GoldenEye 007 Review




Disclosure: We may earn a commission from links on this page

Developer: Eurocom Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 2, 2010 Available On: Wii

It has been thirteen years since a little game called GoldenEye hit the market on the Nintendo 64. A lot has changed since then, yet several developers have tried to re-create the magic of that game with indirect clones and even a “spiritual remake” using the same title, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, which did not have any relation whatsoever to the original game or movie. Now Activision is trying it with GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, an official remake of the original game and a reimaging of the movie.

The first thing you will notice when playing GoldenEye is that keyword: reimagined. The developers, likely through the movie studios not wanting to confuse audiences with a past Bond, decided to cast Daniel Craig as the lead character. Pierce Brosnan, of course, was the Bond featured in both the GoldenEye game and movie. Instead, they are updating the game with a storyline that is based in modern-day and features the likeness as well as voice-acting of Daniel Craig.

Purists like me will probably be upset with this fact. GoldenEye is my favorite Bond movie. To see them alter the storyline somewhat considerably is disconcerting. That said, as you can imagine with a more modern system, the Wii is capable of better storytelling than the Nintendo 64. Whereas you had to rely on reading “top secret” files before each mission in the classic game, the remake has cut-scenes and voice-acting to aid with storytelling.

Some of what they did makes sense to create a smooth experience, but don’t expect to see each level as they appeared on the Nintendo 64 with updated graphics and Wii controls. In many ways, this is a revision of the GoldenEye franchise. Entire new levels have been added, such as a night club and an aquarium. Other levels have been removed completely (Silo, among others). Some of the most enjoyable experiences come when you see the re-created favorites such as the Dam, Facility, and Cradle (which is oddly now a solar plant in Africa instead of a satellite dish in Cuba).



The game does a good job of taking advantages of what the Wii does best. The motion controls are responsive most of the time. You may need to fiddle around with the settings a little bit, but it works pretty well once you get used to it. Thankfully they limit the crazy Wii gestures that some other games employ to just a melee attack and slamming buttons. Each of the levels can be replayed once they are beaten.

The multi-player was probably the biggest draw of the original game. GoldenEye for the Wii is the closest that any game has come to the Nintendo 64 version. That’s not necessarily good, either, since we have come a long way in shooters since 1997. Offline you can play four player split-screen. The Wii controls have a learning curve, so if you play with friends that have not played the single-player, they will probably find it difficult to compete. Thankfully, the game supports both the Wii classic controller and GameCube controls. Also supported is online multi-player with up to eight players, although I don’t recommend it. Very few people play and the servers are agonizingly slow.

The developers did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong with the graphics. On the positive side, the environmental effects are quite stunning for a Wii game, especially in the snowy levels. The character models are detailed and life-like, even though they all look different from the original game (some of them, such as Valentine, are completely different). Unfortunately, you can still very much tell that this is a Wii game. The graphics can be grainy and pixelated at times, the explosions leave a lot to be desired, and the backgrounds sometimes appear like they are just painted on rather than actual 3D textures.

The Wii has been looking for its shooter ever since the system launch. GoldenEye is “it”, just like it was on the Nintendo 64. It will not be remembered with the same nostalgia as Rare’s classic and frankly its contemporaries already outdo it on other systems, but on the Wii, this is the best that you are going to get. Fans should definitely consider a rental for the single-player (it can be beaten in a single weekend) or a purchase if you plan to play a lot with friends. Just don’t expect an exact recreation of the original game.

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Gameplay: 9
Creativity: 8
Replay Value/Game Length: 8.5
Final: 8.5 out of 10
Written by Kyle Bell Write a User Review

Leave a Comment