Enter a room full of gamers and simply whisper the name GoldenEye and watch people's reactions. Really, it's fun -- try it.
There are few games that can elicit responses like GoldenEye. It's like watching a Christian revival on TV. People faint, convulse, speak in tongues... hell, I've even seen the lame walk after playing GoldenEye -- the game is just that powerful!
This religious fervor over the game has made it nearly impossible to release a Bond game. Even after incredible efforts, as in the recently released Everything or Nothing, Bond games are still shunned by a select few because, "it's not Goldeneye." EA is set to give these detractors what they've wanted all along with the release of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.
Rogue Agent is a departure from previous Bond games in a few ways. The gameplay has returned to its FPS roots, eschewing the driving and action elements that have marked current games. The more shocking element that GoldenEye 2 brings to the table is that you don't play as Bond. Sure, its been a fun run playing as the super-slick Brit, but now you get to experience the Bond universe from the gold-hued eye of a villain.
Rogue Agent places you behind the gun of an aspiring M16 agent who is eager to obtain 00 status. The game opens as you fight along side 007 during a scene from Goldfinger, or at least a modern interpretation of the famous Fort Knox scene. Unfortunately, your over-eagerness and excessive brutality gets you drummed from M16 and leads you to begin work for Auric Goldfinger. While in the service of Goldfinger, you become a footman in his war against another major Bond villain, Dr. No. This duty ends up costing you an eye, which Goldfinger soon replaces with an enhanced gold-hued eye, earning you the name Goldeneye.
While EA wouldn?t reveal the exact nature of how the eye will work within the game, it is expected to play a major role.
Though the plot may offend Bond purists, the "what-if" narrative should provide for some entertaining plot points. Players will also cross paths with other famous allies and enemies like Oddjob, Scaramanga, Xenia Onatop and, of course, Pussy Galore. Missions will span both new and familiar locales, like Hong Kong, Fort Knox, the Moonraker space station and Dr. No's Crab Key Island base in the Caribbean.
Following up a game that is as revered as the original is a tall order, but EA is determined to live up to the expectations. As a villain, you will have the freedom to do things you haven't been able to do in other games -- such as using bystanders as human shields. GoldenEye 2 will also allow for much more interaction with your surroundings. One area showcased fuel tanks that you could light on fire by shooting them. Sharp-eyed gamers will even be able to shoot grenades out of an enemy's hand, forcing them to drop it or causing it to explode. Other environmental hazards will also help you in your fight against Dr. No.
Environments will also use a unique cover system. Aside from hiding behind boxes and walls, you can also hide behind frosted glass and massive fires, obstacles that make it hard for enemies to target through accurately.
Using a system dubbed "Evil AI", GoldenEye 2 will present players with enemies that act on aggression and unpredictability. AI will also react to your every move and adapt to your play style. The more aggressive you play, the more apt the AI is to make mistakes. However, this also means that playing defensively will give them the upper hand. The goal is an AI that is constantly keeping players on their toes. In fact, the developers are so confident in the new Evil AI system that they were openly challenging people (at least those who were lucky enough to see the game in action) to complete the first level ?- something that is easier said than done. Your reward for doing so? A nice shiny Goldeneye 2 shirt. Needless to say, EA probably went home with a box or two since only about 38 had been given out by 3 p.m. on the last day of E3.
The original's claim to fame was, of course, its deep Multiplayer mode. Multiplayer modes are planned for every aspect of the game and will be available on the PS2, GameCube and Xbox. PS2 and Xbox gamers will have the opportunity to take their game online and prove once and for all who is the best GoldenEye player.