An upgrade from Agent Under Fire in every way - except the driving levels. The physics weren't nearly as fun :(
James Bond 007: Nightfire offers a satisfying espionage adventure packed with thrilling action sequences, diverse locations, and iconic Bond gadgets. While the story isn't groundbreaking, the gameplay delivers a fun mix of stealth, shooting, and even some entertaining driving segments. Nightfire also boasts a lively split-screen multiplayer mode that harkens back to classic couch-competitive experiences. Though it might show its age by today's standards, Nightfire remains a nostalgic and entertaining entry in the James Bond video game legacy.
I loved this game when I played it, different ways to complete the mission, different weapons, creative paths, escapes, car under water, and besides all that, there was a game mode that you played with a friend, and it was really cool to do battles and testing weapons like 'everyone launches rockets' and things like that
essa missão da neve no começo é mt nostalgica pqp, vou rejogar algum dia
Played a lot of split screen multiplayer with my younger brother when we were kids.
This game is a first person shooter made in 2002 where you can not look left and right. Its pretty much the same game play wise to the other 007 games I've played, so its still fun and chaotic in multiplayer. Not great not terrible.
Game peaked with the first mission. After that each mission ranged from annoying to above average.
The first level of this game is better than most games. The multiplayer is also sick.
BAMES JHOND
In the 2000s, you would seemingly expect that the PC version of a game like this would be a port of a console version. However, the PC version of Nightfire was developed separately by Gearbox. While they had access to some of the same resources of the console version, the differences are rather interesting.
The biggest difference is how the game feels. The PC version is built using the “GoldSrc” engine that was built for the original Half-Life (and Gearbox-developed Counter Strike). While this may sound like a positive thing, in Nightfire it just feels floaty and dethatched. Its limitations are very clear in this game and you can see why Valve created Source for Half-Life 2.
This version completely skips the opening section – it skips all vehicle sections. It opens up at the castle where M tells you to get into the truck (in the console version, they let you figure this out). The problem is…this is a closed top truck. There’s no way to get in it. You can get on top of it and crouch, but enemies still stop you. You get a “Bond move” jingle but it really doesn’t feel deserved.
Inside the castle walls and the game feels a lot more linear. Gadgets are used to find extra ammo and armour, but not for alternative routes. It’s very straightforward and just feels restrictive.
Upon getting inside the party, I was surprised to find that the cutscenes, while pre-rendered, actually reflect the different level design of this version. You also have an extra objective here: take photos of all the women. The game has a reason for it (which doesn’t affect the story in any way) and it just feels a bit strange and creepy. On that note – the X-ray glasses show skeletons for men, but reveals underwear for women.
Escaping this castle and everything just feels less detailed than the console version, and this section once again is just a single path.
Instead of the car chase escape, we have to sneak into an airfield to disable backup and get a plane to escape. Get spotted before a certain point and it’s game over (on the plus side, this game does let you save mid-mission). You get asked to deal with searchlights, but they make no difference: enemies in this game have amazing eyesight and you’ll find yourself randomly failing the mission often, having no idea who spotted you. Also, while this level looks open, there’s still only one way to progress.
Half way through the mission and it becomes an escort mission as you use a sniper to protect your ally, Zoe. At least in this, the enemy’s extreme eyesight means they often take pot shots at you instead of their target. The enemy AI is pretty non-existent, they never look for cover or dodge. On multiple occasions, they lost track of Bond and just shot at nothing for eternity.
The Japanese house level is more of the same feeling: this is a toned down and linear version. There are some nice secret routes in the console version which are just gone here. That said, even though it feels linear, it’s oddly also easy to get lost. The lack of enemy AI also makes the ninja fight extremely easy.
Back to stealth. One positive change is that your dart gun is now a pen, which suits Bond more. The problem is that the level design is still terrible and the enemies can see you from astounding distances (the game, knowing this, puts enemies on walkways you can’t get to). I also had to look up how to progress – turns out a keycard wasn’t being rendered.
Half way though this level you get to climb up the wall. This is very cool…to start with. This section goes on for what feels forever as you wait under windows for enemies to turn around. There’s more tedious stealth but on the roof, you get to enter a penthouse, which is a nice change to jumping straight to the helicopter fight.
