GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
| Developer: EA | Publisher: EA |
| Release Date: November 22, 2004 | Also On: GCN, PS2, & Xbox |
The gaming media really needs to wake up. All of these corporate sites have over-hyped dozens of games this year, including Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Metroid Prime 2, Killzone, and Fable, all of which fell well short of our expectations, while at the same time, giving sparse attention to games like Sly 2, Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, and now, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. It’s our job as reviewers to separate the good from the bad, the ‘must buy’ from the ‘toxic waste’.
It’s my opinion that the gaming media has utterly failed the public this year, and GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is no exception. Sites have unfairly written that it doesn’t properly incorporate its new concepts, writing that they are highly flawed. Yet, if EA were to release a sequel to the well-developed Nightfire, the same media elite would be decrying them as ‘unoriginal’. The ones that are unoriginal in their tactics are the reviewers themselves. They take the same positions every year: follow the band-wagon of hype surrounding whichever game is most popular, whether Halo 2 or San Andreas.
If you’re expecting a James Bond franchise game to be Halo, don’t play this game. If you’re expecting the all-star cast that you found in Everything or Nothing, both voice acting and orchestral, don’t play this game. If you’re expecting Rogue Agent to be anything other than a Bond franchise game, with you playing as the villain, don’t play this game. Now that that’s out of my system, let’s move on to my review.
I’m going to pivot my criticism away from the gaming media for a second, and take aim at EA for a moment. When I first heard about GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, the first thought that crossed my mind was, ‘how could they possibly surpass the greatness of GoldenEye for the N64?’ It was explained to me at EALA that this wasn’t their intent. With that being said, I can’t hold it against them that the game doesn’t live up to the GoldenEye name, but to put it plainly, GoldenEye should have never been used in the title. It was a marketing ploy to sell more titles, simple as that.
With all of that out of the way, Rogue Agent is a fitting addition to the Bond universe. I was informed that Danjaq was unhappy with the violent approach that EA had taken with the Bond series, just as GoldenEye did under Rare. Rogue Agent was their chance to take violence to a new level. Fortunately for us, the Bond stealth levels that we found in Nightfire are no longer here. While those were small in number, they were boring, hard to navigate, and gave you little control, especially since the game was in first-person. Unfortunately, EA strived more at getting a 'T' rating than making your character as evil as you'd like him to be.
Rogue Agent will have you play as a former MI6 agent, by the name of GoldenEye. GoldenEye lost his eye, and had it replaced by a mechanical eye, provided to you by Auric Goldfinger. Apparently, Goldfinger is at war with Dr. No. It’s your job to take down Dr. No’s organization. Your enhanced eye will give you the ability to shield yourself from bullets, throw enemies Psi-Ops style, see through walls, and disable enemy weapons. EA also instituted a melee system that allows you to punch enemies, take them hostage, and then throw them at will. If your skills prove lethal, enemies will take their buddies as hostage, using them as a shield against you.
As demonstrated by the lead designer to me in July, the AI in GoldenEye is as advanced as they come. The difficulty level has been noticeably reduced from the version I played then, but it’s still above average on difficulty compared to most games. Head shots, cover, ducking, duel-wielding, grenades, and the use of your eye will all assist in beating any given level. The E.V.I.L. AI, as it’s called, will flank you, coordinate with each other, blind fire, and take cover. If you’re expecting swarms of dumb enemies, guess again, this will throw advanced enemies at you in medium to large groups. Add to that, their armor levels vary by enemy type.
The single player missions will take place over a few levels, of which there are several save points. You’ll start off in a training mission at Fort Knox, followed by Goldfinger’s mountain retreat, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Atlantis, etc. The levels are well-designed, while at the same time, quite linear. Unless you get trapped by a glitch in the game, where you can’t open an elevator door in Atlantis after a checkpoint, you should have no problem navigating the levels. An arrow on the display gives you directions.
As far as multi-player goes, EA went all-out. There are a slew of maps to choose from, some of which require two players, others will require more than two. Split-screen offline multi-player is an available option, as is Xbox Live online multi-player. I personally prefer facing friends, as that’s a more satisfying win than someone you’ve never met. Either way, the multi-player is a solid addition. Some of the maps can get frustrating, as they seem large for 3 players, but since there are so many to choose from, you’ll learn to just avoid a couple that you don’t like.
Death traps are a new addition to gameplay. For the most part, they were implemented well, despite the few kinks here and there. For instance, the multi-player maps where it is used, they are discreetly positioned, and so you’ll find an unsuspecting walkway as a collapsible floor, leading to the death of your enemy, at the press of a button. It works best in the Uplink, Fun House, and the Golden Gate Bridge. While it’s present in most of them, some of the levels feel like the traps were thrown in.
GoldenEye, the character, might not be a spy to love, but he sure is a spy you’ll love to play as. Rogue Agent does one thing good, and that’s provide you with a good time, something that felt empty in parts of previous Bond titles, and in several FPS in recent memory, including Halo 2. All that matters in my mind is if you’re having a good time. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent succeeds in doing that, be it single-player, which you’ll play again on the Hard difficulty, after beating Normal, just to see how more advanced the AI can get, or to go head-to-head with friends in multi-player. Just remember to forgive and forget about the title, as this is not in any way connected to GoldenEye for the N64. If for nothing else, pick GoldenEye: Rogue Agent up for the multi-player, and Pussy Galore.
| Graphics: | 8 |
| Sound: | 7.5 |
| Gameplay: | 9 |
| Creativity: | 8 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 10 |
| Final: | 8.5 |
| Written by Kyle | Review Guide |
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