Just like 2006's Casino Royale gave the James Bond movie series a much-needed update, Quantum of Solace will try to do the same for James Bond games when it arrives Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.

This combo first- and third-person action game puts you in the (expensive) shoes of Bond in an adventure that includes events from the Royale film and the new Quantum of Solace movie. We recently caught a look at the game and left shaken and stirred by what's to come.

Daniel Craig finally snapped when someone made yet another joke about The Golden Compass. Click to see more images from the game...

Quantum of Solace's story picks up after Royale's, with Bond pursuing the villians responsible for the death of his lady friend Vespa. There will be some variations that fit with the level design, however. At one point in the game, Le Chiffre, the chief villain Bond faces off against in Casino Royale, finds himself endangered by rogue mercenaries. Bond has to keep him alive in order to keep him in the game, so he'll have to fight these enemies without Le Chiffre figuring out who he really is.

This introduces another excellent component to the game – multiple paths. There's more than one way to get things done on each level, depending on what type of gameplay you're comfortable with. For instance, in the Le Chiffre rescue stage, we were presented with a choice. We could either run through the level shooting at guards with very little disregard for our health meter, or we could play the "sneaky" route, throwing some poor sap over a balcony and sneaking around ledges until arriving at Le Chiffre's suite. The run-and-gun method is riskier, but you have several tools in your arsenal, including familiar Bond gadgets and, of course, the traditional PK pistol. Over the course of each level, you can also acquire cell phones, which can be used to unlock yet-undisclosed bonus content in the game. Our guess is behind-the-scenes footage and perhaps even clips from the two movies.

The game doesn't have any shortage of shootouts. Quantum of Solace has several intense scenarios where you'll have to find cover and shoot back at enemies, with little regard for your surroundings. One memorable firefight took place in the casino itself, with guards coming at Bond from all directions while he moves around the upper terrace and makes his way the casino floor below. Tables, glasses and pillars shatter as bullets whiz past (and into) them, adding to the intensity – and making cover harder to find than you might expect. Another great battle takes place in a water-filled atrium, with bullets flying everywhere and real-time damage to the surroundings.

What would a Bond game be without the requisite chase sequence? Solace's big chase starts in an area like the opening scene from Casino Royale, where you pursue a suspect through a construction site. It begins with you steering a bulldozer into a dirt wall. Then you get out and begin climbing up walkways and cranes as you keep in chase with your target. Unfortunately, the scene ended before we could see if it led to some kind of big boss fight, but at this point it still looks very solid. The only thing that's missing is a car chase sequence, and we were disappointed when the developers say we won't get behind the wheel of an Astin Martin in this game, because blonde Bond likes to handle things on foot.

Want to know more about the Quantum of Solace film? Check out trailers and more on Moviefone.

Even in its mid-development stage, Quantum of Solace screams Bond. Music from the films and great-looking levels ripped from the movies gives it that authentic Bond-ness that you dont' get anywhere else. The construction site level, for instance, is comparable to the real thing, right down to the layering of wires across the intersecting cranes. Daniel Craig has been rendered down to the letter, although his eyes look mildly creepy when you get in close. The menu screens and health system also have the Bond look, complete with the classic gun-scope silhouette that appears onscreen that lets you know when you're about to die.

Along with the multi-level single-player mode, Quantum of Solace will also include some sort of multiplayer, though details are scarce. Will we able to pit multiple Bond characters against each other? Maybe it'll be an all-out war between Bond and the bad guys.

Based on what we've seen so far, it seems that Bond's video game comeback will be worth the anticipation. Quantum of Solace should be hitting store shelves around the same time as the film in November.

Related Links

Quantum of Solace Xbox 360 Game Guide

Quantum of Solace PlayStation 3 Game Guide

Atari