Summary
There is no better-known international man of mystery thanJames Bond, 007. Working for MI6, and with a license to kill, he is a suave yetdangerous individual. It comes as no surprise that Bond games have always been enjoyed by fans of the books and movies.
Although the majority of games featuringJames Bondare based on one of the movies, some excellent releases don’t focus on a well-known plot, and instead, introduce something new and unique, in a package that is recognizably 007-themed. These range from side scrollers to live-action games and everything in between.
6James Bond 007: The Duel
Old School Side Scroller
James Bond 007: The Duelwas released for theSega Genesisway back in 1993. It is an original Bond adventure in a side-scroller format that combines platform gameplay with puzzle solving. Missions generally involve finding and diffusing bombs, or fighting Bond villains.
The Duelwarrants a mention due to being one of the very first games that tried to capture the Bond ethos. It is, of course, pretty dated by today’s standards, but it was well received in its day. While perhaps not offering much to modern players, this release is pretty cool as a historical artifact.
5James Bond 007: The Stealth Affair
Point And Click Bond Adventure
James Bond 007: The Stealth Affairis quite an old game, and fits squarely within the point-and-click genre, which has been sadly underrepresented in recent years. The premise is that the player must learn about a plot involving a stealth bomber that has been stolen.
The gameplay features puzzle solving quite heavily, and there is also a need for the player to explore locations in depth, in case they miss a clue. Dialogue choices are also important, as some conversations infer critical information that the player needs.James Bond: The Stealth Affairis an oldie but a goodie, and worth playing for those who are Bond fans.
Players craving a game with all the elements of a great Bond adventure might like to take a look atJames Bond 007: Agent UnderFire. International espionage missions,spy gadgets, and an interesting narrative based on a clone conspiracy combine into a compelling story.
The gadgets in this game are often used as a part of a puzzle, which sounds a little odd at first, but is actually a pretty cool game mechanic. There is also a fun multiplayer mode, with deathmatches done in the Bond style.
Movie meets video game inJames Bond 007: Blood Stone, with fully voice-acted cinematics featuring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Joss Stone. This is very much an action game at heart, with a more brutal Bond dealing out punishment hand-to-hand.Car chasesare also a large part of the gameplay, and these are great fun.
James Bond 007: Blood Stoneis an excellent Bond adventure, with a more modern setting than some other 007-themed games. The only slight downside of this game is the fact that the campaign is quite short.
James Bond 007: Nightfirefollows on fromJames Bond 007: Agent Under Fire. It isn’t an expansion, as it is entirely standalone and features a completely fresh story. This time, Bond has to confront a nuclear threat, to keep the world safe.
The game refines the mechanics of the original title and brings in vehicle combat and first-person stealth missions. Of course, there are plenty of gadgets for Bond to exploit as players attempt to achieve their goals. Overall,James Bond 007: Nightfireis more polished than the originalAgent Under Fire, although they are both very good.
For Bond fans who are looking for a completely fresh Bond adventure that is still based on the history of the character,James Bond 007: Everything or Nothingmay be the best choice. With its cinematic story arc, featuring Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, it plays something like an interactive movie at times.
The gameplay takes place inthird person, including all the combat and car chases.Everything or Nothingfeatures plenty of Bond-style gadgets that can be used to overcome certain challenges. Combining stealth and combat, the player has to solve a conspiracy involving nanotechnology and save the world.