Next up is the game’s best level – and one that wasn’t in the console version. You have to infiltrate an astronaut training facility. You also get a cutscene that happened in the second to last level of the console version, as one of the villains vows revenge on Bond.
The first part of this isn’t anything special, but then you get into a space suit and enter the training – cleverly done by being underwater. You don’t get full underwater or space controls, though, it’s more of a low gravity with Bond jumping higher and slower. It does end with a good battle with the villain, so he has a better moment in this.
Bond gets captured in the same way, but this level is different. Bond is trapped in a lift and enemies take out huge chunks of their building to take pot shots. It’s incredibly tedious and ends with a really hard to see grapple point (the first time you have to use it) and if you don’t use it quickly enough, you die. The rest of the level is an extremely long slog. It felt like it would never end.
Time for another vehicle-replacement mission. As you start, your objectives pop up saying “Agent McCall has been taken hostage by Phoenix Commandos. Find and rescue Alura”. This capture doesn’t happen in a cutscene (even though this cutscene is exclusive to this version) and isn’t mentioned in dialogue, that objective is all you get, after she was just introduced saving Bond a few seconds earlier.
This mission is fine, there’s some surprisingly open sections – although inly in terms of empty spaces, the level progression is still extremely linear. This mission is decent.
While I hated the penultimate mission in the console version, this one is just very, very tedious and boring. Difficulty in this game is all over the place, and done entirely by just throwing a ton of enemies at you. Enemies on the island also take a lot more hits than previous missions, because bullet sponges and more enemies are all the game can do for difficulty.
The final mission is extremely anti-climatic. You have an annoying jumping section (using a similar jetpack mechanic as Agent Under Fire where you get one burst upwards, although it likes to just not work sometimes) and disarm the nuclear missiles in a small room, before shooting the big bad as he stands around. The first time this level loaded for me, I didn’t have the spacesuit or laser, which was quite confusing as I couldn’t progress.
The PC version of Nightfire is just strange, and comes across in many ways like a PS1 title. It does have one mission which would have been nice to see in the console version, and a few interesting ideas, but ultimately, it’s not fun to play.
The biggest difference is how the game feels. The PC version is built using the “GoldSrc” engine that was built for the original Half-Life (and Gearbox-developed Counter Strike). While this may sound like a positive thing, in Nightfire it just feels floaty and dethatched. Its limitations are very clear in this game and you can see why Valve created Source for Half-Life 2.
This version completely skips the opening section – it skips all vehicle sections. It opens up at the castle where M tells you to get into the truck (in the console version, they let you figure this out). The problem is…this is a closed top truck. There’s no way to get in it. You can get on top of it and crouch, but enemies still stop you. You get a “Bond move” jingle but it really doesn’t feel deserved.
Inside the castle walls and the game feels a lot more linear. Gadgets are used to find extra ammo and armour, but not for alternative routes. It’s very straightforward and just feels restrictive.
Upon getting inside the party, I was surprised to find that the cutscenes, while pre-rendered, actually reflect the different level design of this version. You also have an extra objective here: take photos of all the women. The game has a reason for it (which doesn’t affect the story in any way) and it just feels a bit strange and creepy. On that note – the X-ray glasses show skeletons for men, but reveals underwear for women.
Escaping this castle and everything just feels less detailed than the console version, and this section once again is just a single path.
Instead of the car chase escape, we have to sneak into an airfield to disable backup and get a plane to escape. Get spotted before a certain point and it’s game over (on the plus side, this game does let you save mid-mission). You get asked to deal with searchlights, but they make no difference: enemies in this game have amazing eyesight and you’ll find yourself randomly failing the mission often, having no idea who spotted you. Also, while this level looks open, there’s still only one way to progress.
Half way through the mission and it becomes an escort mission as you use a sniper to protect your ally, Zoe. At least in this, the enemy’s extreme eyesight means they often take pot shots at you instead of their target. The enemy AI is pretty non-existent, they never look for cover or dodge. On multiple occasions, they lost track of Bond and just shot at nothing for eternity.
