It's crazy to remember how many James Bond games used to release just about every year and to notice how far the industry has come since that time.

From Russia With Love possesses strong mechanical polish, with a simple auto-lock and a unique aiming system that allows the player to shoot grenades on enemy belts, or cut rapel wires to make enemies fall. The driving feels good. The set pieces have a lot of thrill and the amount of detail in the likenesses of the actors featured is actively insane considering what time it released.

But everything here has been improved in modern titles to such a degree that the game has become a time capsule for better and for worse. No game will remind you faster why players used to buy these tie-in titles, AND why it failed to remain a sustainable practice. Combine that bitter nostalgia with Bond's out-dated misogyny and narrative details clearly altered due to license issues and you get a fascinating stew that's worth experiencing but not inherently because of any fun to be had.