Gamescom 2011

Goldeneye 007 Updated Multiplayer Hands-On

Giancarlo Varanini
By Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor

Bond ventures into the jungle in our latest look at the reimagining of the N64 classic.

In our latest look at the reimagining of Goldeneye 007, which originally appeared on the Nintendo 64 and was developed by Rare, we join James Bond in the jungle level--about 75 percent or so through the game. Fans of the original should remember this particular area as the one with the turrets that were often very difficult to see due in large part to the fogged-in draw distance. We can happily confirm that it’s no longer an issue, but the jungle level on the whole seems to serve as a perfect example of Activision’s approach with this game and its goal to enhance and refine the Goldeneye experience that fans know and love.

How that translates into gameplay is pretty simple--this new Bond (played by Daniel Craig, who replaced Goldeneye’s original Bond played by Pierce Brosnan) is capable of performing more kinds of actions. For starters, he’s certainly more capable of stealth: he’s able to sneak up on enemies and perform special melee holds that enable him to take out enemies quickly and quietly. Even further adding to his stealth capabilities is Bond’s smartphone, which lets him hack the infamous enemy machine-gun turrets, which then causes them to track and fire upon enemy soldiers instead. It’s a far more elegant way to get through the level than by running and gunning, but if you happen to do just that, be warned--doing so causes even more enemies to spawn in via helicopter. But it’s worth noting that you’ll still have a very brief moment to take out enemies after they detect you but before they spawn any reinforcements.

Needless to say, the level also feels a bit more open. The original version of the jungle was a pretty confined space, forcing you to go down a very limited path. But this iteration of the jungle gives more freedom, granting more choices and more routes, which in turn opens up more opportunities for varying strategy. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the conclusion of this particular level with the appearance of its boss, Onatopp, but she’s there.

We closed out our demo with a little hands-on time with one of Goldeneye’s multiplayer modes--a simple round of deathmatch. While playing as Oddjob, we made every effort to connect with one of his special hats that he can throw from a distance, but we were ultimately unsuccessful due to a bit of a learning curve with that particular weapon. Otherwise, the controls feel pretty nice with the classic controller, and we had no trouble immediately racking up the kills by using Goldeneye’s weapons. Additionally, the new Goldeneye will have more than just the numerous multiplayer modes found in its predecessor. There will also be special objective-based multiplayer modes, such as the Goldeneye mode, where players have to race to get to the EMP weapon that blasts the opposing base.

Overall, there’s a surprising amount of new content on display in Goldeneye 007 for the Wii. The majority of the game has been rebuilt (and parts of the script have been rewritten with the aid of the original writer of the film) to incorporate new features and new tactics. But there are still plenty of throwbacks to the original, including the difficulty settings that feature different objectives for each map. One of these settings even lets you play in classic 007 mode with the old-style health and armor indicators. We’ll have more on Goldeneye 007 before its November release.

Giancarlo Varanini
By Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor

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99 Comments

  • Cooliepants

    Posted Dec 21, 2010 1:35 pm GMT

    This is the first Goldeneye I've seen, but since it has offline multiplayer rather than COD. I think this game is unique because it has one of the best multiplayer I've seen and it extends when you put it on a higher diff. for single-player. Even though this is a review in a comment, THIS IS A BUY!!

  • MaddogQ80

    Posted Nov 1, 2010 6:39 pm GMT

    i finally get to break the wii out again!!!

  • Draken_Domingo

    Posted Oct 30, 2010 9:40 pm GMT

    @topherfilms
    Unfortantely, that's your own opinion and not 'the facts'. The Wii is only a high seller because (1) it's cheap and (2) it's a lot more 'family oriented' (or, in the gamer realm, a casual piece of garbage). Actually, the Wii is steeply losing ground due to the release of the Playstation Move and the soon-to-be-released Kinect, both which feed the casual market. Also, it is your own opinion to say the Wiimote+Nunchuk combo is the best way to play console shooters. A controller will always be more precise then the Wiimote on consoles. In fact what your saying is ironic, since the special edition of Goldeneye is going to come with a Classic Controller Pro.

