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The name is Bond, James Bond in Quantum of Solace, the new action shooter from Activision, that lets you step into the shoes of one of the worlds best known secret agents. Quantum of Solace is Activisions first James Bond title after securing the rights from EA and they have attempted to give this game the best possible chance of success. Not only did they allocate the development duties to Treyarch, (one of their most well known studios) but they also had the game developed on the Call of Duty 4 engine, one of the most visually impressive gaming engines of today. The storyline covers two Bond movies, Casino Royle and of course the new movie Quantum of Solace. For all that Quantum of Solace has going for it, there is no doubt that it will be compared to Rare's Goldeneye from back in 1997, which is still arguably the holder of the best Bond game title. So how does Quantum of Solace hold up? Is it a contender for the title of the best game ever or just another typical movie game. Goldeneye will keep its title for now, but thats not to say that Quantum of Solace is a bad game and a footprint in the right direction for future Bond titles.

Quantum of Solace is a stripped down action mix of first and 3rd person shooter elements whereby cover is your greatest ally. Thankfully the cover system is well implemented as you will spend much game time utilizing cover for protection from enemies. To enter cover its as simple as pressing the A button whilst close to a wall of large object, at which the game will enter a 3rd person view. There is also the option to sprint for cover once you are close, which also switches the screen to the 3rd person camera. This is an excellent feature as when a group of enemies spawn up in front of you, you'll need to get into cover fast and the 3rd person view can offer a better scope of the level. Once in cover you can duck out to aim and shoot, but even on the easier difficulties, you will find yourself being shot often due to the pinpoint accuracy of enemies. This is where blindfire is really handy, allowing the removal of some enemies minus the expense of a few extra bullets from the clip due to inaccuracy. It is suggested to get use to using cover in the earlier levels as Quantum of Solace really is a stop and pop kind of game. As you progress nearly every battle situation will require you to utilize cover. This is partly due to the mentioned enemy accuracy and also the fact that Bond can only take a few bullets before dying in a very Bond stylised fashion.

This kind of gameplay can grow tedious and tiresome quite quickly, especially in a linear shooter but Treyarch have attempted to mix up the action by breaking up the levels with moments of stealth, on foot chase sequences, sniping and some hacking of data consoles and security pads. In stealth mode Bond cannot draw his gun but should you be spotted by a guard or alarm system you have access to your weapon to assist in the removal of enemies. Whilst many people will attempt to be stealthy and avoid getting caught, there is really no reward to it and its just as much fun to see guards come running out of their posting only to end up a victim on the floor. Its also more beneficial to alert hidden guards so you can take them out. This is due to moments where they will spawn behind you causing a situation where you are simply surrounded, which can be very hard to get out of alive. If you choose to go the stealth route there is the option to dispatch your enemies via a silenced weapon or a takedown maneuver. Takedown maneuvers are essentially a Quick time action sequence where you much press the button that appears on the screen within a set time limit to successfully execute the move. Over the course of the game you will see a few different takedown animations but don’t expect to see much variety. As the animations are quite random you will often find Bond only using the one maneuver. Another popular feature of the bond games, gadgets are virtually non existent which will no doubt disappoint some. The closest bond gets to using a gadget is when you need to hack a control panel or computer. Depending on the action, it is completed by either a Quick time button sequence or simply holding the X button whilst a progress metre fills on the screen. Once it has filled, your hack is complete and was successful, giving absolutely no challenge to the player. Some will enjoy this approach as it does allow you to get back to the action quicker, others no doubt will savour something a bit more puzzling. Another distraction that you will encounter numerous times throughout the course of the game is a balancing beam sequence where you must use the analogue stick to stop bond falling whilst movie forward as quickly as possible. Again its something to break up the action that some will appreciate. Throughout the levels you will also encounter special enemies, such as vehicles with heavily armed and protected gunmen shooting off the back or enemies shooting rifles off helicopters (again with pinpoint accuracy) Some of these moments really do shine among the standard run and gun experience, especially when the game throws enemies at you from all directions and you somehow manage to pull through, but these moments are often too far apart and are often predictable detracting from the overall experience.

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