Quantum of Solace – PS3

9:11am Thursday 4th December 2008

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Generally, as a rule, games based on films are not very good. Nine times out of ten, you get the impression that they have been rushed into production and finished just in time to release it with the associated blockbuster.

In exceptional cases however, this difficult task is pulled off. One game that comes to mind is Rare's 1997 release of 'GoldenEye 007' on the Nintendo 64. That game was so good, I think I can safely say I lost a good few months of my life dedicated to unlocking every secret hidden away in that title.

Based on the same engine that was used in 'Call of Duty 4', 'Quantum of Solace' gives gamers the chance to step into the shoes of Daniel Craig's James Bond. Whilst certainly, no way near as ground breaking as 'GoldenEye 007', 'Quantum of Solace' is still quite enjoyable.

Featuring levels based on scenes from both 'Quantum of Solace' and 'Casino Royale', the game is a first person shooter, with the odd section taking place in the third person perspective. When you find yourself under fire, you can use almost any object to take cover. It is at this point where the game becomes third person and starts to look quite similar to 'Gears of War'. This neat little trick also reminds you that you are playing as “Bond, James Bond”, as you can see that Daniel Craig's likeness has been applied to the character you are controlling.

At times the gameplay can get a bit repetitive, as you will find yourself cornered, fending off a seemingly never ending entourage of armed opponents. However, the developer's have wisely countered this problem by adding the odd bit of variety. On numerous occasions you will have to take out guards with a sniper rifle. During other parts, you have to open locked doors through a mini hacking game (pressing the correct buttons on the d-pad at the correct time). There are also parts where you have to keep Bond's balance on high objects, by keeping a tab in the centre of the screen using the left analogue stick.

Treyarch have wisely included a few online features for good measure. Most of it is what you would come to expect from a game of this genre and the developers have cleverly put a Bond spin on everything.

On “Bond Versus”, one player takes control of James Bond, and the other 6 players control members of the organisation. The player as Bond win's if they manage to defuse 2 of the 3 bombs or eliminate every other player. This may sound a little unfair if you are playing as Bond, but to make the game even, Bond has 2 lives (in other words, "you only live twice..."), he can see everyone and can use any weapon, whereas the other players have only 3 basic weapons.

“Golden Gun” is a standard free-for-all affair, of which the aim is to score 100 points. One point is awarded for every kill with a normal weapon. However, should you manage to pick up the Golden Gun, or kill the player holding the Golden Gun, you are awarded 6 points.

“Bond Evasion” is deathmatch that see's MI6 and the organisation square off against each other. A member of the MI6 team is randomly designated as 007, and they have to get to the escape point without being killed by the organisation.

All in all, Quantum of Solace isn't a bad title. Sure it is flawed with its ropey AI and its criminally short single player campaign, but I'd say it's definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of Bond.

Verdict: 6.7 out of 10

Good stuff
- Handles quite well
- Good use of all the cast and sounds from the movies
- Good array of weapons

Bad stuff:
- What is with the unknown and random theme song during the intro? I know the Jack White/Alicia Keys track isn't the best Bond theme, but come on!
- Short single player campaign