The Japanese house level is more of the same feeling: this is a toned down and linear version. There are some nice secret routes in the console version which are just gone here. That said, even though it feels linear, it’s oddly also easy to get lost. The lack of enemy AI also makes the ninja fight extremely easy.
Back to stealth. One positive change is that your dart gun is now a pen, which suits Bond more. The problem is that the level design is still terrible and the enemies can see you from astounding distances (the game, knowing this, puts enemies on walkways you can’t get to). I also had to look up how to progress – turns out a keycard wasn’t being rendered.
Half way though this level you get to climb up the wall. This is very cool…to start with. This section goes on for what feels forever as you wait under windows for enemies to turn around. There’s more tedious stealth but on the roof, you get to enter a penthouse, which is a nice change to jumping straight to the helicopter fight.
Next up is the game’s best level – and one that wasn’t in the console version. You have to infiltrate an astronaut training facility. You also get a cutscene that happened in the second to last level of the console version, as one of the villains vows revenge on Bond.
The first part of this isn’t anything special, but then you get into a space suit and enter the training – cleverly done by being underwater. You don’t get full underwater or space controls, though, it’s more of a low gravity with Bond jumping higher and slower. It does end with a good battle with the villain, so he has a better moment in this.
Bond gets captured in the same way, but this level is different. Bond is trapped in a lift and enemies take out huge chunks of their building to take pot shots. It’s incredibly tedious and ends with a really hard to see grapple point (the first time you have to use it) and if you don’t use it quickly enough, you die. The rest of the level is an extremely long slog. It felt like it would never end.
Time for another vehicle-replacement mission. As you start, your objectives pop up saying “Agent McCall has been taken hostage by Phoenix Commandos. Find and rescue Alura”. This capture doesn’t happen in a cutscene (even though this cutscene is exclusive to this version) and isn’t mentioned in dialogue, that objective is all you get, after she was just introduced saving Bond a few seconds earlier.
This mission is fine, there’s some surprisingly open sections – although inly in terms of empty spaces, the level progression is still extremely linear. This mission is decent.
While I hated the penultimate mission in the console version, this one is just very, very tedious and boring. Difficulty in this game is all over the place, and done entirely by just throwing a ton of enemies at you. Enemies on the island also take a lot more hits than previous missions, because bullet sponges and more enemies are all the game can do for difficulty.
The final mission is extremely anti-climatic. You have an annoying jumping section (using a similar jetpack mechanic as Agent Under Fire where you get one burst upwards, although it likes to just not work sometimes) and disarm the nuclear missiles in a small room, before shooting the big bad as he stands around. The first time this level loaded for me, I didn’t have the spacesuit or laser, which was quite confusing as I couldn’t progress.
The PC version of Nightfire is just strange, and comes across in many ways like a PS1 title. It does have one mission which would have been nice to see in the console version, and a few interesting ideas, but ultimately, it’s not fun to play.
Episode sympathique.
Ca ne révolutionne en aucun cas le genre mais le jeu propose une campagne qui fait bien le boulot niveau rythme et tout ce qu'il faut pour se sentir comme dans un film de James Bond. Ca alterne entre les phases FPS correctes et des phases en véhicules beaucoup moins convaincantes, la faute à une jouabilité assez frustrante. Le jeu a aussi le bon goût de ne pas être trop long et se finit en 6h environ.
Ca ne révolutionne en aucun cas le genre mais le jeu propose une campagne qui fait bien le boulot niveau rythme et tout ce qu'il faut pour se sentir comme dans un film de James Bond. Ca alterne entre les phases FPS correctes et des phases en véhicules beaucoup moins convaincantes, la faute à une jouabilité assez frustrante. Le jeu a aussi le bon goût de ne pas être trop long et se finit en 6h environ.
After thinking that I might enjoy every single PS2 era game, I was utterly disappointed by Nightfire, the seemingly loved entry from this bunch of games.
Nightfire was developed by a different dev team, and it shows. All the innovation from the previous title became this utterly boring imitation, that tried very hard to be a more serious version of Agent Under Fire.
