Stirring, Not Shaken- James Bond 007: Blood Stone Review

Games based on cinematic licenses are a consistently tricky proposition.  For every competent interpretation of a movie, as illustrated by the Chronicles of Riddick titles, players seem to get a handful of awkward adaptations- such as the Saw or G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra games. In theory, an interactive experience based on the James Bond mythos seems uncomplicated. From a series of far-flung backdrops, a obsession for high-tech weaponry and exotic vehicles, as well as gregarious villains, both Ian Fleming’s novels and the 48-year old film franchise are packed with possibility. Yet, beyond 1997’s Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64, few games have adeptly conveyed the feeling of stepping into the polished oxfords of an English super-spy. 

With MGM’s troubling financial situation putting the agent’s  license to kill on indefinite hiatus, series fans are encouraged to seek solace in recent Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 release, James Bond 007: Blood Stone. Building on experience from both the Project Gotham Racing franchise as well as third-person shooter, The Club, Bizarre Creations has forged a requisite experience for Bond enthusiasts. Elevated by both the likenesses and voice acting of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Joss Stone, as well at the obligatory artful opening, Bloodstone captures the quintessence of the last two Bond films.

Much like Quantum of Solace (The film, not the Treyarch-developed game)  Bond’s pursuit of foes sends him bounding through a variety of picturesque locales. While exterior shots manage to capture the spirit of rocky Grecian hillsides or busy Bangkok alleys, the game’s interiors are also unexpected skillful. An ancient statue in an Istanbul catacomb evokes a realized sense of mise en scène, which wouldn’t seem out of place in the backdrop of a Bond film. Even more spectacular are the boat and car racing sequences which typically involve excessive amount of collateral damage; as 007 enthusiasts know, natural beauty is only bested by seeing things explode in lurid detail.

Yet, as visceral as the brief vehicle sections are, they aren’t without their flaws. Each sequence can end abruptly- sending players back to a previous checkpoint. A high-speed chase across serpentine Turkish docks ended when I plunged the Aston Martin DB5 unceremoniously into the Sea of Marmara. Another pursuit was stymied by a series of armored cars and sub-compacts who displayed the artificial intelligence common to the PGR series; making the sequence feel less like a tense trailing, and more like a street race.

More common are Blood Stone‘s third-person shooting set-pieces- which mirroring the tone of the last two 007 films, minimize the emphasis on gadgetry. Here, players mat take cover around corners and low walls while popping up occasionally to place the ever-present reticule  on an enemy. Borrowing a tactic from fellow spy Sam Fischer’s repertoire, melee takedowns reward the player with up to three Focus Kills. Once initiated, these ability-enhancers grant Bond the ability to make effortless one-shot kills. While Focus Kills might seem superfluous on the Blood Stone‘s easier difficulty settings, they’re indispensable when confronting clusters of enemies on a elevated level of challenge.

These ballistic conflicts are also the basis of the game’s multiplayer mode. Accommodating up to sixteen players online the title’s Team Deathmatch, Objective, and Last man Standing variants don’t veer radically from the competitions found in similar action titles. A straightforward leveling system grants access to different loadouts and outfits as players ascent the ranks. Although the weaponry doesn’t seem balanced (with sniper rifles dominating matches) and there was a hint of lag, conflicts were gratifying. Taking cover, firing a few shots to get an opponent’s attention , then low-crawling to a flanking position rarely loses its enjoyment. 

As a self-admitted Double-O aficionado, I found James Bond 007: Blood Stone to be undeniably pleasing. From dialog which espouses M’s steadfast determination as well as the most recent Bond’s emotional disengagement, renowned cars and weapons, and a stirring symphonic score, the developers nailed the action franchise’s nuances. As with most licensed games, those ambivalent to the source material won’t be as enamored. For them, each of the agent’s small missteps will evident, rendering Blood Stone a solid- but not quite mandatory, purchase.