get-go to test single players against the computer in speed, skills and timing, but there is also online gaming for players who want to battle it out with up to 8 other players. There is variety of event types to choose from, like check point racing, stunt driving and death racing where players are the target of destruction for all the computer opponents. Each event provides a great challenge for experienced racing fans with some amazing A.I drivers to compete with.

The open world concept follows players into the events which allows for multiple routes that can be taken to the finish line. This allows players to try different routes and skills to win each race instead of just following a mapped out course each and every time.



The famous crash mode, where you cause mass destruction is still here but its called showtime now. Of course, all events will allow players to unlock new vehicles and modifications which will increase their chances of winning in future events.

Players menus make it easy to compare stats, change vehicles and invite friends to hit the streets with you. The activate cityscape really allows for some interesting and realistic game play as the city provides endless activities to explore and secrets to discover.

Players with the Sony Eye Cam or Xbox 360 Vision Cam will be able to take advantage of the mugshot feature which takes moment of impact reactions of you and your fellow players. Imagine the fun you could have that feature.

The Playstation 3 version of the game definitely sports the better graphics of the two systems with better textures and no pixelation, but honestly both versions will you impressed with the life like vehicles and smooth looking landscapes.

This is definitely a game for seasoned Burnout players but even the casual race fan can jump in and play with ease.

Rating 8 out of 10 - Buy this!