To start with, Nightfire's story, while much more polished than Agent Under Fire, it still feels really cheap, as the bad guy is just easily the worst aspect of the game. Story aside, the action is very hit-or-miss, as the game has sections with forced stealth, that really breakes the momentum of the whole thing, combined with very floaty shooting that feels off.
Also, some of the levels are utterly boring, as your objectives does not have any depth, besides some generic spy stuff. Levels often revolve around gimmicks, and if that is not the case, the gameplay loop is just off. It feels very cheap, and I cannot put my finger on why they decided to shape the game in this way.
Nightfire was developed by a different dev team, and it shows. All the innovation from the previous title became this utterly boring imitation, that tried very hard to be a more serious version of Agent Under Fire.
To start with, Nightfire's story, while much more polished than Agent Under Fire, it still feels really cheap, as the bad guy is just easily the worst aspect of the game. Story aside, the action is very hit-or-miss, as the game has sections with forced stealth, that really breakes the momentum of the whole thing, combined with very floaty shooting that feels off.
Also, some of the levels are utterly boring, as your objectives does not have any depth, besides some generic spy stuff. Levels often revolve around gimmicks, and if that is not the case, the gameplay loop is just off. It feels very cheap, and I cannot put my finger on why they decided to shape the game in this way.
It's as true to the James Bond franchise as a game can be. And Pierce Brosnan just happens to be the greatest Bond of all time! But that didn't affect the score here! Story is quite short and sweet, but it's very much a big bang of non-stop action. Multiplayer I think is where this game truly shines, whether its locally against your buddies from the same couch or against bots I think the multiplayer was really ahead of its time. With tons of gamemodes, a good variety of guns and maps and playable characters that include all your favourite Bond ladies and Bond villains both men and women. You got explosives, snipers, SMGs, ARs, pistols, stationary turrets and even the throwable hat from that one Chinese dude. You know the one! It's nothing revolutionary, but its guaranteed to give you a good time, especially if you're looking for a game to destroy your friends in.
Um ótimo jogo, porém o stealth é bem falho.
yt=9c8RbuL0dcI
Missions
1 Paris Prelude
2 The Exchange
3 Alpine Escape
4 Enemies Vanquished
5 Double Cross
6 Night Shift
7 Chain Reaction
8 Phoenix Fire
9 Deep Descent
10 Island Infiltration
11 Countdown
12 Equinox
Missions
1 Paris Prelude
2 The Exchange
3 Alpine Escape
4 Enemies Vanquished
5 Double Cross
6 Night Shift
7 Chain Reaction
8 Phoenix Fire
9 Deep Descent
10 Island Infiltration
11 Countdown
12 Equinox
This game is peak boomer shooter. It's a whimsical plot with open-ended levels with secrets galore which makes for a wild ride! This is my favorite 007 Game. I love the weapons, the vehicle sections, the gadgets, the over the top story, everything about this game. This was one of the first games I bought for my PS2 in 2019 and I must say it carried me through the Pandemic. I am very fond of this game. I love it.
Some strange pacing and the game has some insane difficulty spikes near the end but still the GOAT for me. GoldenEye doesn't even compare.
My favorite 007 game.
Just can't recreate the magic of goldeneye
Played this game with my older brother back in the day. We loved playing splitscreen multiplayer
Operation: Nightfire has begun....
James Bond 007: Nightfire delivers a thrilling and action-packed experience with a challenging Single Player Story.
The gameplay in Nightfire is varied but sticks to its first person shooter style. In some missions it offers a mix of gunplay, stealth, and vehicle based missions. There is about 12 missions in total which on the surface doesn't seem like a lot but there are parts within the levels which creates longevity in the game. As James Bond you are infiltrating enemy strongholds or engaging in high-speed car chases, there's never seems to be a dull moment and certainly doesn't pause at all. It's all action packed from start to finish.
Having to control Bond I feel like the PS2 controls are quite dated compared to the modern FPS controls we have and takes some getting used to but they are responsive. You may need to find a scheme that works for you if you want to have a enjoyable experience. As far as I could navigate the menus there seems to be no way to adjust analog stick sensitivity so be aware when coming to play this game.
