At a glance...

Reviewer	Platform	Publisher	Developer	Players	Screenshots
Matt Bailey	PlayStation 2	Electronic Arts	Electronic Arts	1-4 (Split screen)	Here
Requirements				Also on...	Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Memory Card: 125KB Minimum				Xbox, GC	Click here to buy From Russia With Love.

From Russia With Love review

Games based on film licences have quite a mixed reputation, and James Bond games are no exception. While there have been some good (Everything or Nothing), and some bad (GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, one Bond game will always be on people's minds: GoldenEye by legendary developer Rare on the N64. It's not only the best Bond game ever made, it's also one of the most groundbreaking console shooters ever produced, and this leaves the inevitable comparisons with every Bond game to come.

One of the interesting decisions taken by Electronic Arts with the game is choosing to base this latest Bond title on the second James Bond film, From Russia With Love, from 1963. It's interesting for many reasons, firstly and most obviously, it's not based on a new Bond film, so there's no special interest that will guarantee its success, secondly it's not an original story like recent EA Bond games, and lastly they've decided to choose the second Bond film rather than the original, Dr No, for which a game has never been officially released. The explanation for the last is that From Russia With Love is more suited to what the developers wanted; its mix of on-foot action, driving, and more are good set ups for a video game.

Unlike GoldenEye, From Russia With Love is primarily a third-person shooter, and gives you control of Sean Connery as 007 himself. Not only was his likeness licensed, but EA even got the Scotsman himself to record lines for the game. Although it's not something that sways a review score, it's still a nice accompaniment to a game which is otherwise not exceptional. The storyline of the film is mostly followed, with slight deviations to suit the medium, and the pre-title action is present. The title sequence - a mix of CGI interlaced with footage from the film - also shows one of the other changes to the game, Natasha Bedingfield. I was rather surprised to see her present in the sequence - although it turns out she had played the Prime Minister's daughter who I had just saved previously.

The gameplay itself is actually fairly straightforward; instead of aiming yourself, you lock on to enemies, and press Fire, with some slight (but not skill-worthy) adjustments possible. Even jumping, swinging, and any other significant action is tied to a context-sensitive button (usually X), and begins an automated process you don't need any ability to achieve. Even on the highest difficulty, most gamers will cruise through the game, particularly with AI who offer only limited abilities to dive behind cover, and actually get out of the way of gunfire.

The game's advantage over Everything or Nothing is the addition of multiplayer. However, it seems hardly worthwhile. The game's third-person viewpoint - especially in a split-screen view - doesn't seem suited to playing multiplayer games. What makes it worse is that the levels are quite sparse, and offer little excitement as between two and four players try and find each other. When they do, the game's simplistic lock-on mechanism makes the action simply a matter of either who shoots first, or who has the biggest weapon. It's simply not that enjoyable, and doesn't improve the overall replayability - and neither does the lack of online play.

What does help, however, is the RPG element of the game. Weapons are collectable and upgradable, and at least offer the chance to vary the otherwise very linear missions. There is quite a range on offer, and should offer some the incentive to not only play through again with different combinations, but actually unlock some of the hidden upgrades on offer.

Graphically the game looked better than expected. Maybe I have low expectations for PlayStation 2 titles now I'm used to the next-generation, but the facial expressions in particular have impressed me. Sean Connery himself - making his first appearance in a video game - certainly looks good, as do the game's explosions, and other effects. However, the general look of the game does seem less than spectacular, and while the game does not have a murky look like many games on the platform, the crisper graphics only show off somewhat generic textures, and unexciting car models. Overall, it looks fairly good, but there are few points besides the characters that you will truly remember.

Ratings

Graphics	Looks rather good for a PlayStation 2 title, with the facial expressions (including a believable Connery), explosions and other effects pulled off well. However, while the textures aren't murky, they do lack any sense of spectacle that can often occur in a cross-platform game.	7/10
Gameplay	It can be enjoyable at times, but the game guides you through so much, there's often little thinking to do. The lack of challenge seriously hampers a game which manages to pull off multiple gameplay types (the main 3rd person shooting, driving, etc.) better than expected.	6/10
Value	Unexciting split-screen multiplayer, no online play, and a storyline that's over all too quickly make it hard to justify it's price unless you're desperate for more Bond action.	6/10
Lifespan	Most regular gamers will be able cruise through the game in a few hours at most. There's some scope for replayability, and there's also multiplayer, but the latter in particular is unlikely to keep you coming back for long.	6/10
Audio	The sound effects and voices aren't particularly exciting, with Connery himself being a key exception.	7/10
Overall	Although the game isn't particularly bad, it's just too straightforward, and fails to offer anything to the genre. While the single player will provide enjoyment for a while, it's over too quickly, and the lacklustre multiplayer mode doesn't save the day. However, at least it's better than GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.	6/10

Click here to buy From Russia With Love from Amazon.co.uk.

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