Goldeneye 007: Reloaded on the Wii was a game that suffered at the power - or lack thereof - of Nintendo’s console. The framework was there for a great Bond title, but it didn’t quite manage to live up to the heights of its N64 predecessor.
Our quick take
We cant really fault Goldeneye 007: Reloaded for what it does with the Bond license. It has all sorts thrown in to satisfy fans. As a shooter, however, it does feel slightly generic, not of its own fault perhaps, but because this year has seen so many FPS titles, that sticking out is pretty difficult to do.
The nods to the old game, and a few odd shining moments in single player, had us race through this title relatively quickly. Its multiplayer has proven a hit with friends when playing locally. Ultimately the game is good, but just not good enough, when put up against the likes of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty, there just isn’t quite enough to get stuck into.
If, however, you are a big fan of the N64 title, or a Bond fan, then we suggest picking this up and playing it through, it is full of treats and bound to satisfy fans.
Goldeneye 007 - 4.0 / 5
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The game is now back, in a reloaded Reloaded form, on Xbox 360 looking fresh with current gen HD graphics. So is this Call of Duty with a Bond skin? Or a poor remake of an N64 classic.
Fool’s Gold
For those who have played the Wii version, don’t go expecting a storyline that sticks to that of the N64. Reloaded is very much a Bond game in its own right, set in the same universe but with a slightly different story.
Expect a few classic moments from the original game but with a slight twist. We don’t want to reveal any secrets here, but that first Dam level not only looks great on current gen consoles, it changes things enough to make even the most hardcore of N64 fans happy.
Having a modern twist does help in some parts. No longer is Bond using a high tech watch, for example, but a smartphone instead. A shame, as we would have liked to see the classic pause menu again, but being able to recognise contacts by taking photos with your phone is a nice touch.
The real benefit that Reloaded adds over its Wii counterpart, on top of the HD graphics, is the MI6 ops. Behaving slightly like spec ops in Call of Duty, albeit with fewer choices, it offers a challenge beyond the fun but short-lived single player game.
Particularly fun is bringing back some of the old modifiers from the N64’s multiplayer and then incorporating them into MI6 ops. Frequently we found ourselves running about like a lunatic blasting baddies with a paintball-firing golden gun, for example.
In the end, the single player falls slightly short. The HD graphics aren’t quite up to scratch with more recent releases, it isn’t long enough and levels suffer from repetitive gameplay. Those who are Bond fans however could do much worse than this, it is one of the best games to ever involve 007.
Multiplayer
What made the original N64 game so great was its ability to bring friends together around one screen and then repeatedly blast each other to pieces. It was simple, quick fire gameplay that modern shooters owe a lot to.
It is easy to forget how quickly you could jump into a match and get playing on the old N64. This thankfully makes a return to Reloaded. There is the depth in the multiplayer there if you need it, with loads of options for weapon customisation, but if you just want to play, you can do so in seconds.
This makes it a great half an hour blast with friends, perfect for when you have a few people round and fancy some split-screen action, just like the original. All the options that were there in MI6 ops return, only this time they can be applied to friends. Ragdoll mode in particular proved extremely satisfying.
There might not be the same number of options as a modern day "triple A" FPS title, but there is plenty to get stuck into. You get loads of character skins, weapons (including some classics like the Moonraker laser) as well as a classic mode that uses health packs rather than regenerating health.
To recap
HD fun makes Reloaded feel like the game it should have been on the Wii