A great action ride, though it doesn't really contain anything that distinguishes itself as a Bond game.
It is actually difficult to completely classify the game, since the basic action takes place from first person but when in cover, the game switches to third person. It quickly becomes apparent that the only way to survive is to handle every fight from cover. Luckily, level design supports this idea at every turn. You will never be caught out in the open and will almost always feel in control of the situation. There were two occasions that became frustrating because of poor design which lead to repeated deaths until I figured out what to do (actually in one that had me jumping from one train car to the next as they were being disconnected, I'm still not sure how I made it through), but I got through each in under ten minutes and was back to loving the action. Getting into cover is as simple as looking at where you want to go and holding down the appropriate button. Bond will run to the cover as long as the button is held and will lock into cover once he gets there. If you don't move away from the wall, he will stick to it while shooting or moving left and right along it. At close range, the cover system works perfectly. However, it gets a little finicky at medium to long range. If you aren't particularly close to a wall, the on-screen cover button will flicker on and off while the game tries to decide if it wants you to be able to reach your destination. This problem doesn't arise too often since there are tons of walls, desks, and tables scattered around every level so that you are never far from cover. It is quite a rush to dash from cover to cover each time an enemy needs to reload in order to get in the perfect position to take him out. From cover, you can blind fire, but the best idea is to wait until your enemy has to reload and pop out to pick them off one at a time. Guns have realistic size clips, so enemies (and you) will be forced to reload frequently.
Speaking of guns, there is plenty of variety here. Most levels consist of two or three different weapons but nearly every level has a different selection. Ammo is plentiful, so you will never find yourself running low. Occasionally, you will run out and have to switch to another of the three weapons you can carry, but will never run out of ammo in all combined. Quantum of Solace is also a rare game that shows proper respect to pistols. In the event that an enemy is far in the distance and you don't have a sniper rifle, a pistol is your best chance to take them out. The game is fairly realistic in that foes only take a few bullets to kill, or a single headshot, with any gun.
Stealth is handled perfectly for an action game. There are a few segments where you must avoid patrolling guards or survalience cameras. Enemies can be taken down quietly from behind and cameras can be disabled from nearby control boxes. Failing to do so does not automatically fail you like in many games. This just causes a squad of elite soldiers to enter the room. If you defeat them, you can move on. I always hated when an action game forces stealth on you, but here it's just a good idea instead of a requirement.
The plot isn't portrayed particularly well. Strangely, even though the game is called Quantum of Solace, midway through the game, you flashback into Casino Royale for a few hours. All the major events from the movies are either skipped or seen from a computer screen with Bond and any other characters portrayed as red dots on a map while M narrates. In one case, Bond jumped out of a plane and all we saw was a dot with his altitude next to it. I only knew he was going to be safe when the altitude went from going down quickly to dropping gradually. I assume this means he pulled his chute, but since I didn't see it happen, who knows?
It may be for the best that we don't see these scenes, though, since the graphics aren't particularly good. The character models are decent (Daniel Craig's likeness is spot on) and the levels are well designed and decorated. The main problem is that, while there are shadows on the ground, there is no shading on anything that actually moves. This gives the game a bit of a cartoon feel. I would even go as far as to say that the cutscenes actually look worse than gameplay. These are easily the worst cutscenes I have watched in a game in a long time. It's almost like the developers knew this, because during every scene, there is a button on the bottom left of the screen that says 'Skip' next to it that never goes away.
This brings me to the game's biggest fault: the length. Aside from mediocre graphics and poor cutscenes, the game is actually quite a blast to play. Unfortunately, it is over way too soon. I finished the game in a single, four hour sitting. I could buy both the movies for half the price of the game and get more time out of them. There are four difficulties, but anyone experienced in shooters can easily start on the third. The game also has hidden cell phones scattered throughout, but since these phones are constantly ringing and flashing blue, an observant gamer could find them all in a single play through.
Another thing to note about the game is what is not included. There are no vehicle scenes, and Bond's trademark Aston Martian only makes a casual appearance. There is barely a mention of Bonds romantic relationships that are prominent themes in his movies. The girls from the movies do make an appearance, but there is very little dialogue between them and Bond. Although I did enjoy Casino Royale (but didn't see Quantum of Solace yet), I did have an issue with the lack of Bond gadgets, which carries over into the game. The only 'gadget' he has is a phone with a bunch of features that you will find in the pause menu of any typical action game. Gadgets are a James Bond staple. What's next? He is no longer going to be English? His code name will just be 7?
Quantum of Solace is a great action ride from beginning to end, though it doesn't really contain anything that distinguishes itself as a Bond game (aside from character likenesses). Being less than half the length I like from my action games hurts it, this doesn't stop it from being one of the most enjoyable shooters I have played recently. Either give this one a rental or wait until the price drops a bit more and you won't be disappointed.