GoldenEye 007 (2010 video game)

GoldenEye 007 features re-imagined areas from the film.

While GoldenEye 007 is a re-imagining of the film, the game does have noticeable differences. Levels have been altered to reflect the game's modified story. According to Craig Harris of IGN, "GoldenEye still retains the basics of GoldenEye's story, but retells it in a way that makes sense with Daniel Craig's interpretation of James Bond."[5] Likewise, the game features modern game elements to coincide with other modern first-person shooters, such as destructible environments, regenerating health, and online multiplayer.[12]

Eurocom has added a few updated features while retaining some features from the original game. Instead of a watch, players use a mobile phone to scan documents, take photos, and communicate with MI6. This change was reflective of the initial departure of high end gadgets for the Craig films. The original GoldenEye 007 featured a cheat menu which is available from the start in the re-make.[13] The game updates the AI-Bot system which is built upon Eurocom's previous game, Dead Space: Extraction. Each computer player possesses its own AI-bot system to make them dynamic and challenging.[14]

The game offers players several choices of controllers: Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Wii Zapper, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, or a Nintendo GameCube controller. GoldenEye 007 also provides players using the Remote with Nunchuk or Wii Zapper with the ability to peer around cover by tilting the Nunchuk. The game includes twenty-five weapons based upon counterparts from the franchise overall. The game does not open with any gun barrel sequence like the Craig films prior to the release of Spectre which was the first 007 film to open with it since Die Another Day.

Multiplayer

GoldenEye 007 features both offline split screen for up to four local players and online play for up to eight players. There are 10 multiplayer maps. There are four different game modes for offline multiplayer and nine different game modes for online multiplayer. Online multiplayer is provided through the free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and though up to eight players can connect to a game remotely, only one local player is allowed at a time.[1] Multiplayer includes characters from the single player campaign, such as James Bond and Alec Trevelyan, as well as classic Bond-series characters including Jaws, Oddjob, and Julius No. Additionally, online multiplayer offers XP progression, unlockables and multipliers.

Split screen combat provides over a dozen modifiers, including Melee Only, You Only Live Twice, and Paintball Mode from the original game.[15]

The Classic Edition is bundled with a limited edition gold-coloured Classic Controller Pro[16]

In November 2006, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé announced that Nintendo was exploring the possibility of adding the Nintendo 64 video game GoldenEye 007 to the Virtual Console, despite a complicated situation in which the game's developer Rare is owned by Microsoft (producers of the rival Xbox 360 console) and the video game rights to the James Bond franchise are held by Activision. He stated, "We would love to see it [on the Virtual Console], so we're exploring all the rights issues." On 7 January 2008, Xbox Evolved reported that an updated version of GoldenEye 007 would be released on Xbox Live Arcade. However, on 11 January 2008, 1UP.com reported that a GoldenEye 007 port (as opposed to a remake) had been in development at Rare for several months, but stated that the title would not be released on the Xbox Live Arcade since "Microsoft and Nintendo couldn't agree on the financial side of things". However, Perfect Dark, a Nintendo 64 title which used the same engine as GoldenEye, would later make it to Xbox Live Arcade, and the near-complete port of "Goldeneye 007" was leaked online in 2021.[17][18][19] It was revealed at E3 2010 that a new Goldeneye video game would be released for the Wii in November 2010. GoldenEye 007 is built on a modified version of the game engine from another Wii game by Eurocom, Dead Space: Extraction.[20]

Originally, Free Radical Design (now Crytek UK) were approached by Activision to develop the game because former Rare staff were working there,[21] with the PS3 and Xbox 360 initially being considered as target platforms early into development. Free Radical Design even rebuilt the first level, "Dam" for those consoles. However, negotiations fell through and Activision instead went for Eurocom, with Free Radical entering Administration soon afterwards,[22] and Activision then shelved PS3 and Xbox 360 releases to target Nintendo platforms exclusively on initial release. The non-Nintendo console versions were released a year later as enhanced ports, subtitled Reloaded.

