Blood Stone 007 goes out of its way to establish itself as a full-blown Bond experience. That includes the MGM lion and a wonderfully stylish opening title sequence. Technically speaking, the game looks decent at times and brilliant at others. The faces of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Joss Stone are easily recognizable, and their emotions are visibly expressed well enough. The only person who doesn't do a good job of expressing emotion is Bond himself, who has simply hardened into a cold, efficient killer -- undoubtedly the result of the painful lessons that he learned in Casino Royale. When you're running and gunning, things have a tendency to look a little plain, but during the game's several set piece moments, you'll be sold. Most of the environmental destruction is scripted, and so are most of the death animations. However, it all looks so good that you won't care. My main complaint with the visuals has to do with Bond's smartphone. Like in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Blood Stone 007 features a sort of detective vision that filters the colors into an almost monochromatic scheme. This will only affect your enjoyment of the visuals if you absolutely need to find every piece of intelligence in the field.
I can't find fault with Blood Stone 007's sound quality. Activision and Bizarre Creations secured Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Joss Stone for voicework, and the performances are fantastic. Craig's Bond is the no-nonsense working man of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Judi Dench's M is assertive, confident, and sharp as a tack, just like she is in the films. The script doesn't do any favors for poor Joss Stone; at times, it feels as if she's simply filling the Bond girl quota of the day. Though her character isn't particularly interesting, her voice is lovely, whether she's singing or merely speaking. Yes, she sings the song that accompanies the credits. Richard Jacques' soundtrack is perfect for a Bond game; it's as bombastic as it is intense.
