007: Quantum of Solace

This is "GoldenEye" for a new generation. And praise doesn't come much higher than that.

Quantum of Solace won't be up for any "game of the year" awards, but it is a solid title that offers a satisfying, though elementary, single-player campaign and a strong, but perhaps niche, multiplayer experience. It's not a total return to form for the Bond franchise, but it seems to be headed in the right direction.

My real problem with Quantum, though, is its lack of coherency. It tries to do so much, but everything slides into the ‘meh’ basket, right beside so many prior Bond games.

Its playable, its easy, its simple, its entertaining, and its got a bit of good multiplayer; but it wouldn't challenge an amateur gamer and it'll most likely be back in the box and filed away as "done with" faster than a day in the office.

Quantum of Solace is a new reason to not trust videogame adaptations from movies. Treyarch's title transmits a sensation of rushed development and not achieved goals. Short, quite repetitive and dreary.

GoldenEye's heyday is long gone, and Solace relies too much on nostalgia and imitation to be anything close to the next shooter milestone.

Quantum of Solace never manages to be a Bond game: at the tiniest of nudges, it panics and starts unleashing gunfire. It's clumsy, it's messy, it's not much fun and most of the time, it's not even the right film.

I was at my friend's house, all bored, when I decided to pick some random game from his shelf and give it a shot. I looked over the small library, and picked one with a logo that is legendary in the FPS genre; 007. I play the first mission and am hooked, and don't stop until I've beaten the campaign. I don't understand why it's so good until after the first mission, when the opening credits roll. I see that Treyarch was behind it. Now it makes sense why the game is so fun. And now, the review: The campaign is great. Combining the tense combat of Call of Duty with the cover systems found in Breach or GRAW. The story is nice, though it skips a bit in some places. The missions never feel too short or too tedious. Stealth isn't usually necessary, but it will usually make your mission easier. Silenced weapons and headshots, crouch-walking, melee takedowns, and not being directly spotted by camera or human are the rules of stealth. The ending isn't completely satisfying, but it's decent and leaves you feeling like you did, in fact, complete a full game. The multiplayer is so much fun, and I feel that it combines the best of the classic FPS "Goldeneye" (God bless it), and the modern FPS we love and won't shut up about (I'm looking at you, Black Ops), to create one, stellar multiplayer experience. Think I'm exaggerating? In most games, I get killed and yell some obscene thing I am going to do to the enemy's pet turtle and throw my controller (in my head, at least). In this game, after a 10 deathstreak, I feel great after one kill, enough to say "Idiot" every time. This, like Goldeneye, has that effect on people; no matter how good or bad you are, you can still find something fun and 007-class awesome to do.

A slick cover-based shooter that is more comparable to "Rainbow Six Vegas" than any James Bond title. The gameplay isn't on the level of "Everything or Nothing" or "Nightfire", but it's still fun. There are several firearms that pack a punch and occasional moments for optional stealth. The story itself covers events from "Quantum" as well as "Casino Royale". Don't expect any vehicle sections or cool gadgets. For the most part, this is a straight forward shooter. Overall, I would rate it with a 7.3 out of 10.

A hybrid first-person/third-person shooter that covers events from "Quantum" and Casino Royale. The game is fun, but it doesn't feel very Bond-like. It's more comparable to Gears of War or Rainbow Six Vegas. Some stealth sections help break up the non-stop action. Controls are fluid and the graphics are impressive. Overall, this is an enjoyable action game. I would rate it with a 7.3 out of 10.

One of, if not, the worst Bond game I've played. It's obvious to see what they were going for here; a Rainbow Six-style game based on the movies Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, but it fails miserably. The entire game is just plain unenjoyable and doesn't even follow the story of the films correctly. 2/5 stars.

Quantum of Solace fails in everything it tries to do. As a game, it is a repetitive, bland and frankly boring shooter. And as a tie in, it roughly follows the story of the movie and stops there.