Ah yes, once again we are called upon by MI6 to stop the notorious villains from wreaking havoc and destruction upon the world. And who better to send in than the world renowned super spy, 007.


The game Quantum of Solace doesn't really have much to do with the actual movie. In fact, it's actually more of a prequel to Casino Royal. The story does branch right into the movie Casino Royal and you get to play out your favorite parts of that movie. But, you won't be learning much in the way of the new movie. So, the story for the game is actually a recap of what we've already seen. What the developers did was add in deleted scenes from the movie (Casino Royal) and let you the gamer play them out. A sound Idea for sure. But, why tag this game as Quantum of Solace?


The game is utilizing the COD4 engine and for the most part it works out well. But, the developer (Treyarch) is not using the 3D engine to it's fullest potential. And the games graphics are not balanced well either. Some areas of the game truly shine while others do not. When your inside a building the textures on most levels look good. But, when you go outside things do not look so good. For example: On the first level of the game Bond is going after Mr. White who is taking refuge in a big mansion. You'll have to fight your way through the courtyard and into the mansion to get to Mr. White. When your outside everything looks flat and pasted. Especially when you look off into the distance at mountains and other terrain. The backdrops are ridiculously bad and don't even measure up to Call of Duty 4. It's almost insulting to see the COD4 engine used so poorly. Character models look more like dolls than actual people except 007's. They really captured Danial Graig's (007) likeness well. Now, the animations are good and get the job done. NPC's will spin and roll to their death appropriately. And they will take full advantage of the cover system as well. So, you won't be seeing allot of bad guys standing around.


The sound in the game is well done. Everything from authentic sounding weapons to the catchy Bond theme. The only thing that does not sound good are some of the voice over work. It seems forced and doesn't flow naturally. On a positive note Danial Craig (007) and Judy Dench (M) reprise their roles respectively, and do a great job in the game.


Controls are one of the biggest strong points in the game. They are tight, responsive, and comfortable. Think of the controls as a mix between Call of Duty 4 and Rainbow Six: Vegas. It's a great Idea and works out well. The COD4 controls are more for the first person perspective. You can look down your sites and it looks and plays beautifully. The RB6:Vegas controls are geared toward the cover system aspect of the game. The cover system works extremely well and is an integral part of the gameplay. If you don't use cover you will die. You also have a melee attack. By clicking in the right analog stick when close to an enemy, Bond will perform a take down. It's a one button mini game, simply press the corresponding button and Bond will perform the appropriate move. It's a little cheap but it can really help you get out of a jam.


The campaign will only take you about six hours to complete and then it's off to multiplayer. Unfortunately, the online aspect of the game is very basic. It offers all the standard game types from which you would expect, but it doesn't reinvent the wheel by any means. On the plus side the game is fun and a barrel of laughs. I recommend this game as a solid rental. It's just fun to be Bond.



Reviewed By Trilithium 4