As always it wouldn't be a EA James Bond game if it didn't have Multiplayer. I didn't go to much in depth with it as I mostly was playing Single Player. From what I saw it has a lot of variety in its maps and lots of game modes to choose from, including classic modes like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag.
Overall, Nightfire may show its age graphically but the overall presentation is still impressive. They tried to make it a really authentic James bond which then pays off in future installments (Everything or Nothing, From Russian with Love) The story is engaging, the voice acting is passable considering none of the original cast is here but it doesn't take you out of the experience, and there is a really fun challenge to be had. It got challenging for me about halfway through the story. I would say this is a must-play for fans of James Bond. You will have a enjoyable time!
James Bond 007: Nightfire delivers a thrilling and action-packed experience with a challenging Single Player Story.
The gameplay in Nightfire is varied but sticks to its first person shooter style. In some missions it offers a mix of gunplay, stealth, and vehicle based missions. There is about 12 missions in total which on the surface doesn't seem like a lot but there are parts within the levels which creates longevity in the game. As James Bond you are infiltrating enemy strongholds or engaging in high-speed car chases, there's never seems to be a dull moment and certainly doesn't pause at all. It's all action packed from start to finish.
Having to control Bond I feel like the PS2 controls are quite dated compared to the modern FPS controls we have and takes some getting used to but they are responsive. You may need to find a scheme that works for you if you want to have a enjoyable experience. As far as I could navigate the menus there seems to be no way to adjust analog stick sensitivity so be aware when coming to play this game.
As always it wouldn't be a EA James Bond game if it didn't have Multiplayer. I didn't go to much in depth with it as I mostly was playing Single Player. From what I saw it has a lot of variety in its maps and lots of game modes to choose from, including classic modes like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag.
Overall, Nightfire may show its age graphically but the overall presentation is still impressive. They tried to make it a really authentic James bond which then pays off in future installments (Everything or Nothing, From Russian with Love) The story is engaging, the voice acting is passable considering none of the original cast is here but it doesn't take you out of the experience, and there is a really fun challenge to be had. It got challenging for me about halfway through the story. I would say this is a must-play for fans of James Bond. You will have a enjoyable time!
The first level of this was MY Tactical Espionage Action.
oddjob
I knew going into my personal marathon that I'd adore this game. And by howdy, do I stand by that. I think I might be incredibly nostalgia biased, but this game is a really solid Bond shooter and easily his best. After enduring Agent Under Fire, it's nice to play a game that's more focused with its on foot sections, right from the jump The Exchange gives you multiple ways of traversing the level and a far better utilization of gadgets than Agent Under Fire could've hoped for.
In the way of negatives, I think the second half of the game with back to back incredibly difficult vehicle levels is hugely frustrating. The second-to-last level can be a chore in its first half, but ultimately manageable when you figure things out. Then in the later half, you get ample time to use one of the best weapons in the game. Driving levels were slightly better in its predecessor, if due to gadgets being used at any time over the game deciding when to use them.
Due to not having a second controller, I can't really speak on multiplayer as a "really fun with friends" experience. Maybe I'll convince a few buddies to play it with me on Parsec. But my memories of Ravine with bots was loads of fun! NightFire lets you customize most of the AI (though the game original ones specifically) to your heart's content, and I think it's great how much that mode alone lets you do.
Overall, I can gush about this game for hours. Despite its short singleplayer and the second part of its campaign taking a slight nosedive towards the end, NightFire's a great package. Eurocom knocked it out of the park with this one after the rough patch that was Agent Under Fire. EA Redwood Shores would get to make another title after this, and I'm absolutely looking forward to revisiting Everything or Nothing!
In the way of negatives, I think the second half of the game with back to back incredibly difficult vehicle levels is hugely frustrating. The second-to-last level can be a chore in its first half, but ultimately manageable when you figure things out. Then in the later half, you get ample time to use one of the best weapons in the game. Driving levels were slightly better in its predecessor, if due to gadgets being used at any time over the game deciding when to use them.
Due to not having a second controller, I can't really speak on multiplayer as a "really fun with friends" experience. Maybe I'll convince a few buddies to play it with me on Parsec. But my memories of Ravine with bots was loads of fun! NightFire lets you customize most of the AI (though the game original ones specifically) to your heart's content, and I think it's great how much that mode alone lets you do.
