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"To be Bond, you need to see Bond," chuckles Scott Bandy, the jovial producer of James Bond 007:
Everything or Nothing, consciously stopping short of steepling his hands like a super villain. What Bandy forgets to mention
is that we'll be seeing a lot more than Pierce Brosnan's Cyberscanned(tm) mug as EA take the licence into unchartered third-person
adventure territory. Having acquired the licence to Jimbo's entire cinema history, you'll be rubbing noses with Q (played
by Dame Judi Dench), M (John Cleese) and classic villains, including seven foot tall dentally-challenged henchman Jaws.
"Yeah,
Shannon Elizabeth plays a Bond girl, too," chimes Bandy, casually confirming the acquisition of a top Hollywood actress (American
Pie's Nadia) as an afterthought. In terms of licensing clout, EA are now competing directly with the movies. The firm recently
poached animators and CGI experts from Hollywood movies like Pearl Harbour, The Lion King and The Matrix Reloaded as a signal
of intent.
The game blends elements of shooting, hand-to-hand combat, driving, and - oh 'eck - stealth. Mercifully,
gamers won't fail a level for tripping the alert, it'll just make things more hectic. Bond will rely on his wits as much as
his Walther PPK, using objects to distract guards, or possibly letting himself be taken prisoner, then knocking out the guards
in the safety of the lift. To aid split second decisions, you can enter the Bond Zone - portrayed using a wobbly, slow-mo
Matrix effect - giving you the jump on the opposition. To be honest, in the code we're playing, the Bond Zone seems a bit
redundant, with most confrontations being settled with shooters, but this should change as the game evolves.
Bond'll
use over 20 weapons and gadgets, including the Spider Bomb - a remote controlled bomb which crawls along in CCTV-o-vision
until you tap the detonator. You'll also get the usual range of vehicles, including a fully licensed Porsche Cayenne Turbo,
with the game culminating in a tank battle in Moscow's Red Square. The highlight of the early code is Bond's ability to rappel
down vertical walls, picking off his foes with wobbly armed precision. The plot's being kept secret, but will concern nanotechnology,
resulting in - this is top secret, 007 - a direct effect on gameplay as events progress.
PSM2 RECKONS: The
third-person perspective's revived our interest after a series of solid, yet chronically predictable, forays as an FPS. Forget
Jimbo's wonky appearance in the FMV scenes (see the DVD), the in-game model is spot on. So far, the game's a shade easy and
invariably descends into frenzied gun battles, but we're quietly astonished by the quality of the visuals and intensity of
the action. The ability to wrassle Jaws and a host of silver screen goons, lifts EA's latest from the realms of flaky tie-in
to an experience worthy of the movies. We're cautiously excited, so stay tuned for a ruthless hands-on expose of the new levels
- and co-op mode - next month.
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