Wii Review: GoldenEye 007 (2010)

I came of age with a Playstation 1, so I all but missed out on the GoldenEye N64 phenomenon. Unlike many of those so childishly attached to that object of shared adolescence, I'm clearly not a GoldenEye loyalist, and it was with a welcoming attitude that I greeted this Wii remake, not automatic disdain. The story is generally the same: nuclear space weapons are hijacked and Bond must work with the sole survivor of a Russian research facility in order to disarm them, only to discover that the heist was plotted by the former agent 006, Alec Trevelyan, his best buddy. Changes to the story are mostly cosmetic, usually involving the relocation of missions and shifts in characters' appearance and narrative function (in some instances). These shifts bring the story up-to-date, while simultaneously meeting the demands of Daniel Craig's version of Bond; less gadgetry, less stealth, and considerably more to outright brutality. These single-player missions are fundamentally tailored to meet Craig's Bond halfway, and though they play reasonably well, they are far too linear in progression. It is too easy to navigate through these worlds, too obviously marked where players should go next, and there is no room for exploration or multiple approaches to completing mission objectives as there were in the original GoldenEye. Furthermore, stealth is downgraded to a few short segments of silent takedowns, and only (as stipulated by the linear structure of the levels themselves) when the game wants you to be stealthy. In many ways, GoldenEye's single-player is like the last Bond film, Quantum of Solace, in that it doesn't feel like a Bond game without the stealthy portions and the ridiculous gadgets. Instead, it feels (and plays) more like your typical Call of Duty-style shooter. In terms of multiplayer, GoldenEye is solid, if unimpressive. Of course, the lack of computer-controlled bots to fill up the maps is as unsurprising as it frustrating; their MIA status in more recent games continues. Online multiplayer is fun for a while, but becomes tiresome after more than a few go-arounds on the rather bland maps. GoldenEye is a fun rental, especially for those curious to see the changes from the N64 original, but unfortunately it has little replayability to offer.