Great humorous story with some of the best gameplay ever in a FPS...
User Rating: 9.7 | The Operative: No One Lives Forever Game of the Year Edition PC
The last superspy game that I thoroughly enjoyed was Goldeneye for the N64. There was tons of action but there were also missions in which stealth, moving around undetected, was essential. There were security cameras to watch out for, patrolling guards to eliminate silently and intelligence items to gather all in the pursuit of the mission’s goal. No One Lives Forever (NOLF) takes what Goldeneye did so well and improves it immensely, with the added bonus of setting it in the swinging ‘60s. Everything about NOLF oozes style – the ‘60s style of Austin Powers. Cate Archer’s outfits are bright and colourful, which is not exactly how a super spy should dress but it’s consistent with NOLF’s time frame. It’s also an indication of the sensibility that runs through the game. The LithTech engine does an excellent job bringing the world of NOLF to life. Environments are detailed like real world locations – office complexes have book shelves filled with files, phones on the desk, plants for esthetics – and the textures look textured! From a distance, walls look flat but up close there are pockmarks and flaws that make it seem real. There are a variety of indoor and outdoor missions and everything moves at a good clip. Each level is self-contained – once a level is loaded there is no waiting for other sections to load up – which is a good way to maintain the pace of each level. Levels range from a small office complex to a space station, but whatever the setting, each looks realistic. Characters look good too, but most are over the top renditions. There are 15 missions to sneak or blast through. Some of the levels require absolute stealth, which is a plus/minus. On the plus side, you must develop a strategy, actually think about what you’re doing, or your mission will end in short order. For example, one mission requires you to gain access to a hidden sanctum located in an office. There are security cameras all over the place and a few guards patrolling the halls. Use your gun and the alarms start going and it’s mission over. Let a camera zoom in on you or let an office worker see you with your gun drawn and your cover will be blown. You have to maintain a delicate balance between moving quickly and maintaining cover. Moving quickly will give away your position to guards, since they can hear your footfalls. To get through some of the levels all your cunning and inventory must be put to use. There are real world guns including the AK-47 and .38 revolver. What really shines are the gadgets. Santa’s Workshop (equivalent to James Bond’s Q branch) cooks up a variety of interesting tools. Among them: a pheromone spewing mechanical poodle, a lock pick that doubles as a barrette and poison tipped needle, Corpse-be-Gone powder, exploding lipstick, and a belt buckle that is also zip line. Some of the items have alternate functions – the lighter can be used as a mini-welder. To successfully navigate some of the missions you must use the gadgets. Shooting a lock off will alert the guards but using the lock-pick will gain you silent entry. Of course, if you like to run-and-gun, you can do that too. Be warned: your accuracy decreases the faster you’re moving. Standing still allows for precise shooting but it also makes you a pretty target for HARM’s minions to plug holes through. Enemy AI is some of the best found in a FPS. Enemies take cover, sometimes knocking over tables and ducking behind them. They’ll lean out from doorways and squeeze off a few shots before taking cover again. And they’ll even run away. Mostly they will stand their ground and make a commotion, attracting others to lay down more fire. Mission objectives are varied. Some are simply, "Get out alive," while others have multiple goals that need to be fulfilled for a successful mission. For example, some missions require that you photograph dossiers or specific ship containers. No One Lives Forever is a great game, well worth the money. The combination of style, wit, creativity, spycraft, cool locations, great gadgets and the overall sense of fun make this one a must have for FPS fans and a recommended game for casual gamers. NOLF is one of the best FPS's ever created it oozes style, it's gameplay is top notch, it is very funny and the story is one of if not the best created for a FPS. 