Overall, I can gush about this game for hours. Despite its short singleplayer and the second part of its campaign taking a slight nosedive towards the end, NightFire's a great package. Eurocom knocked it out of the park with this one after the rough patch that was Agent Under Fire. EA Redwood Shores would get to make another title after this, and I'm absolutely looking forward to revisiting Everything or Nothing!
This review contains spoilers
Returning after the N64 version of The World is Not Enough, Eurocom make the next EA Bond game with another unique story. This time, it stars Pierce Brosnan’s face (but still not his voice), although is still a sequel to Agent Under Fire, with some returning characters.
The game starts with a cold opening, going straight into the game (which is a good idea, but you can’t access the game’s settings until you reach the main menu) where you have to rescue a French spy, who is in the middle of a car chase. It starts off with a turret section where you’re shooting from a helicopter, which I usually find annoying but this has a good spectacle and is fine to introduce the game.
Before long, you get to transition into the Vanquish, driving through the streets of Paris. It doesn’t have the cloaking device from Die Another Day, but will have its own surprises later on. The driving missions are more linear than Agent Under Fire, but still a ton of fun. This one is very short, though, which is a shame.
This is followed by the first unique Bond Opening Credits with a new song, which very much sets the tone for the game: This is definitely a Bond adventure.
A space defence station has been stolen by an unknown organisation. MI6 have a suspect: a company that deals with disarming nuclear missiles. They’re having a party in a remote castle and it’s up to Bond to infiltrate it and meet up with other secret agents.
You have a few ways to get into the courtyard, stealth or full on assault. There’s a handy truck that you can use to get past a few of the guards. The shooting in the game is solid and enjoyable, and a good amount of the game has a few options for proceeding.
As Bond gets rid of his snow gear to infiltrate a party in his tux, we get a good look at his face – which his is very well detailed – so much it has an uncanny valley effect as it looks so much better than his body or any other face in the game.
You get to sneak around the party and sit in on a secret meeting until one of the other spies are discovered, you have to shoot though enemies to get to her (there’s more alternative routes) – although she’s already saved herself and stolen important documents. Escaping via a cable car, you get attacked by a helicopter, which you need to defeat.
The next section is an alright turret section, but is again followed by a car section
I love this mission, it captures the spirit of a Bond car chase very well, having to combat enemies as well as slowing down police without harming them. As you swap between weapons, you get to see them come out of secret compartments and there’s even a proper first person view if you prefer. You can also unlock a race version of the level – so not only are the vehicle sections massively better than 007 Racing, but it even has an actual race.
Gadgets are done in a very simple way: in different parts of the level it changes to what you need, such as a smokescreen when the police are nearby. It’s a bit too basic and lacks player choice, but it helps keep the pace of the driving.
Off to Japan to pick up someone defecting with information on operation “Nightfire”. His house gets attacked, so you need to protect him – he’s actually pretty good at staying out of the way. It’s a fun level with plenty of hidden secrets, and the rain makes a nice atmosphere.
At the end, your informant gets killed by a ninja that you have to deal with, but he tells you where you need to go to get the information with his dying breaths.
Time for a stealth level. Unlike stealth levels in previous games, I enjoyed this. You have a dartgun, but ammo is scarce so it’s only for emergencies, but it’s definitely enough. Some areas have detection lasers (which you can see with one of the modes of your glasses), but exploration rewards you with ways to disable these.
One you get the data, you have to fight your way to the roof, fight another helicopter and jump off the building.
Time to find out what this organisation is really up do, infiltrating one of the facilities that they are “disarming”. This level comprises of two warehouses connected by a fairly open area, you discover a jetpack and a laser turret that you use to blow upon a door. It’s a solid level that uses Bond’s grapple more, along with climbing over wires.
Bond gets double crossed and captured by the enemy. You’re back in the phoenix level from earlier, but you get to blast your way through everyone this time. It’s simple, but it’s nice to revisit the stealth level in this way. At the end, Bond is rescued by an Australian agent, but Bond isn’t flirty due to a death at the start of this level, which is a nice moment for Bond.
