In short
A collection of some of the best Bond film moments crammed into one package. If you’re not a Bond fan, then the experience might just feel little on the convoluted side, but Bond fans should recognise the missions taken from the films. 007 Legends builds on Eurocom’s previous gameplay features, adds a range of customisation options and the multiplayer front is better than ever.
Developer: Eurocom
Publisher: Activision
Distributor: Megarom Interactive
For fans of: Shooters, Bond
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Also available on: Playstation 3, PC
If we had to give it a numerical score: 5.9/10
What we loved
- Bond nostalgia
- Cinematic sequences
- Voice acting
- Solid shooting-mechanics, but dated
Not so much
- Uninspiring gameplay
- Bland aesthetics
- Lacks overall polish
- Doesn’t come near matching the film experience
- Previous Bond game from Eurocom was better
Gameplay and Features
The biggest problem I have with the gameplay is that while it is generally pretty solid, it feels a little outdated and doesn’t really shine in any department. The Call of Duty shooting-mechanics are there, but feel dated. The stealth aspects should’ve and could’ve been great being a Bond game, but again, lack any sort of vigour.
I mean I definitely didn’t loathe the gameplay as it was not broken in any way, but nothing really stood out for me. If you have played a Call of Duty game before, then the mechanics will feel familiar and solid, but lack the “weighty” or “meaty” feel that you get with modern shooters. Everything does work though, crisply, and Eurocom did add some diversity. The fighting mechanics for example – you get into fist-fights which use similar, but a watered-down version of that in the Fight Night series. So you need to flick either the left or the right joystick up or down for high or low punches.
Eurocom have also added a sort of progression system – you can unlock masses of weapon-parts for the array of weapons on offer. I did enjoy this, being able to progress and customise the weapons. The weapons will be familiar to shooter fans, as will the sights, scopes and other parts. Being a spy game though, there are also a lot of silencers.
The spy gadgets is another area which I would have hope for more of, but the gadgets are unfortunately quite basic. Bond’s authentic watch can shoot a beam to fry certain devices with its frequency, and the phone can photograph; hack and scan for hidden objects. The gadgets and their uses were not elaborate enough for a spy fan like me, and at the end of the day this one is more shooter than anything else.
Not even the stealth gameplay was enough to make me feel more like a spy, I found the stealth gameplay to be insufficient or quite basic. You can sneak around, interrupt camera’s watching you and move amongst the shadows to remain undetected, but nothing excited or surprised me here – it’s hardly a match for the more prominent spy games.
For the ‘completionists’ out there, there is definitely plenty to do, making this a pretty high-value package. You can complete various individual missions or tackle the campaign in the various difficulties. The higher you push up the difficulty, the more objectives there are. So you can fly through the campaign and miss out on plenty of the sub-objectives, or take your time and carry out certain objectives which will gain you a higher completion ratio. There are plenty of mini-games to keep you busy alongside the campaign.
While the modes are fun and everything works, this is not the sort of game we buy for its online offerings which consist of fairly standard fare. Up to 12 players lobbies are playable in public or private match. There’s local split-screen which caters for four players. The maps are grabbed from the campaign and interesting enough. The multiplayer is better than ever, but really, is this going to stand a chance at taking on the big shooters out there? No. I suspect Legends will enjoy a small support for a short period.
Sound and Visuals
If you are going to deliver a fairly uninspiring package in the gameplay department, then at least deliver it in glossy package. Unfortunately the graphical production quality is not that impressive. There are a host of great cinematic sequences, but the graphics are bland and look dated. The characters are not the most textured, the environments look insipid and there’s a general lack of any flair in the visual department.
The sound quality is lacking in almost every department. The gunfire and explosions sound so timid, a stark contrast to the film counterpart, and do little to elevate the experience. The voice-acting; well, it is some great actors and authentic dialogue, so obviously this was going to be a sure thing. The dialogue itself is good, but there are loads of moments were the dialogue is out of sync.
Closing Comments
007 Legends does feel like a Call of Duty game, but unfortunately it feels like an old Call of Duty game. Legends is a celebration of Bond films, but not even the nostalgic moments were enough to make it a game worth celebrating. The shooting-mechanics feel aged, the stealth aspect was unimpressive and the gameplay in general just felt bland.
Worst of all is that it feels like Eurocom went backwards with this one. I enjoyed Eurocom’s previous attempt more than this one, despite it offering less in almost every department. I will concede that 007 Legends is not a terrible game, but as a massive Bond fan, I was left feeling a little cold.
Zombiegamer rating:
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