James Bond film producer Michael G. Wilson spoke in June 2010 about Daniel Craig's participation in revisiting the story from the original film. "When we first pitched the game to him, he was really excited about it. He thought the original game was great. Daniel plays a lot of games and... gives us a lot of good criticism. We'll show him what the plan is and he'll suggest changes and get very hands-on." Wilson went on to say that Craig is aware of the original game's impact, but that his on-screen interpretation of James Bond also required changes to the tone of the story and an increased physical nature to the gameplay.[23]

Eurocom hired motion graphics director Alex Donne Johnson (founder of DAZZLE SHIP) to collaborate with Carlos Villareal Kwasek to create the intro title sequence and cut scenes for the game.

David Arnold, composer of the 007 film scores from Tomorrow Never Dies until Quantum of Solace, composed the game's score.[2][24] Nicole Scherzinger performs the title song "GoldenEye", a cover version of the film's theme which was originally performed by Tina Turner.[2] The game's script is penned by Bruce Feirstein, the co-writer of the GoldenEye film,[1] who has described several changes made to update the story in the fifteen years since its release; for example, Alec Trevelyan's motivations have changed, as the character's backstory involving a Lienz Cossack father would make Trevelyan seventy-one years old in 2010, while Valentin Zukovsky no longer has any connection to the KGB. Feirstein also cited a sequence of the game set at a Dubai arms fair.[25] Rory Kinnear reprises his role from Quantum of Solace as Bill Tanner, M's Chief of Staff.

Although not as critically acclaimed as its original Nintendo 64 version, GoldenEye 007 received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Wii version 83.67% and 81/100[26][28] and the Nintendo DS version 68.82% and 64/100.[27][29]

Japanese game magazine Famitsu gave the Wii version a 34 out of 40 score, and the NDS version a 22 out of 40.[32][31] IGN awarded the game a 9.0 out of 10 and an Editor's Choice Award, praising its multiplayer component and its well-crafted story while criticising the lack of voice chat.[15] The reviewer, Craig Harris, concluded by acknowledging that the game—as of its release—is the Wii's best first person shooter.[15] Gaming Nexus gave GoldenEye 007 an A−, stating, "instead of standing in the original GoldenEye's shadow, Eurocom has created a brand new game that is just as compelling and addictive as the original."[40] GameSpot reviewer Tom McShea also praised the game, awarding it an 8.5 out of 10.[34] Joystiq scored the game 4 out of 5.[37]

Nintendo World Report awarded the game an 8.5/10, with the reviewer stating, "Frankly, I haven't seen a more impressive Wii shooter."[38] The Official Nintendo Magazine gave GoldenEye 007 a score of 90%.[39] GameTrailers scored the game at 8.6 of 10, indicating that while most aspects are well-done, the game's performance suffers from inconsistent framerates, particularly during splitscreen play. They also derided the menus as "bland" and the "not very crisp" overall picture due to aliasing.[36] Digital Trends' gave the game 8 of 10, complaining of the enemy AI's simplistic strategies and lack of adaptability. While the multiplayer gameplay was highly praised by the reviewer, the lack of voice chat was seen as a significant omission.[41]

GamesRadar, although less positive, were still pleased with the result, awarding the game a 7 out of 10, stating that it was impossible for the game to live up to the original, but that it was still "a damn fine, 'serious' shooter on the Wii, and that's saying something," adding that "even without the limited options for mature action for Wii owners, GoldenEye 007 is a solid game in its own right."[35] In contrast, Game Informer was less impressed, giving the game a 6.5/10, calling it "a lackluster game that fails to hit the same high notes of the original, or keep pace with modern shooters".[33]

At the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International, Activision unveiled GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, a remastering of the Wii game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game features high-definition graphics due to running on a new game engine, an achievement system, new "MI6 Ops Missions", and PlayStation Move compatibility for the PlayStation 3 version.[42][43] The game was released on 1 November 2011 in North America, and on 4 November 2011 in Europe. Activision also released a PlayStation 3 bundle called "GoldenEye 007: Reloaded – Double 'O' Edition"; the bundle features the game itself, the PlayStation Move motion and navigation controllers, PlayStation Eye Camera, the Sharp Shooter peripheral, and access to the downloadable character Hugo Drax. The bundle was released along with the standalone game.[44][45]

• Goldeneye 007 official website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• GoldenEye 007 at IMDb