Preview of: Goldeneye

Reviewer:         Amy Pistone

Title:               Goldeneye 007 (Wii)

System:           Wii

Genre:             First-person shooter

 

            Golden Eye is a classic game for the N64. It is a shooting game, but the game developers created so many innovations through the original that it is truly mindboggling. Multiplayer was utilized effectively through the N64 version, and as a result the expectations are set high for the remake due out this holiday season. This is going to be another Wii-exclusive title, which is surprising due to the popularity of the title. Little was released about the game up to the date as of writing, so I’ll do my best to paint a picture of what’s to come.

            The storyline is kind of unclear at best. The game seems to contain the same levels of the past but Pierce Brosnan’s Bond is replaced with Daniel Craig. This is most likely due to licensing issues but it still creates a confusing situation in regards to the plotline of the game. In addition, as good as Craig’s movies are, Brosnan was the original in this game so there needs to be some justification or some players may be put off by this change. Other areas of the story have been updated to reflect the change in technology (Bond’s watch from the past has been replaced with a cellphone). This does not appear to have a negative impact on the game but who knows how much developers have changed. Gameplay seems to be stuck to the same as in the original, which could be either good or bad upon observation. For now we’ll assume that this means the game is sticking to its roots, but upon viewing of more trailers and the release of Golden Eye, this idea may change. Multiplayer seems to have remained the same as well, just with the added bonus of online play. Sixteen special modes are available, granting options to the most finicky of players. Graphics, however, seem to have made little improvement in comparison to other Wii titles, which is a major disappointment. Classic characters such as Jaws are said to make appearances, bringing back the nostalgia to the game. The biggest change with the remake is the controller options – you can choose from the Gamecube, the classic, the Wii mote and nunchuk, Wii Zapper, OR the classic controller pro Nintendo has released (there is a spiffy gold one available with the game). This is a nifty feature but the practicality of this has yet to be determined.

            Overall there seems to be some major pros and cons to this new game. It most likely is improbable to meet everyone’s expectations, but hopefully the remake can be a seamless blend between the new and the old without seeming forced or repetitive. If not… well, we’ll always have the original.