Goldeneye 007: Reloaded - Remaking a Remake

Is it advisable to revisit a classic game more than once? Activision is betting on it, as the publisher is revisiting the classic console first-person shooter Goldeneye for the second year in a row, this time for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Goldeneye 007: Reloaded expands on the previous remake with improved graphics, new modes and expanded multiplayer options.

Improved Graphics
Goldeneye's single-player adventure is essentially untouched from last year's version. Expect the same storyline, mission structure and voice acting. If you played through the game on Wii, you're not going to be too surprised by anything here.

What is a bit shocking, however, is just how improved the graphics are this time around. Developer Eurocom is using a brand new engine for Reloaded, so don't think for a second this is a Wii game in HD. Characters and environments are far more detailed, featuring far better textures and models. Water and rain are particularly gorgeous, as floors look suitably drenched and oceans roll with a formidable intensity. All in all, it's quite impressive.


Mi6 Ops Mode
Eurocom is adding a new single-player mode to Reloaded in the form of Mi6 Ops. Essentially challenges set in existing levels, you'll be required to accomplish one of four tasks that involve reaching a certain point on a map or killing every enemy in sight. Assault involves infiltrating a base to reach a certain extraction point. Stealth involves killing a set number of enemies without being detected. Defense is basic survival mode against a limited number of opponents. Elimination is pretty self-explanatory.

The Ops mode will also allow you to adjust a number of options, ranging mundane choices like enemy health, accuracy and aggressiveness to more entertaining settings like paintball effects and extreme ragdoll physics. Online leaderboards will be maintained, which use your difficulty ranking (gauged by what options you're using) combined with your clear time to create an overall score. If you're interested in directly challenging and trying to beat a friend's score, you can highlight their ranking and instantly copy their Ops setting to recreate your game. A quick run through several Ops modes proved entertaining, though only being able to work in a single-player environment was a bit disappointing. The mode just begs for cooperative play.


Multiplayer
Goldeneye's single-player modes work reasonably well, but the multiplayer is a bit of a problem. The core essence of the gameplay works just fine. Running through several matches was certainly fun as I tested a host of new modes: Escalation (each kill you score changes your gun and the first to run through all of the pre-determined weapons will win), Golden Gun and a basic deathmatch modes. Reloaded also supports up to 16 online players (up from 8) with more maps and weapons than before.

Where the game struggles is its graphics and framerate stability. The great upgrades you'll see in the single-player mode are radically degraded when entering multiplayer. Textures and character models dip drastically, and sometimes I felt like I was looking at an HD version of a Wii game. It's a marked difference unfortunately, which hurts what otherwise could be a solid experience. The build I was playing wasn't final though, so perhaps there's time for some improvement.

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It's a bit strange to relive a game a year after its first release, which in turn is a remake of a game that's almost 14 years old. Still, Goldeneye 007: Reloaded offers some considerable improvements and a strong upgrade to a single-player mode that was an entertaining experience the first time around. Reloaded is due in stores on November 1, 2011 - keep an eye out for IGN's full review closer to release.

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