Customer Reviews

James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Well since this is a game to go along with a movie you pretty much expect the worst with the track record of movie spinoff games, but this one is actually pretty fun with the variety of mini-games and both FPS and Third Person modes as well as the cover system and exciting scenarios around the world in true Bond style. I can't say the graphics are latest generation on average because they are not, the textures are bland and the cutscenes are pretty 2006ish, perhaps even Far Cry 1 level. I have everything on high in 1680x1050.

This was supposedly based on the COD4 engine but I don't see where that really makes a difference or compares in gameplay to COD4. The voices seem like the real actors too, not sure if they are though. The weapons are nicely done but the sound is somewhat generic but can be great at times like the opera house level and the typical flamboyant Bond movie music. The difficulty is also too easy on the lower settings or just right if you are a casual player not expecting more than 7-8 hours of total play through once.

The strong point for me is the interactive mini-games like the hand to hand battles that involve clicking on a moving target in the limited time to either land a punch or get taken to the cleaners by your opponent. Also when you are running along a ledge/tightrope/crane you have to keep your character from falling by using the direction buttons moving him both forward and to the left/right to chase the quickly getting away bad guy and not falling off. The scenes are exciting with explosive finishes and involved gunfights as well as stealth in some areas trying to dodge cameras and enemies that far outnumber you.

Another great aspect is the third person cover system like in Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas and Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway. You have to make good use of cover as you are outnumbered and outgunned a lot of the time but with the exception that you need to keep moving at a fairly steady pace or the final baddy will get away so there is a sense of urgency to it like there was in COD4 adding to the excitement. The enemies will try to outflank you if you just sit there as well. There are also times you will be using a sniper rifle that is a nice change of modes.

All in all this is a fun game to play which is more important to me than having top of the line graphics, kinda like GTASA or playing Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory that are fun enough to overcome their being older titles with old graphics. If you want to play a 007 game this one is great though not worth the retail price, wait till it drops to $35 or less as it's not one of those excellent in every way games like Gears 2, Bioshock or Crysis that is worth paying full price for.

Throughout my 18 years of living on this planet, I have played many Bond games. My first was Goldeneye on my friend's N64: Good game, but never managed to enthrall me. Then, I came across Tomorrow Never Dies; a substandard TPS that had a frustrating moment that followed or preceded every fun moment (a mixed bag). Nightfire was the next Bond game I've played; fully functional, but incredibly boring. Once I finally got a PS2, I bought Everything or Nothing and From Russia With Love; these two games tried so many different things that they ended up lacking cohesion in the gameplay. Now I've gotten my hands on Quantum of Solace, and must report that this is easily the best Bond game ever made.

Pros:
1. Translated the action scenes in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace quite well.
2. Graphics that are good looking (but not cutting edge).
3. No driving sequences (at least, for me, that is a positive).
4. Fluid cover system.
5. Seamless fusion of FPS and TPS.

Cons:
1. Short (I beat it in about 5-6 hours).
2. Requires a Games for Windows account in order to save.
3. A little bit repetitive.

Many reviewers panned this game as a "Gears of War rip-off". This game has nothing to do with GoW. I like to compare this game with the Rainbow Six: Vegas series and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (except without the squad members).

I give this game a 9.3 not because it is revolutionary, but because it is the kind of game I like and does everything reasonably well (I'm just a sucker for games with cover systems, since the cover system tends to create an extra dimension of gameplay).

If you enjoyed RSV, RSV2, and/or BIA:HH, I suggest you buy this one. If not, wait until it reaches the bargain bin.

James bond is back.

This game has been a fantastic experience that i continue to enjoy to this day. The game uses a modified version of the call of duty 4 engine and is one of the smoothest, newest games out there!

The multiplayer works on a system that too is similar to COD: 4's multiplayer. You earn credit for completing tasks and kills and can use them to purchase new weapons, grenades, attachments and even perks!

The single player experience is fantastic as well, it follows both moves Quantum of solace and Casino Royal. The scenes are well played out to the feel of the movies.

Achievements: Yes, this game features achievements that give you a motivation to do somethings you wouldn't normally do in a game.

It features Games For Windows: Live and really works for this game.

All in all, this is a true 5 star game that deserves its glory.

I picked this up because I heard it kept with the basic FPS controls and didn't try to reinvent the genre. YES, it keeps the controls simple and straight forward.
New stuff:
There's a target system when you are in close combat which was easy to pick up even though there was no tutorial. There will be a crosshair on the enemy and you have to move your crosshair to match his and click (or shoot). You will then counter his move or make your strike.

