Game Overview

Developer: Gearbox
Publisher: EA
Estimated Release: Winter 2002

Shaken, not stirred

James Bond finally makes his first appearance on the PC, after an aborted attempt with Agent Under Fire. 007: NightFire of course will also be making an appearance on all the major consoles, but instead of being a straight port across all platforms, the PC version of NightFire differs from the console version in that there are no driving sequences for the PC game. NightFire for the PC is a first-person shooter only, so in return, we’ll see special FPS levels on the PC that will not appear on the console versions. There are different development teams between console and PC as well. For the PC version, Gearbox (known for their Half-Life expansion packs like Opposing Force and Blue Shift) is handling the development. Appropriately enough, the engine powering NightFire is a modified Half-Life engine, so Gearbox should feel right at home. As such, the level of detail and technology in the game won’t be the primary reason to play NightFire; you will want to play it if you’re a Bond fan and want to experience some 007 adventures. Having said that, the engine does an admirable job for what it is, once again demonstrating the versatility and longevity of the Half-Life technology.

Odd vision mode - bones and gun show up

Sniper

All around the world

Unlike previous Bond games released by EA, NightFire is not based on any one particular Bond episode. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s character, NightFire will present more of a montage of various themes from Bond movies. We’ll see several different environments from all the movies, including levels in a Tokyo highrise (You Only Live Twice), to a hilltop Austrian castle (For Your Eyes Only) to low gravity missions in outer space (Moonraker).

For last week’s Camp EA event, we played some multiplayer deathmatch inside of the gold vault at Fort Knox (a la Goldfinger). The gameplay feel was somewhere in between Counter-Strike and Quake 3 in terms of player movement speed. Fighting on multiple levels of the Fort Knox level was pretty fun, not unlike Q3tourney4, with multiple levels of walkways forming a square perimeter around a central area (only open this time, not around a central room as in Q3tourney4). The metal grating of the catwalks allowed for shooting up through the floor at players above as you try to make your way upstairs and get on even ground.

He loses

Castle bunnies

Weapons

I took careful note of all the weapons available in the multiplayer. There were three different kinds of pistols. The default pistol is of course, Bond’s new Walther P99, which can be outfitted with a silencer using secondary fire. The next pistol is a fully automatic fire handgun, similar to a Glock 18, or the gun used by evil John Travolta in the church shootout of Face Off (not a Bond movie). You’ll also be able to use a Desert Eagle, the giant caliber handgun familiar to all Counter-Strike players. Moving up away from pistols there is a one handed submachine gun (like an Uzi or a Mac-10) that comes in a silenced version as well. Screenshots indicate that these can be wielded akimbo for two fisted fire. We also played around with a P90 submachine gun and its large clip. Though Counter-Strike players are already familiar with this gun, Bond also used the futuristic P90 in the underground silo shootout of The World Is Not Enough. Rounding out the standard weapons is a scoped assault rifle that resembles an M-4/M-16, and of course, the obligatory sniper rifle.

Fairly detailed face

We were also treated to a couple of new gadgets that we hadn’t seen before. At E3, we took note of the car key stungun, nightvision eyeglasses, and a watch laser for cutting locks. While running around the multiplayer levels we toyed around with laser tripwire mines and a briefcase that when unfolded becomes an automated turret gun. Details were sketchy on the various multiplayer modes, but the Bond gadgets make intriguing possibilities for class-based multiplayer.

NightFire is due out this winter before the next Bond film, Die Another Day is released. EA also announced at Camp EA that Pierce Brosnan has agreed to have his likeness used for the Bond character in NightFire, adding even more of the movie feel into the game. For those who can’t wait until the game is released, a public beta test for multiplayer is a possibility for September, so it won’t be long before hardcore Bond fans can start their service for MI6.