Rare's classic title will always hold a place in all of our hearts. Just one amazing game.
007 Goldeneye was perfectly remodeled around its movie counterpart. But surprisingly the game sports an enthralling story of its own, putting you into objective based levels with plenty of hardcore shoot-em-up action. The level design is simply genius, Goldeneye was apparently a perfect movie to model around a game; I can't even begin to name off all of the memorable moments in this game, there's just too many, such as the Train level, or even the Jungle. It's almost as if every level in 007 Goldeneye has its memorable moments. Also taking a much needed appearance in this Bond title are his usual Bond gadgets; like the laser watch, or the Proximity minds in which I've used many times to give my friends a little surprise when picking up ammo (they are motion sensitive minds that stick anywhere you throw them). Not only are the gadgets making a debute here, but some kick ass guns also work their way into the mix. The guns in Goldeneye are powerful and can destroy human lives by the bucket full at times. The best addition to the game was the enemy AI that had also never really been seen in a FPS before. What made 007 Goldeneye's enemy AI so special was the fact that they could react to seeing you, to hearing gunshots, or getting shot from you (duh); the enemies didn't just come after you though, it really depended what situation you were in, sometimes they would run to go hit the alarm, or hide in bunkers shooting at you. There are some rough spots with the AI, but mostly its pretty air tight, and it was air tight for its time.
The biggest catch with 007 when it first came to the scene was its tip top presentation that it so well laid out for us all at first glance. The graphics of 007 Goldeneye had never been seen before in any other title, I remember looking at the game thinking that it's practically real when it first came out. With great lighting effects, glass shattering effects, amazing explosions, sharp gun fire, life like character animation, and levels that will enthrall you for every second. The sound in this 007 title packs a major punch that seriously helps the action and overall experience of the game. With classic 007 themed music, rich explosions, all types of different gun fire sounds that all make each gun shot very intimidating if it's being fired at you by another. My favorite sound in the game, though kind of sadistic, is the sound of the bullets connecting with another person; that and the enemies reaction to the shot both make the game seem that much more realistic (if they made it too realistic though, the guy would just fall down with pain, and that would suck for a game).
Though outdated with the rise of online play, back then, Goldeneye's multiplayer was unmatched. There were plenty of options for gun tweaking fun, cheats, and modes. There were also plenty of characters to choose from, even if some of them are practically cheating (I hate Oddjob with passion). As to the one player side of the game, those same levels also contribute heavily to the multiplayer experience, especially when Proximity mines are involved.
After reviewing this game again through my own eyes, I wish I had a copy of it right now to play. There's nothing that will top this game, not Metroid Prime, not Halo, not even Rare's own Perfect Dark. There are games that will get to its level, but considering this was something new, that no other standards to live off of, there's nothing that can top what it achieved at the time.