My first James Bond film was "The Spy Who Loved Me." At the age of 9 it had just about everything I wanted in a film: a cool hero doing dangerous things, a menacing henchman (Jaws), a creepy villain with webbed hands, and Lotus that could drive underwater. I didn't understand all that kissing stuff though. A man with a licence to kill should be smart enough to know how to avoid cooties, for crying out loud.
Anyway, that's the reason why Roger Moore remains at the top of my Bond list. Nobody has done it better.
This bring us to 007 Legends, coming from Eurocom (the developer behind Syndicate) and Activision this October, which is being aligned with the 50th Anniversary of the film franchise. That fact is important because the source material of the classic (Licence to Kill, Die Another Day) and even more classic Bond films (Moonraker, On Her Majesty's Secret Service) are being mined in order to tie together an overarching story. If that weren't enough to boggle my mind, the game is supposedly wrapped up with material from the upcoming Bond film, Skyfall.
Unfortunately, there's no "Bond hopping" involved. Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond is is the linchpin that will hold the entire first-person shooter experience together. Truth be told, that's a bit of a let down for me. With the capabilities of today's graphic engines and skill of designers to use them, it would beggar logic to not have any nods to the other actors that have played Bond. I have my fingers crossed for multiplayer skins.But wait, Michael Lonsdale is reprising his role as Hugo Drax? Richard Kiel, too? Jaws had one line in the two Bond films he appeared in! What will he say this time out? Isn't that Holly Goodhead? Piz Gloria? Oh, dear God, will Blofeld show up? Please!
Because of the legacy of Bond games -- licence to kill -- and the propensity for Activision to ensure some kind of multiplayer component in their published games, it will be a surprise if there isn't some heavy competitive mode included.
007 Legends feels a little like it's riding under most people's radar at the moment and launching during the busy 4th Quarter (even if does have a strong tie-in with Skyfall) probably doesn't help much, but I'm one that's looking forward to it. At least, my 9-year old self is.
His brain is about to melt.
- Aaron Simmer