Weapons: You have 2 weapons slots. One for a large calibre weapon and one for a sidearm. It doesn't tell you that you can carry 2 sidearms and by pressing "2" a second time, you can use the alt pistol you picked up along the way.

Movement: Every time you are near a wall or cover, the popup to let you know you can take cover shows up in the center of the screen and is more annoying than helpfull.

Graphics:
Not cutting edge but not bad by far. I had no problems with getting stuck in the environments, no clipping problems and the characters didn't give you that, "I've killed the same guy 100 times!" feel.
Environments looked well designed and it was pretty easy to find where you needed to go to complete the missions.

THE BAD:
There is NO save system. I played up until the first sniper scenario in the opera house and had to quit to rest. I pressed escape and there was no choice to save! Even though along the way, after multiple cut scenes loading new areas and "objectives met", it didn't save my progress. It said since I wasn't using Windows LIVE it won't save my progress!!?? YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE AN ENTIRE LEVEL or it won't save the progress. I DO NOT plan to go back and restart every time I log off.

This is enough in my book to warrent the 2 stars for gameplay but any game that has no save system gets me 1 star since it's a well known fact that gamers ALWAYS want a save point of checkpoint system.
Wait for the bargain bin on this.

Warning to Windows 7 64-bit users: You must install Internet Explorer 9 in order to run this program beyond Chapter 1. My son's computer meets all of the system requirements and we had all of the latest hardware drivers, so we spent a great deal of time troubleshooting this problem. We tried installing this on four different computers (all Win7, 64-bit) and had a similar results: The game started fine, but then blacked-out the screen and stopped responding after Chapter 1 or partway through Chapter 2. I began to think it was an incompatibility with 64-bit Win 7, but others didn't have the same problem. Activision's forum only said that the screen black-out was just a "long delay," but we waited for hours at times and a quick check of Task Manager showed the program was not responding. Finally, we installed the optional IE 9 upgrade and it worked. Whew!

This game worth the price. The first levels are kind of crappy but as I went further into the game I really started to enjoy it. There are a few parts that are really "Bond-Like" and their attempts to make the game feel like the movie were so cool that I had to chuckle at it. You will definitely recgonize the parts when you see them. Overall, I give this game 5 stars for fun.

I bought this game because the critics said they used COD4 engine but Its not showing all the best features of COD4 game, then in multiplayer its difficult to find someone to play, almost nobody I would say., single player is very good, so much fun but that's it.and everything is a great copy of the movie.graphics and effects are great.

I am not yet done with the single player, but so far it has been pretty entertaining and the levels can defiantly be played over and over and still be fun. The 1st person to 3rd person cover only takes a short while to master, and is a great new feature that will hopefully become common in new video games. While it did take me a little while to update LIVE for Windows, it was defiantly worth it once I started playing multiplayer. Guns, sidearms, perks, grenades, and accessories are bought through credits that are awarded at the end of rounds.
-Great fun, must play

Unlike the movie, which received mixed reviews but I thought was fantastic, this game is a bit of a dud. It's not a terrible game, but it simply doesn't live up to the standards of modern games. It plays somewhat like an arcade game and the graphics are also 'arcade' like. They're probably about equivalent to 2005-2006 level, which would be ok with me if the game was really solid. I still enjoy older games like "No One Lives Forever 2," or even really old games like "System Shock II." A great game can stand on its own regardless of graphics. Sadly, this game has some real problems:

1. The game is very easy. You better play it on the 007 level if you play many FSP games or you will be bored out of your mind. I had to restart the game half way through because it was much too easy on the default difficulty.

2. The game is very short. I didn't expect an "Oblivion," or "Fall Out," epic length game, but I did expect it to play at least as long as other FPS games. This game is easily beat in 10 hours or less. I think I would have beat it in less than 6 hours on the default difficulty.

3. The save system was not ported in correctly for the PC. Unlike pretty much ANY OTHER PC GAME, this game does not allow real time saves. You're limited to saving your game at predetermined times, and that can be irritating if you have to leave your game immediately for some reason.

4. Many elements of the movie were left out of the game. Notably missing are some of the key scenes like the amazing opening of the movie (car chase). This game makes it feel like Bond is mostly just a run-and-gun commando, not a highly skilled and trained secret agent. If you want a game with almost as good graphics, and a much more fun 'agent' game, seriously get yourself a copy of No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way, or go back and play Golden Eye on the N64.

Conclusion:
A sub-par game with very poor value, if you really have to play this game, get a copy in six months or so when you can get it from a bargain bin for a 1/4 the original price.

The story line was well done and the fluid movements was great. Not too difficult to survive the gun fights. In some games there is an area that is extremely hard to get past, this game is not one of them. I am looking forward in playing the next 007 game.