Time to return to the Vanquish….underwater! This is what I wanted from the underwater base level of 007 Racing. The controls work very well and you have a remote controlled torpedo. It’s a very fun level although is let down at the end: you encounter an enemy sub that can take you out in seconds. Trying to figure out how to defeat is isn’t an issue – the problem is that you start from the very beginning of the level when you die.
Onto the island and you take on of their weaponised cars, blasting through their turrets. This is fun, but also has the same problem as the previous level: there’s a section at the end where you can die very quickly, with no checkpoints. The second part of this level is some decent turret sections.
Infiltrating the hidden base…I really hated this level. The first part is a fake chase – the progress of the enemy is based on when you hit certain locations. You then have to blow up some panels. I kept dying when this happened so had to look it up. Turns out there are red and green parts (I’m colourblind) and if you shoot the red, you die. Someone you blew up in a helicopter returns, announcing he’ll deal with Bond himself to pay him back for his injuries.
The level is mainly shooting through lots of enemies in really boring looking corridors. You do get access to a neat laser and have to escape the blast pit of a space shuttle (with an anti-climatic fight against the guy vowing revenge).
Bond is now in space. You have to break the launch mechanism of nuclear warheads and deal with waves of enemies. You can move around quite freely and a handy HUD display helps you keep track of which missiles are launching and when new enemies appear. It’s very cinematic and is a great spectacle to finish on.
Nightfire is a great Bond game. This story captures the films really well, with really fun combat, nice use of gadgets to find secret and alternative routes and very enjoyable driving missions.
The game starts with a cold opening, going straight into the game (which is a good idea, but you can’t access the game’s settings until you reach the main menu) where you have to rescue a French spy, who is in the middle of a car chase. It starts off with a turret section where you’re shooting from a helicopter, which I usually find annoying but this has a good spectacle and is fine to introduce the game.
Before long, you get to transition into the Vanquish, driving through the streets of Paris. It doesn’t have the cloaking device from Die Another Day, but will have its own surprises later on. The driving missions are more linear than Agent Under Fire, but still a ton of fun. This one is very short, though, which is a shame.
This is followed by the first unique Bond Opening Credits with a new song, which very much sets the tone for the game: This is definitely a Bond adventure.
A space defence station has been stolen by an unknown organisation. MI6 have a suspect: a company that deals with disarming nuclear missiles. They’re having a party in a remote castle and it’s up to Bond to infiltrate it and meet up with other secret agents.
You have a few ways to get into the courtyard, stealth or full on assault. There’s a handy truck that you can use to get past a few of the guards. The shooting in the game is solid and enjoyable, and a good amount of the game has a few options for proceeding.
As Bond gets rid of his snow gear to infiltrate a party in his tux, we get a good look at his face – which his is very well detailed – so much it has an uncanny valley effect as it looks so much better than his body or any other face in the game.
You get to sneak around the party and sit in on a secret meeting until one of the other spies are discovered, you have to shoot though enemies to get to her (there’s more alternative routes) – although she’s already saved herself and stolen important documents. Escaping via a cable car, you get attacked by a helicopter, which you need to defeat.
The next section is an alright turret section, but is again followed by a car section
I love this mission, it captures the spirit of a Bond car chase very well, having to combat enemies as well as slowing down police without harming them. As you swap between weapons, you get to see them come out of secret compartments and there’s even a proper first person view if you prefer. You can also unlock a race version of the level – so not only are the vehicle sections massively better than 007 Racing, but it even has an actual race.
Gadgets are done in a very simple way: in different parts of the level it changes to what you need, such as a smokescreen when the police are nearby. It’s a bit too basic and lacks player choice, but it helps keep the pace of the driving.
Off to Japan to pick up someone defecting with information on operation “Nightfire”. His house gets attacked, so you need to protect him – he’s actually pretty good at staying out of the way. It’s a fun level with plenty of hidden secrets, and the rain makes a nice atmosphere.
At the end, your informant gets killed by a ninja that you have to deal with, but he tells you where you need to go to get the information with his dying breaths.
