Game Informer Review
Is there such a thing as a franchise that's too bankable? If there is, perhaps James Bond is it. It's an almost guaranteed seller, which is perhaps the reason that EA's last entry in the series, James Bond 007: NightFire, seemed to be cruising on autopilot. Sure, it was fun and breezy – I really liked it at the time – but it didn't really offer much in terms of depth or novel concepts. It almost felt like the development team had become a little too comfortable with its standard mix of FPS, track shooting, and driving.
Perhaps sensing that ennui was setting in, EA boldly chucked its 007 blueprint and opted to craft Everything or Nothing as a third-person action/adventure. Given that the last time Bond went third person, Tomorrow Never Dies, was an out-and-out disaster, this game represents a pretty big risk for the conservative gang at EA. Does it pay off? For the most part, the answer is yes.
One of the big things this title brings to the table is Bond's rappel gun, which is used frequently and adds a nice dimension of verticality to the levels. It's pretty cool to be storming down the side of a building, dodging explosions and capping enemies with glee. In another instance, you'll forgo the rappel altogether, and jump off the side of a cliff in order to save a plummeting damsel.
It's these sequences that really made Everything or Nothing for me. While the basic third-person shooting is well and good, EoN supplies the flashy, over-the-top stunts that one expects from the Bond films. I was satisfied with the old FPS-action, but this new format gives EoN a bombastic panache and a tremendous amount of variety. Whether you're running roughshod over a Central American city in a tank, using some of the cool gadgets like the spider bot, or trying to drive your motorcycle onto a moving plane before it takes off, EoN has a wicked sense of daring and a brass set of balls.
This is a Hollywood blockbuster in every sense of the word, and features some of the biggest star power ever seen in a game. Including Monty Python alum John Cleese as Q, Maxim favorite Shannon Elizabeth, professional creep Willem Dafoe, and Pierce Brosnan, this is a truly A-list cast. It's even more significant for the fact that this is an adventure unique to video games, not based on any movie project. If you still doubt that gaming is growing larger than the movie industry, here's further proof.
Despite its daring, varied design and big-time production values, it's not perfect. There are frequent problems with camera view, and the auto-targeting vacillates between adequate and maddening. However, good games can make you overlook their flaws, and on this count Everything or Nothing is a success. Is it the next great evolution of gaming? Perhaps not, but it is a step towards creating the ultimate James Bond title.
The Edge
Although Electronic Arts does a good job of making sure its multi-system games are pretty comporably across all three platforms, there are always advantages to certain consoles. Unsurprisingly, the Xbox EoN looks the best, althought it's not pushing the limits of the hardware. On PS2, there isn't as much graphical degradation as you might expect, and the four shoulders are handy in many situations. So, let's call these two a draw, which brings us to the GameCube. Nitendo definitely comes in third here, mostly due to the lack of buttons. On Xbox and PS2, you have separate buttons for hugging the wall and crouch. On the 'Cube, both moves are done with the Z-button, which sometimes means you crouch when you want to hug.
Concept:
Out with FPS, in with over-the-top third-person adventuring.
Graphics:
Not an award-winner, but as solid as you expect from an EA product.
Sound:
Mya's Bond theme is even worse than Madonna's; but it does feature a great score and tons of celeb voiceovers.
Playability:
The usual complaints (camera, auto-aim) don\'t detract too much from the experience.
Entertainment:
It's good to see EA taking chances with this property again.
Replay:
Moderate
Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Matt Helgeson
Issue: March 2004
2nd Opinion:
Bond's new video game adventure was a lot more enjoyable for me than his last few cinematic outings. Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist? Who thought that was a good idea? While Shannon Elizabeth may not be an acting juggernaut, Everything or Nothing still feels like it could have worked on the big screen. The frequent switches in action keep it moving along at a nice pace and make it hard to put down. I especially like some of the more creative action stages, such as the free fall down the side of the cliff. The third-person shooting levels which make up the meat of the game are fun and work pretty well on Xbox and PS2, although the GameCube controls came up a bit short. While I preferred playing this title on the Xbox, it's a solid release on all three systems, and it's a great chance to see Bond in an adventure that's (a little) less ridiculous than most of his recent missions.
Rated: 8.75 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss |
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