Next Friday, Daniel Craig will once again reprise the role of James Bond in the upcoming movie Quantum of Solace. To prepare us for the return of the gritty, no-holds-barred super spy, Activision unleashed its own version of Solace for video game consoles. This is a first-person shooter that fuses together events from not only the upcoming Quantum of Solace movie, but also Craig's 2006 Bond debut, Casino Royale. The result isn't jaw dropping, but at least it's fun.
The game starts with Bond invading a lush countryside house, seeking out a shady figurehead while mowing down his private security like grass. From there, he'll headacross a number of locales taken from or inspired by the films, including an opera house, a speeding train and a construction site. Bad guys are littered throughout each area, and it's up to Bond to kill them by filling them with holes with a handgun or smacking them down with a vicious melee attack.
Quantum of Solace definitely has a Call of Duty-ish vibe, but that's no surprise. Treyarch, the game's developer, is responsible for Call of Duty 3 and the upcoming World At War. What sets this game apart, however, is the cover system. As Bond hides behind walls or whatever convenient objects he finds, the view shifts to third-person. When you're done hiding or performing other activities (such as climbing), the view shifts back to third-person without any snags.
It's a shame that there's not much more to the gameplay. You shoot bad guys (or the explosive containers around them), move on and repeat. There are occasional side games, such as hacking an electronic door, but they're rare. When you finally get to an aggressive boss battle requiring raw fisticuffs, Solace requires you to mash buttons in a specific order. This is disappointing, considering the more robust combat systems available in other games. Sadly, there's also no major use for Bond's gadgets, nor any driving stages. We really longed to bash enemy vehicles around with a heavily armored Aston Martin.
Treyarch, at the very least, did its homework with Quantum's presentation. The stages look movie-like, be it the beautiful opera house or the lush hotel where the high-stakes poker game takes place. Most of the environments are destructible as well, so you can shoot wooden structures, glasses and furniture. Character models and lighting effects also look realistic, though you'll repeatedly come across the same bad guys. The audio is pure Bond, with themes taken straight from the movies and throttling sound effects. Daniel Craig also provides voiceover work for the game, along with Judi Dench, who reprises her role as M.
As far as the single-player mode goes, you'll beat it in a matter of hours. There are bonus items to collect, such as cell phones and better weapons, but otherwise, you're just covering the same ground. There are multiplayer options through Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. You have the Golden Gun mode, where one player wields the classic Bond weapon while others attempt to steal it. Then there's a VIP mode where players must protect Bond, and another where one person fights against everyone else on the map – Bond against the enemy agents, basically. None of these modes stands out, but the credit system, which lets you buy new weapons and upgrades, is cool. More playable characters – the razor-hat wearing Oddjob, for one – would have been welcome additions.
Although its developers failed to create an exceptional game, Quantum of Solace's first-person shooting, enjoyable cover system and decent multiplayer modes make it worth playing.
Quantum of Solace Images
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 1 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 2 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 3 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 4 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 5 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 6 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 7 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 8 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 9 of 23)
James Bond is back with a vengeance in Activision's first 007-licensed video game. Utilizing the Call of Duty 4 engine, Quantum of Solace brings the action of Bond to life like never before! You control James Bond (portrayed by Daniel Craig, both in likeness and voice) as he battles enemies in events spanning across both the Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale films. The innovative first/third-person controls make you feel like you're actually the super-spy. Get ready to be shaken, not stirred, by Quantum of Solace! (Screenshot 10 of 23)
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