This is what a 007 game should have been from the start.
The bad: weak stealth mechanics; controls can get touch; multiplayer could have been better
Ever since Golden Eye was released on the Nintendo 64, everything single James Bond game that followed tried to recreate the magic that that game had. Unfortunately, year after year all those games failed, not necessarily because they were bad, but because they didn’t feel right. James Bond was never a gun slinging kind of guy, he was more of a tactician, using the environment and his gadgets to get him out of situations. The first-person shooter view lacked that tactical element, but this time EA has decided to take the action into third person. With that change, Everything or Nothing creates a sense of Bond that has never excited before, mixing action, stealth and tactics into one.
Apart from being a fantastic game all around, Everything or Nothing also creates a great movie feel by featuring movie star voice acting and having its own theme song, just like any 007 film. As soon as you place the disc into your machine, the game will start with the first mission, which requires Bond to retrieve a briefcase from a deal gone bad. The mission is action oriented, just like the beginning of many Bond films. That first mission sets the feel of the whole game, from the very start.
If you have ever played a James Bond game before, then you’ll be familiar with the way levels are set up. Instead of having long levels, Bond games separate missions into small pieces, which last around 5 minutes. This way a particular mission could take four levels to complete. In each level you’ll have different tasks to complete, but the main objective will not be completed until the end.
There are two kinds of missions in Everything or Nothing: on foot, where Bond will have to use his stealth tactics and guns to achieve is objective, and vehicle based, where Bond will use a car, helicopter or motorbike to take out the bad guys. Throughout those missions, Bond will use a series of gadgets. Two gadgets in particular are used the most: the grabbling hook and a remote controlled spider. All of Bond gadgets are fun to use and give you an edge against your enemies.
Most on foot missions will start with the enemy not know that Bond is present, which opens up the opportunity for 007 to his stealth tactics. By successfully sneaking up on the enemy, James will be able to keep himself from being hurt. This can be key, since Bond doesn’t take a whole lot of damage and health restore isn’t bountiful. James has some options when sneaking up on his enemies, there are crates and walls to hide behind, dark spots where James won’t be seen and certain items that he can use to throw at enemies. The stealth is a nice, but it has some problems that make the experience frustrating. Bond can only perform one move on the enemies, which drags them down to the ground. It would have been a good idea for Bond to have the ability to move bodies because other enemies seem to have perfect vision and can spot any movement. This makes the stealth a boring trail and error experience. The silencer on Bond’s gun also seems to have some problems, in that it doesn’t silence the shots and enemies will still hear the kill. The stealth overall is passable and isn’t mandatory for the mission to be complete, so even if you do get spotted you can take out the enemies the old-fashioned way.
Once, you do get spotted or trigger an alarm, which will happen (simply because at a certain point the game informs the enemies that you are present), you’ll have to use Bond’s guns and gadgets to clear your way to your objective. 007 has access to his normal array of pistols found in any Bond game and in addition to that, he can also pick up enemy weapons. Bond can only carry one or two extra clips of ammo for each weapon, which might be limited at times, but there’s enough to get through the level. There isn’t a great amount of variety in weapon selection, but it’s good enough. Just as in the stealth portion, you’ll have to hide behind walls and crates, so not to take too much damage. The controls for backing against the wall and crouching can get a little touchy sometimes, but they aren’t terrible. The game features a lock system that first gives you a general point on the enemy, but can moved around to point at a specific body part. You would think that this gives Bond perfect aim and the ability to get head shots all the time, but since most enemies will be hiding behind objects as well, it’s not that easy. Apart from simply hiding behind objects and shooting, Bond can perform some hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, but this generally speaking won’t happen often too often. The enemy A.I. is pretty smart and will provide a challenge by charging and throwing grenades at you. The camera can be moved left and right at your free will and apart from some small issues here there, it works fine.
No good 007 movie is complete without some vehicle action and Everything or Nothing doesn’t forget that. There are about six vehicle missions overall, featuring bikes, cars, tanks and motorcycles. All of the missions have an arcady feel and are just as quick as the regular Bond missions. They are filled with action and create a great contrast to the regular tactical aspect Everything or Nothing. The controls transfer perfectly and aren’t difficult to master, while the camera also does a very nice job.
Apart from the single player campaign, Everything or Nothing also features an entertaining multiplayer mode. In the beginning, the only thing available will be a co-op mode that will take you and friend through some of missions. As you gain points through the co-op, you’ll be able to access other modes such VS and racing. You’ll also gain access to new playable characters when you reach certain point levels in the campaign mode. Although the multiplayer isn’t very deep, it will provide you and a friend some fun times.
From a graphical perspective, Everything or Nothing looks fantastic. All of the character models look great, from the hair to the face to the clothes. All of the characters are moulded perfectly to the people that play them. The environments contain plenty of detail and don’t repetitive or recycled. For those with newer TVs, widescreen and progressive modes are available Even, with all of the great visuals and action that goes on, the frame rate is steady at all times. The only real knock that can be found in the visuals is that the damage models for the vehicles aren’t well done, but everything else is perfect. The sound is equally as good as the visuals. The script is extremely well written and because there are so many great actors in this game, it’s passed on very well. The sounds of the vehicles and guns sound dead on and the background music fits nicely.
As far as value goes, Everytrhing or Nothing has a lot to offer. There are 27 regular levels to play through, each with three difficulty settings and plenty of secrets to find in each; a multiplayer campaign that features co-op, Vs and driving; and plenty of unlockables for both the single player and multiplayer. Overall, the game should serve you a good 10-20 hours of gameplay.
From top to bottom, Everything or Nothing is just fantastic game that looks, feels and sounds like a James Bond movie. There is room for improvement with the stealth and some things here and there, but overall this game delivers. If you’re someone that hates tactical shooter or the idea of being Bond, then you might not get the full enjoyment out of this game, but for everyone else simply get it.