Pros: Classic Bond Story Line, Pierce Brosnan Character Model, "Some" Nice Cut Scenes
Cons: Extremely Laggy, Console Version has more features, Poor Controls, Mediocre Graphics, Bad Execution, Unstable
The Bottom Line: Lacks the features of the Console Version, and is a poor PC FPS at best. Only for the die hard Bond fan w/o a console. Better FPS's available for less.
c0rk's Full Review: James Bond 007: Nightfire for Windows
Testing System:
Gateway Desktop – 1.8Ghz Pentium 4
Memory - 512MB SDRAM
Video - GeForce2 MX400 (64MB Video Memory)
As a strictly PC gamer I have been less than satisfied with the amount of 007 related titles released for said platform. Nightfire presented me with a chance to experience the 007 First Person Shooter (FPS) action that I had been given a taste of when I first tried out Goldeneye for the N64. Since Goldeneye almost all titles relating to 007 have been strictly console based, and according to other reviews, extremely disappointing. Nightfire was rumored to be the next big step in this 007 spy genre, and has apparently hit pretty close to its mark on Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube. However, porting this title for PC seems rushed and inadequate.
Those who have played FPS titles on the PC will argue that it is a gaming style that should have never been moved to console for control reasons alone. Now in an almost unfathomable turn of events it seems that FPS games are being developed for the console market and are simply, and need I say poorly, ported to run on the PC, almost as an afterthought. Nightfire is a prime example of an apparently great game gone wrong. Though I have not played the console version of this game a sampling of reviews for the console title indicates it is pretty close to yielding a Goldeneye level gaming experience. This is NOT the case with the PC version.
Plotline: (3/5)
Perhaps the only redeeming feature of the game, Nightfire does follow an overall decent story with semi-exciting cut scenes and better than average voice acting. As with many Bond films the story centers around an unlikely criminal mastermind who wants to take over the world. However, developers attempt to vary game play often distorts the plotline to include different combat environments including underwater and outer space sequences. Though the story is enjoyable with the typical Bond structure common in the films, the convoluted twists forced by the need to vary game play caused this reviewer to loose the particulars of the plot. Though I would like to know the whole story I am not about to play Nightfire AGAIN to get it.
Graphics: (3/5)
The cut scenes and opening musical sequence might trick the average gamer into giving Nightfire a higher graphic rating. Unfortunately, that is where the intense graphical experience stops. There is nothing remarkable about Nightfire’s in game graphics. Reminiscent of Half-Life, aside from a few intricate and colorful areas, there are no graphical elements worth mentioning. Despite its sub-par graphics I did run into some slowdown during high action sequences. Although I must mention that I am running a severely out-of-date Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and that this may have affected both the Frame rate and my appreciation of the on screen effect elements.
Control: (2/5)
Aiming in Nightfire seems sluggish. Weapon selection and switching between the weapon and gadget functions are anything but intuitive. One would also expect an automatic reload after the complete discharge of an ammo clip. Changing out your ammo clip is almost strictly manual, forcing the gamer to hit “R” to reload. Typically this would not bother me except for the fact that it often takes several presses to initiate the reload. This bug is especially common during high action sequences, when the reload feature happens to come in most handy. Click-click-click your dead – hope you saved.
Game play: (1/5)
Among so many great FPS releases during the last year, Nightfire seems stripped of any well executed game play elements, and leaves many pondering, What do I do next? Nightfire attempts to expand some elements of the FPS genre by adding navigation elements such as the cell phone grappling hook that allows Bond to reel himself into areas that are inaccessible at first glance. Despite having a hint screen, it is these elements that lead to the most confusing and tedious portions of the game. Centering around vague hints and convoluted level design, this reviewer found his gaming experience coming to a halt all too frequently. You WILL find yourself wandering around the same area over and over trying to determine how it is you are supposed to complete your mission objective. One such instance occurs towards the end of the game where you have to turn off two radio jamming beacons. It took me three days to see the small grappling hook located just underneath a platform on the second beacon building. This lack of visual clues almost led me to call EA thinking it was a glitch that all the exterior doors of the building were locked. Events such as this are common throughout the game. Some might qualify these as puzzles, but I found these elements insanely annoying.
As is common among many other spy titles, EA attempts to add stealth to the list of game play elements. They fail in this regard as well. Besides the typical surveillance camera avoidance tactics one has to employ there is no good way to avoid detection. Upon being detected countless enemies arrive at your location, and will more than likely incur the loading of a quick save.
Enemies seem to have varying levels of intelligence, some react before you have entered the room; others do not react to their buddy dropping dead right next to them. There is no rhyme or reason to the AI in Nigtfire, making it difficult to establish any kind of decent strategy.
Overall: (2/5)
In the end the minor and poorly executed risks EA takes with Nightfire do not improve this generally poor title. I expect a superior product from EA considering the $50.00 price tag. Information concerning this title for the PC has been hard to come by as the general game contents are not separated based on platform. Several of the features listed for the console versions are simply not available in the PC format, such as the sequence where you get the drive Bond’s Aston Martin Vanquish. This could serve to explain the obvious plot holes and short overall game length. Despite having multiplayer which is, poor at best, Nightfire for the PC is still a waste of ones gaming dollar.
Final Thoughts:
As a fan of both Bond and EA I could not have been more disappointed by this title. I would not recommend this title to anyone except for the fanatical Bond fan who does not own a console. With several superior FPS titles available today, one must wonder why EA would release such a terrible product to the PC gaming community. Nightfire is a flop, and though it makes me sad to say it - perhaps Bond was not meant for PC.
Up for you here is a fabulous game James Bond 007: NightFire . There is a total of 1 cds in a shrink wrapped jewel case.Shipping on this great game wi...More at eBay
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