No One Lives Forever

by MacPlay

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000657TN
• Item Weight: 12 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 11, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,560 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #17 in Video Games > Mac Games > Action > Shooter
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Mac | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Review

No One Lives Forever is an outstanding action-adventure game that combines the campy 1960s-style spy-spoof story lines of the Austin Powers movies with the best single-player gameplay we've experienced since Half-Life. Clever, funny, and stylish aren't words normally associated with first-person shooters, but NOLF is anything but normal.

Assuming the role of sexy UNITY operative Cate Archer, you must complete 15 enormous and distinct missions to keep the world safe from H.A.R.M., a nefarious organization rife with colorful arch-villains. In true Hollywood style, the game is laced with cutscenes that set the stage for your missions and advance the plot by showing H.A.R.M. higher-ups boasting about their evil plans. The dialogue in both the cutscenes and the in-game action sequences is witty and genuinely funny, and the voice acting is excellent. We found ourselves hiding in dark corners just so we could eavesdrop on the bad guys.

The comic antics end abruptly when enemies catch wind of your presence. Whether they stumble across a body you carelessly left in your wake, hear you creeping about, respond to a tripped alarm, or simply see you, these foes are all business. They will stalk you, duck behind cover, and call for reinforcements. All the action is straight from a spy movie: shoot a guy on a balcony, and he'll tumble over the rail and fall to the ground. Fire a gun underwater, and you'll see the spiral trail of the bullet.

Most missions can be approached in a variety of ways, and although full-frontal assaults are possible, stealthy progression is usually better for your health. Being a superspy, you'll have plenty of gadgets to help you along the way, from a lock-pick barrette to a robotic poodle capable of turning even the most ferocious attack dog into man's best friend. Players who like to send a more direct message will enjoy playing with the game's full assortment of firearms, including Bond-worthy silencer pistols and briefcase rocket launchers.

The quality of AI and inventiveness of the single-player missions are fortunate because the multiplayer component doesn't compare to Unreal Tournament or Counter-Strike. Regardless, No One Lives Forever should be on the short list of any fan of first-person shooters looking for an unbeatable solo experience. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Multiple approaches to nearly every level add to the replay value
• Loads of atmosphere
• Contains some of the most unorthodox and enjoyable missions we've ever played
• Amazing detail
• Smart and funny

Cons:

• Not the prettiest 3-D engine on the market

Amazon.com Product Description

No One Lives Forever is a story-driven, first-person adventure delivering over-the-top action, tense subterfuge, outrageous villains, and wry humor in the tradition of the great 1960s spy films and TV shows. Players assume the role of Agent Archer, an operative working for a covert anticrime organization. Armed with an assortment of conventional and experimental weaponry and gadgets, players explore exotic locales and contend with deadly agents as they evade traps, unravel mysteries, and become entangled in a cleverly constructed conspiracy that threatens the entire free world.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No One Complains Forever, November 11, 2004

By 

choiceweb0pen0 (Lafayette, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: No One Lives Forever (Mac) (CD-ROM)

This is one of those games I've been meaning to get ever since reading the reviews when it first came to the Mac. I have a G4 1.2 MHz Mac with a 128 MB ATI Rage pro, so I have no trouble running it. I enjoyed the humor more then anything and yes some of the cut scenes get old, but you can skip them. Most of the game lets you choose between shooting everyone and sneaking, though some missions require you not to be seen. So yes the graphics are not ground breaking, but it still a fun game with more of plot then 90% of FPS. Definitely worth playing if you come across a copy of it still.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How very James Bond, June 29, 2004

By 

D. L Winski (Whiting, ME USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No One Lives Forever (Mac) (CD-ROM)

If your just getting into gaming and would like to give a first person shooter a try this game would be a good place to start. It's a realitivly simple game, not requiring too much replay, and provides you with ample instruction. On the other hand it probably won't offer all that much to an expirenced gamer as there's not a whole lot of inovation going on in this game. The main exception being the spy gadgets Cate recieves.
Overall I had a pretty fun time with NOLF, it took me about two weeks of casual gaming to complete but I had a good time. My main gripe with this game is the cut scenes, most of them are boring and long so you'll probably be tempted to skip them even though you'll lose information. Alright so you can skip those if they rub your patience the wrong way, however there is no way to skip at least one very long text based mission you'll encounter further into the game which drove me nuts especially when I forgot to save after that mission, died on the next level and had to do the entire dialogue mission all over. Another little thing that bugged me was Cates inability to jump off and survive the fall from all but the very smallest ledges or hights, this became rather annoying as it began to happen more often as the game wore on but its still not a major problem.
By todays standards the NOLF is quite dated, I pushed to graphics as far up as they'ed go and the game still didn't look all that great, don't get me wrong it's not an ugly game, there was a lot of effort put into the asthetic piece of NOLF when it was being created, just don't expect this game to blow your socks off in the graphics department.
No One Lives Forever also shows its age through game play, if your looking for a radically different FPS you probably won't find it here (unless you live to use gadgets in games). Of course back in 2000 or 2001 this game would have been concidered bleeding edge with its advanced-for-the-time AI and graphical engine but today it simply won't stack up with the best of them. But if average gameplay with a 60's backdrop and a spy theme thrown in is your thing you'll want to concider this game, I'm still glad I did.
(Also note that I first played this game all the way through with a 450MHz G4 processor, OS 10.2 and a tired ATI Rage 128 card and expirenced no slow gameplay if I remember correctly, so older Macs should still be OK).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best single player shooters, February 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: No One Lives Forever (Mac) (CD-ROM)

this is an old game. it got the game of the year award for 2000 (along with deus ex) but has been three years coming to mac. the mac version does have four extra levels. while these are reminiscent of other levels in the game, they are very good additions, not tack-ons. i bought this game as soon as it was available and did it three times on increasing difficulty.

Nolf can best be characterized as a "sneaker", because you try to get through setting off no alarms and killing as few bad guys as possible. you can get rid of them if you like, but this often sets off alarms. note: various bright orange outfits do not add to cates credibility as a sneaky spy. another object is to find intelligence items ("secrets" in other games) because this gets you extra life and ammo. no matter how you do it, this game is never boring or mechanical; you just want to keep on going. there are few puzzles, and it is not too hard to get around.

as for gameplay, this is just a shooter, but what really shines is the imagination shown in the level design. the game authors did an excellent job of varying the environments. morocco, german research facilities, shipyards, airplanes, trains, underground bunkers, sunken ships, outer space, tropical islands, alpine resorts, etc. although many of the levels appear to have the same basic framework, texture work and scenery keep things different and interesting. the AI is excellent, better than most games i have done. the antagonists are hard to outthink and very difficult to outrun. they are remarkably adaptable to any tactic you devise. there are many funny conversations scattered throughout the game. you can sneak by during these or wait them out and kill each participant after they separate. reviewers have complained about blabbermouth cutscenes. this is valid, though the training tells you specifically how to reject these. there are many weapons and gadgets, but very few of them are necessary. a silenced pistol and sniper rifle are all the guns you need as most things can be picked up along the way.

this game shows its age in some places. the polygons are coarse, but this is made up for by good textures. it runs slowly in places, but the "read me" section has many hints on how to improve performance. personally, i hated the music (and it covered up sound effects); turning it off helped performance. also, fart jokes came and went with tombraider.

so... despite a few flaws, this game has so much diversity that it will keep the player's attention for days. it never drags and is supremely replayable. although i dont like it as much as deus ex, nolf is definite 5 star material which is worth its price.

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