Nothing beats GoldenEye. I'm talking James Bond game-wise, of course. Years ago, Rare put two plus years work into the creation of the now-classic Nintendo 64 shooter, taking first-person gaming on consoles to a whole new level. Since that time, Electronic Arts signed a deal for the Bond license, and haven't really come close to GoldenEye's exteme potential. They wasted time with Tomorrow Never Dies and 007 Racing for the PlayStation; did alright but not spectacular with The World Is Not Enough; seemed somewhat average with the completely original Agent Under Fire; and came close to greatness with the fun 007 Nightfire. But close is always close, could they get closer to reaching Rare's peak?

Indeed they have. They haven't quite made the top yet, but Everything or Nothing can certainly be called the best Bond game since GoldenEye. It's EA's finest 007 achievement, and that's thanks to a crucial movement from first-person shooter to third-person actioner, ala Max Payne. The move could have been fatal, as it proved to be with Tomorrow Never Dies, but kudos to a development team that makes the game enjoyable to play, while keeping the Bond presentation fully in check.

The game focuses on Bond taking on an evil KGB agent bound for greatness. He's worked on stealing some kind of nanotechnology that he plans to use for world domination. He's been having a bit of a tiff over Bond, since he killed his mentor Max Zorin so many years ago (the villain from the Bond film "A View to a Kill"). Now Bond not only has to stop the bad guy's plans, he also has other problems to deal with- like the notorious Jaws, a villain also from the past (Bond's "Moonraker" film).

One thing noteworthy about Everything or Nothing is its shift to third person action, meaning more possibilities than Agent Under Fire or Nightfire could offer. The action scenarios are over the top, to say the least, taking place in such fabulous locations as Egypt and Peru. If Bond isn't rappelling off the side of an exploding building, he's free-falling off a mountain while dodging missiles, catching a speeding train that's firing missiles at him, and taking on deadly traffic on the freeways of New Orleans. The game is jam packed with action, and it never gets to the point of absolutely heinous difficulty. However, the game will make you work for the stage rankings- and reward you for accomplishing them. If you get stuck, you can always hit up the training lab.

The controls seem to compliment Bond nicely in Everything, and it appears EA's learned their lesson from where Tomorrow Never Dies faltered. The driving stages are second to none, including the motorcycle chase that can prove to be incredibly addictive. The shooting stages take a bit of practice, especially with a somewhat loose camera, but the fine-tuning features with aim and stealth are very cool. You also have access to a thermo cam to see in darker areas, a rappell gun that allows you to walk up and down walls while being able to fire your gun (very nice touch), and Q gadgets that come in handy, like a Spiderbot with walking ability and an explosive flavor, or an RC car with a helpful laser. All this comes together very well.

Graphics-wise, the game looks sweet. It isn't as smoothly animated as, say, 007 Nightfire, but that's expected when a new direction of the series comes about. Little graphic effects, like the glimmer off the rear window of the car or the explosions that cause debris to fly all over the place, really make the overall game look great. The game also packs plenty within its audio capabilities, with sound effects and music that are truthful to the Bond name. But what really should be a shock here is the voice talent involved with the game. EA got Pierce Brosnan, John Cleese, Judi Dench, and Richard "Jaws" Kiel to reprise their roles nicely, as well as signing on new talent like Willem Dafoe (who eats up the script with his villainous accent), Shannon Elizabeth, Heidi Klum, and Mya, who also contributes an opening music number that kicks ass.

However, not all is perfect with Everything or Nothing. The game really lacks in multiplayer offerings, as they are shallow in comparison to GoldenEye's first-person opus. The four-player beat-em-up gathering game, which must be earned, is only acceptable at best, and the co-op missions really never come together like they should. Furthermore, the game lacks any kind of Xbox Live compatibility, although it is online for PS2. That means no online play, no downloading capability, not even access to a Bond website. Bummer. There is plenty to unlock here, but it still would have been nice to have been given the option.

But EA has come a long way with the Bond license over the years, and they've really put a lot of work into the game to make it feel like a Bond product. It even tips its hat to the classics, especially with Jaws maintaining his steely grin. The story works well, thanks to Bond scribe Bruce Fierstein (he wrote "GoldenEye" among others), and there's Bond Moments to unlock. There's even great glib comments that point to old Bond movies, like Brosnan's line about Zorin and how they played "bridge" together.

Everything or Nothing isn't the best Bond game ever made, but it's still a pretty damn good one. Presentation and action mesh together for a great time, and even though the multiplayer lacks, it still puts your license to kill to good use. EA should continue with the hard work- they may leave Rare shaken, not stirred soon enough.

Our Final ScoreGood

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