    This is all coming from a long time Nintendo fan...and yes, I do believe the Wii was an utter disappointment.

  • topherfilms

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 10:40 pm GMT

    @parabellum71: Get you facts straight. PS3 and 360 are both sruggling to be a competetive force in gaming. Wii is kicking thier ass by a wide margin. The Wii remote and Nunchuk is the best way to play a console shootwer period.

    PS1 graphics sucked period. Now, then and always.

  • LamboMan670

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 7:44 am GMT

    looks awesome! can't wait!

  • ParaBellum71 posted Sep 12, 2010 1:44 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ParaBellum71

    Posted Sep 12, 2010 1:44 pm GMT (hide)

    I'm definatly not buying a WII just for Goldeneye. And I think they made a major mistake putting this title solely on the WII. Back when Goldeneye originally came out, the Nintendo 64 was the cadilac of home gaming. Allbeit the graphics were more cartoonist then the PS1,PS1 graphics were horrible until anti aliasing came along. Now days, alot of the people I know that used to play Goldeneye with me splitscreen, do not own WII's. I think this game would be awesome, but the WII fell on it's face from day one. Nintendo needs to stop realieng on stupid things like the Wii mote and go back to being a competitive force in gaming.

  • johnnyauau

    Posted Sep 12, 2010 12:34 am GMT

    Thanks tyranitaronweed. That's what I've been saying all the time now. If blood was so important, then the James Bond games will go a different path. It's ok to have blood in certain games like The Godfather but to appeal to all ages is another thing. I mean don't forget that kids like to be James Bond as well. If you take out the kids and stuff a lot of blood in this game, then you're only aiming for more of a very gritty James Bond Rambo machine that strays too far from its roots. Think about it. What would kids get in return when they play this game?

  • tyranitaronweed

    Posted Sep 11, 2010 10:36 pm GMT

    Geez, what is it with all these people ranting on about "OMG DERS NO BLD N DIS GAM ITS GNA SUK!!1!" First of all, it's not necesarry. Secondly, Nintendo DOES allow blood in their games. Ever played the Turok series on the N64? Lastly, don't you realize what you're saying? The last thing you need is watching some guy get pumped fulla lead with sick twisted pleasure, what you need right now is a therapist!

  • WafflePrime

    Posted Sep 8, 2010 11:19 am GMT

    I will once again play as Boris on a Hawaiian shirt prox. mine rampage.

  • topherfilms

    Posted Sep 7, 2010 12:14 pm GMT

    @killer690 & chinakat:

    Nintendo has no restrictions on thier games, other than no AO rated games, same as MS and Sony. The bloodiest and most violent M-rated games are on Nintendo's systems, but they are so far and few between nobody notices them.

  • nate2442

    Posted Sep 7, 2010 7:35 am GMT

    I havent played my wii in well over a year...
    Its in a draw collecting dust...

    This game will change that...

  • killer690

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 10:52 am GMT

    @chinakat, you're probably right

  • chinakat

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 8:02 pm GMT

    @killer690
    So, nintendo is guns only but manhunt 2 is fine?

  • chinakat

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 7:58 pm GMT

    this gives me hope that this won't be some crappy, "hey! let's remake a classic for a fast buck!"

  • deffine

    Posted Aug 26, 2010 9:17 am GMT

    cant wait to try this game out

  • Darth-Samus

    Posted Aug 25, 2010 10:14 pm GMT

    I am seriously stoked for this. Graphics are looking nice. Goldeneye with the wiimote and nunchuck sounds heavenly.

  • slimskelter

    Posted Aug 25, 2010 4:34 pm GMT

    I hope this will be good. I'm glad you can use the classic controller. The Wiimote always feels awkward when I try to play shooters.

  • Arsyad00

    Posted Aug 25, 2010 9:01 am GMT

    haha stupid commentators. if u want GRAPHICS so much got play PS3 or XBOX360
    i recommend Killzone 2 for awesome graphics in shootin

  • killer690

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 5:33 pm GMT

    @topherfilms, I'm not sure either, but they did