In the absence of Bond 23, can the creators of Blur and The Club give players a reason to fight for queen and country?
Format: PS3, Xbox 360 (version played), PC, DS Dev: Bizarre Creations Pub: Activision Out: 05/11/10 Players: 1, 2-16 online
Shaken but not stirred. With MGM in meltdown over the 23rd Bond film, Bizarre Creations have had to step up to fill the gap with 007 Blood Stone.
Even with the delays of Bond 23, Blood Stone offers a cinematic experience which mirrors the narrative of the films. The cutscenes are something to be admired and you’d regret skipping one, as they give the story real depth – which reminds you why you’ve just put a bullet straight between someone’s eyes. This is all in the name of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, in an attempt to uncover a conspiracy which has left a classified biochemical weapon in enemy hands.
No time to hold your nose. The creators, who are also responsible for the fantastic combat racer Blur, have thrown you in at the deep end, where deadly weapons and hell-bent vehicles are almost instantly at your disposal to put your double-O status to effective use. Upon first impressions, the third-person character movement takes a robotic approach, but after you’ve popped off a few headshots, you’ll get the hang of it.
The game seems to be a hybrid of an early Tomb Raider and Need for Speed due to its adventurist nature coupled with the intensive experience of chase sequences – be it land, sea or air. Bond’s signature moves are back, and somehow hearing the bones of enemies breaking as you perform a combination of Karate, Judo and other brutal martial arts is strangely satisfying.
‘Focus Aim’ allows you to perform one-shot kills after performing takedowns (think of it as a get out of jail free card). it is primarily used to give you a break after you’ve mercilessly gunned down waves of enemies, and especially comes in handy on the harder difficulties to unlock those all important Achievements.
Bond’s smartphone makes a return, so M and company can call you at some of the most inconvenient times in the game to update you on your mission objectives. It comes in handy to find locations, however, you can simply leave it equipped all the time to easily navigate your way around the map offering a shortcut to completion. This does take the ‘venture’ out of adventure.
The voice acting is crisp, with Daniel Craig and Judi Dench offering their voices to complete the cinematic quality. Joss Stone also plays Nichole, Bond’s bit-on-the-side for this game. Her song is also featured whenever the pretty ladies are dancing on screen for the intro.
Bizarre Creations have replicated Bond well, however, by jamming this much into one game they seem to have forgotten about the graphics. The first mission location is Athens, which does seem a little basic on the detail side of things. Whereas, when you’re racing through the streets of Istanbul you can’t help but notice its glittering perfectionism – even the dynamics of the Aston Martin you’re ruthlessly throwing around. The inconsistency does create a cheap feel about the game which is disappointing considering it’s a good all rounder.
Don’t expect improvements online either. If anything it gets worse. But this is overshadowed by the quality of the game modes. With 16-person multiplayer, pitting spies against mercenaries, you must use skill, teamwork and tactics to defeat your foes in team deathmatch and objective-based modes.
To Bond fans, this is a fitting game to occupy them in the wake of Bond 23. To everyone else, this spy actioner is well worth a play.
Aaron Stevens
Tags: 007, action, activision, blood stone, james bond
