Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Thanks for your compliments and for reading! I do wish there was more to do in the game but it was fantastic while it lasted and I'm looking forward to dipping back in once the -now confirmed- DLC mission gets added.
Also skipped the spoilers! I'm just about done with the Vietnam mission and dealing with the aftermath. Big smile on my face the whole time, just like you said. This is so much FUN
Man, I was eager to read your take on this game. I'm still waiting for my physical copy to arrive, but I'm glad it was worth the investment.
That's why I skipped the spoiler section of your review. I'll come back to see if it aligns with my perception. But everything else you wrote just got me more excited for it!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I do have some other nit-picks I didn't mention but the game consistently put a smile on my face and whenever I wasn't playing it, I was desperate to carry on with it so I think I can let it off for having a bit too much linearity haha
Ok, I beat the game last night, so I can finally comment on this article properly.
I have to say I agree with all your arguments here, from the changes to Bond’s background to Patrick Gibson’s portrayal. Even your takes on the Vietnam mission (strong Goldfinger vibes there!), the story as a whole, the unexpected final boss in a not-so-great way, and the game’s performance are spot on. Regarding that last point, I played it on my regular PS5 and had the same issues you did.
Now, as for the theme song... I don’t know, it grew on me. I had mixed feelings at first, but after finishing the game, I understood what they were going for. It sounds like a mashup of the Brosnan and Craig eras, which feels like the ideal blend for a 2026 Bond game, in my opinion. I understand your distaste for Lana Del Rey and the mixing decisions, but it’s still way better than the awkward, overproduced mess that is Die Another Day.
Anyway, I can’t wait for the sequel. If that particular character Bond says he’ll chase in the ending leads us to SPECTRE, I’ll be extremely happy.
I was originally going to get it for PS5 but after seeing the early gameplay and rumours it wasn't easy to optimise behind the scenes I went for PC, it seems it runs okay but isn't that well optimised generally. I've seen worse at least. Happy to hear my review hit the mark!
Regardless of anyone's thoughts on it, I think we can all agree it was better than that mess, ouch.
Me neither! I just hope they do SPECTRE justice and don't completely ruin it like the Craig films did.
One thing I really appreciated from the first half of this game is how IO kind of uses the tropes of the modern AAA action game against the player.
When you meet the other named 00 trainees of note, it's sort of a moment of horror like "oh God am I gonna have these people in my ear telling me to tail the guy or get on the tower for the whole game?" But then the plot moves an entirely different direction and you're left feeling bad for sneering at the design in those first couple missions. It's very effective.
Yes I thought so too. Between the Iceland mission and the ever-present blue paint I was getting a bit antsy but I did enjoy how Bond slowly becomes the one of a kind, solo operative we know as the game goes on and M learns to just set him loose and not to tie the man down.
I really like how misleading the marketing was for this game, I was expecting a kind of GoldenEye-lite plot but it ended up being nothing like that at all.
Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Loved this review. I really loved the way you depicted the chess like style in the theme and how this is different from something like Hitman or MGSV. It's meant to be a spy thriller like the movies. I loved how that gets elaborated on
I skipped the spoilers bit, but if there’s one thing I’ve gleaned from this review: I’m not buying this game on my Switch 2, it will melt.
Still no word on a release date for that version... I don't have high hopes.
Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Thanks for your compliments and for reading! I do wish there was more to do in the game but it was fantastic while it lasted and I'm looking forward to dipping back in once the -now confirmed- DLC mission gets added.
I'd definitely recommend it.
I also seem to have posted the same comment 3 times - now idea how that happened, sorry
Also skipped the spoilers! I'm just about done with the Vietnam mission and dealing with the aftermath. Big smile on my face the whole time, just like you said. This is so much FUN
I loved every second of that mission, really felt like the part of the gane where you stopped being a trainee and became BOND, JAMES BOND
Man, I was eager to read your take on this game. I'm still waiting for my physical copy to arrive, but I'm glad it was worth the investment.
That's why I skipped the spoiler section of your review. I'll come back to see if it aligns with my perception. But everything else you wrote just got me more excited for it!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I do have some other nit-picks I didn't mention but the game consistently put a smile on my face and whenever I wasn't playing it, I was desperate to carry on with it so I think I can let it off for having a bit too much linearity haha
Ok, I beat the game last night, so I can finally comment on this article properly.
I have to say I agree with all your arguments here, from the changes to Bond’s background to Patrick Gibson’s portrayal. Even your takes on the Vietnam mission (strong Goldfinger vibes there!), the story as a whole, the unexpected final boss in a not-so-great way, and the game’s performance are spot on. Regarding that last point, I played it on my regular PS5 and had the same issues you did.
Now, as for the theme song... I don’t know, it grew on me. I had mixed feelings at first, but after finishing the game, I understood what they were going for. It sounds like a mashup of the Brosnan and Craig eras, which feels like the ideal blend for a 2026 Bond game, in my opinion. I understand your distaste for Lana Del Rey and the mixing decisions, but it’s still way better than the awkward, overproduced mess that is Die Another Day.
Anyway, I can’t wait for the sequel. If that particular character Bond says he’ll chase in the ending leads us to SPECTRE, I’ll be extremely happy.
Hello again :)
I was originally going to get it for PS5 but after seeing the early gameplay and rumours it wasn't easy to optimise behind the scenes I went for PC, it seems it runs okay but isn't that well optimised generally. I've seen worse at least. Happy to hear my review hit the mark!
Regardless of anyone's thoughts on it, I think we can all agree it was better than that mess, ouch.
Me neither! I just hope they do SPECTRE justice and don't completely ruin it like the Craig films did.
This was the one review I was waiting for before deciding to buy this game.
That's such a nice compliment, thank you!
One thing I really appreciated from the first half of this game is how IO kind of uses the tropes of the modern AAA action game against the player.
When you meet the other named 00 trainees of note, it's sort of a moment of horror like "oh God am I gonna have these people in my ear telling me to tail the guy or get on the tower for the whole game?" But then the plot moves an entirely different direction and you're left feeling bad for sneering at the design in those first couple missions. It's very effective.
Been a while since I've seen you here, hello!
Yes I thought so too. Between the Iceland mission and the ever-present blue paint I was getting a bit antsy but I did enjoy how Bond slowly becomes the one of a kind, solo operative we know as the game goes on and M learns to just set him loose and not to tie the man down.
I really like how misleading the marketing was for this game, I was expecting a kind of GoldenEye-lite plot but it ended up being nothing like that at all.
Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Excellent review, and glad you liked it so much given your affinity to Bond. I have been watching it out of curiosity, thinking it's probably a game that would be good but I'd be happy to pass on. Now I'm thinking that its actually worth my time, so it's been added to my wishlist to consider in the future (once this eternal backlog is tamed)
Loved this review. I really loved the way you depicted the chess like style in the theme and how this is different from something like Hitman or MGSV. It's meant to be a spy thriller like the movies. I loved how that gets elaborated on