 |
|
--ADVERTISEMENT--
|
|
|
|
|
The
World is not Enough
With a license to kill, James Bond 007 overindulges himself
in a plenitude of gun gripping, bomb blowing fun. Blasting
his way through unique levels, Bond delivers an action-packed
hit. The World Is Not Enough (TWINE) offers an
assortment of stages varying from dismantling an enemy
attack helicopter with a guided missile, using your sniper
rifle to knock off enemy infantry that lurk aloft, to
your common shoot’em up missions.
Is it the same as other 007 titles?
| Software
Specials |
|
| |
| Screenshots |
|
|
| |
|
Stats
|
|
Genre:
FPS
Release Date:
Available
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Developer:
Euro Dltd
ESRB:
Teen
System:
Nintendo 64
|
As a matter of fact, the game does include many characteristics
of previous James Bond titles but has some new, extra
features. For example, TWINE has included some delightfully
fresh and modern gadgets. Night vision goggles, x-ray
goggles, and added capabilities to Bond’s watch such as
a dart shooter are just a few examples of 007’s new duds.
Mr. Bond with no weapons? No, I don’t think so. Eurocom
has taken the opportunity to add some of the latest weapons
technology can offer, and also kept some of the old goodies
from Goldeneye, but with different looks including
the sniper rifles, the magnum, and your best bud - the
missile launcher. It doesn’t end there though: your arsenal
of weapons includes secondary options for you, such as
being able to add a silencer to your pistol, etc. The
game’s combination of gadgets and weapons adds to the
obsession factor, as I played it for hours on end while
I had it. One gadget in particular is more of a joke than
anything else. The grappling hook option on Bond’s watch
is poorly done, as it looks more like a piece of string.
The “string” doesn’t swing at all, you can only use it
in limited areas, and it looks as if Bond seems to mysteriously
hover his way up it.
Even though there is no blood splattering on the walls
or loss of limbs, the game makes up for these factors
through the enemies’ deaths. The motion and movements
of the enemies, when they cash in their chips, are very
detailed and point by point. The characters have different
deaths considering their location and how they die, varying
from falling out of windows to taking their last breath
of air while laying on the ground. One reason to be displeased
is that the enemies’ bodies do not stay where they die.
After you kill them, their carcasses linger around for
a matter of seconds then fade out. It would be nice to
actually have the bodies remain where they fall.
Hey, they aren’t vocally impaired!
The sound isn’t actually that bad. The speech articulation
comes out well, but like CDs there seems to be a loading
time before you start the level. The music is worth having
even though it occasionally sounds more like a 70’s porno
than a video game. It is good to have decent music in
games, especially when you have to continuously listen
to it over and over again. Besides the so-so music and
the commendable speech, the effects are very realistic
and genuine, as it is possible to determine the proximity
of your enemies just by listening to the shots being fired.
The sound is well done especially bearing in mind that
it is a cartridge and not a CD.
What do I need glasses for?
The game, graphically, has some pluses and minuses. The
game’s environment is fairly detailed in general, yet
blurred in some areas. Don’t be surprised when you notice
some character faces are hazy and that the stage texture
frequently seems to be unfocused. The weapons and gadgets
in TWINE are fairly clean-cut. One other section that
should be noted is the movie sequences. Besides the fact
that they seem to be the foggiest part of the game, they
do add more intensity to it. I found that the cinematics
between each mission increases the players’ involvement
throughout the game. Apart from the occasional graphical
mishap, the game has 007 worthy graphics.
If Bond can do it, I can do it!
The game’s control is probably one of the best attributes
of the game. The gamer is capable of customizing his or
her own controls. Being able to select from a variety
of pre-customized controls increases the game playability
and ease, and each player is capable of changing each
controller setup. One item that caught my attention is
the auto-aim function. Right when you have your enemy
in your sights for a headshot the auto-aim may initialize.
Multi-what?
The game’s multi-player does not fall into the “good”
section of the game. In fact, TWINE’s largest problem
subsides within its multi-player. The selection of players
and weapons during multi-player matches is not consistent
with other first-shooter type games such as Goldeneye,
as you are only able to select from a few weapons and
a couple characters. The game’s AI is not customizable,
as I did not see any AI difficulty option. You are only
capable of having a total of four players throughout the
matches, either human or computer controlled. I expected
after the example set by Perfect Dark that all
first-person shooter games would be capable of having
more than four players, but to my dismay TWINE doesn’t
break that barrier. The level design and level variety
is relatively good, varying from the streets of Istanbul
to an outdoor labyrinth. TWINE’s multi-player also includes
some of your typical ventures such as King of the Hill,
Capture the Flag, or Last Man Standing. EA obviously has
some pondering to do if they plan on releasing another
game with a multi-player option.
The World Is Not Enough does have some value in
the N64 family. It has its virtuous moments throughout
the game (primarily during the single-player missions).
Besides the lack of detail in the graphics department
and the multi-player, EA has done a pretty good job with
TWINE, exploring the limits of weapon design, the capability
of voice functions, and has shown that James Bond is still
able to perform world-saving tasks - but I don’t believe
this game will be etched on the N64 walk of fame.
Concept
Exceptional control and has a diversity of difficulty
levels. |
86
|
Gameplay
Good variety of weapons and gadgets.
|
90
|
Graphics
Somewhat unfocused but still decent. |
78
|
Sound
Pretty good sound but has some room for improvement.
|
85
|
Technical
Has some flaws involving the framerate. |
80
|
Overall
Worthwhile
game to play. |
82
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