Time for a stealth level. Unlike stealth levels in previous games, I enjoyed this. You have a dartgun, but ammo is scarce so it’s only for emergencies, but it’s definitely enough. Some areas have detection lasers (which you can see with one of the modes of your glasses), but exploration rewards you with ways to disable these.
One you get the data, you have to fight your way to the roof, fight another helicopter and jump off the building.
Time to find out what this organisation is really up do, infiltrating one of the facilities that they are “disarming”. This level comprises of two warehouses connected by a fairly open area, you discover a jetpack and a laser turret that you use to blow upon a door. It’s a solid level that uses Bond’s grapple more, along with climbing over wires.
Bond gets double crossed and captured by the enemy. You’re back in the phoenix level from earlier, but you get to blast your way through everyone this time. It’s simple, but it’s nice to revisit the stealth level in this way. At the end, Bond is rescued by an Australian agent, but Bond isn’t flirty due to a death at the start of this level, which is a nice moment for Bond.
Time to return to the Vanquish….underwater! This is what I wanted from the underwater base level of 007 Racing. The controls work very well and you have a remote controlled torpedo. It’s a very fun level although is let down at the end: you encounter an enemy sub that can take you out in seconds. Trying to figure out how to defeat is isn’t an issue – the problem is that you start from the very beginning of the level when you die.
Onto the island and you take on of their weaponised cars, blasting through their turrets. This is fun, but also has the same problem as the previous level: there’s a section at the end where you can die very quickly, with no checkpoints. The second part of this level is some decent turret sections.
Infiltrating the hidden base…I really hated this level. The first part is a fake chase – the progress of the enemy is based on when you hit certain locations. You then have to blow up some panels. I kept dying when this happened so had to look it up. Turns out there are red and green parts (I’m colourblind) and if you shoot the red, you die. Someone you blew up in a helicopter returns, announcing he’ll deal with Bond himself to pay him back for his injuries.
The level is mainly shooting through lots of enemies in really boring looking corridors. You do get access to a neat laser and have to escape the blast pit of a space shuttle (with an anti-climatic fight against the guy vowing revenge).
Bond is now in space. You have to break the launch mechanism of nuclear warheads and deal with waves of enemies. You can move around quite freely and a handy HUD display helps you keep track of which missiles are launching and when new enemies appear. It’s very cinematic and is a great spectacle to finish on.
Nightfire is a great Bond game. This story captures the films really well, with really fun combat, nice use of gadgets to find secret and alternative routes and very enjoyable driving missions.
Awesome story, and fucking amazing multiplayer. Sequel to Agent Under Fire.
JOGAO DEMAISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Look, I am a huge Bond fan (it's my favorite IP) so I have a strong bias here. It also doesn't help I have strong nostalgia for this game. Regardless, it's a damn good game for 2002. The shooting hasn't aged well, and it also had to follow up 2001's Halo: CE that revolutionized shooters (particularly the FPS) for consoles, but this game still holds up.
Zany plot with cheesy one liners, gadgets galore, one of the best levels in gaming (The Exchange) that allows you to tackle it however you want, some fun car chases, and a damn good scan of Brosnan makes this a must play for any Bond fan.
My biggest gripes are the frenetic pacing towards the end and the lack of checkpoints in the underwater mission. Seriously, just one checkpoint before the submarine fight would've done wonders. If you are playing this through an emulator, use those save states. Unfortunately, I did not have that luxury on my PS2 so just look up a walkthrough on how to cheese it so you don't waste an hour of your time like I did. Issues aside, I love this game.
Zany plot with cheesy one liners, gadgets galore, one of the best levels in gaming (The Exchange) that allows you to tackle it however you want, some fun car chases, and a damn good scan of Brosnan makes this a must play for any Bond fan.
My biggest gripes are the frenetic pacing towards the end and the lack of checkpoints in the underwater mission. Seriously, just one checkpoint before the submarine fight would've done wonders. If you are playing this through an emulator, use those save states. Unfortunately, I did not have that luxury on my PS2 so just look up a walkthrough on how to cheese it so you don't waste an hour of your time like I did. Issues aside, I love this game.
This Game will always remain golden great story great mechanics and shooting driving flying all are fun. (DONT LOVE ME QUIETLY)
Childhood Wii game