Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace - (DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360)
Developer: Treyarch
Format: DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, X360
Genre: Shooter


We're shaken, but not stirred



In a flurry of Aston Martins and product placement, the Bond franchise marches relentlessly on. This time they've melded bits of Casino Royale onto a Quantum storyline so you'll get the best bits from both films to play out your 007 fantasies.

What the game excels at is the feeling that you're really playing Bond. It pervades the game, from cut scenes and game intros, to the camera popping out to third person perspective in single player mode. Combine this with a hefty amount of stealth missions and a fast pace of gameplay and you have an above average take on the movie.

It's also grafted onto the Call of Duty 4 game engine so player and environment physics and movements work very well with kill animations and level structure being expertly crafted. There's also good voice over by Mr Craig and the appearance of the likes of Judi Dench and Eva Green - all adding to an authentic feel.

It's just that you can't escape the feeling that you've played much of this before. The first person shooter elements (the majority of the single player for example) can start to feel monotonous. Enemies seemed cloned from a one size fits all bad guy model and their AI at times is laughable. There's also a fair amount of obvious product placement in the game destructible Sony laptops being just one example.

The lack of logic in the two films being tagged into the one game also jars. The Casino Royale elements are presented in a weird flashback-type sequence and it doesn't quite work in the middle of the single player Quantum of Solace story thread.

Single player is over far too quickly, it's just as well that the multiplayer modes and pace make the title shine. This is where you'll have the most fun, in the best environments with the best deathmatches, VIP protection and Golden Gun modes. A nifty credit reward system in line with your contributions to a match mean you can bling your weapons in gold or tech-up with bigger scopes.

Like the new-look Bond films themselves, this'll divide opinion.