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The James Bond franchise has always been rather successful in the gaming industry. This isn't really because of the license they behold but more so because the quality of the games are of a relatively high standard. Take Golden Eye for example, the truly defining shooter on the Nintendo 64, followed up by the successful “Everything or Nothing” and “Nightfire” on the Playstation 2. Quantum of Solace continues this with a fun and promising shooter, nothing more and nothing less.
After all Quantum of Solace complementary includes Casino Royale in the game as well. But that's far from the point, yes you have Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in one package, however the length feels as if it's been halved just so it can fit both films into one package. The result is a confusing and rushed mess. Because the films have been trimmed so much, the story misses out on some important story panels. Quantum of Solace simply excludes some terrorist plot devices and moves on, but in most cases you wish they were there as it would continue the single player’s longevity.
The worst part are the flashbacks, where half way through the Quantum of Solace plot, you'll move backwards into the film before - Casino Royale. Casino Royale's plot is played entirely through one flashback and you'll eventually end it half way through the story before skipping the last half and playing through the last hour of the film. The reason for being in this remote location is almost non-existent and it makes the last mission feel more of an epilogue than a conclusion to the poorly executed story. Perhaps the developers should have just made two entirely separate stories, made Quantum of Solace only playable after Casino Royale and crammed all of the story elements in rather than just cutting most of it out. If it weren't for this, the plot would've been as good as the film but this simply isn't the case.
Given the 12+ PEGI Rating, it's easy to look past the often too easy difficulty. James Bond does a good job of never feeling too cheap and because set-piece battles are so well staged, it highlights the feeling of being like Bond once more. Yes, the difficulty is a bit too easy but even the 007 difficulty will give you a challenging experience. It's just a shame you couldn't say the same for the length as Quantum of Solace clocks in at only five hours thanks to its stripped single player however a fairly long multiplayer component compensates for such. The AI is also rather good, basic but well designed as they'll flank and try to flush you out at the same time and they'll use cover as much as you'll do in the game.
Still take it for what it's worth and fans will easily forgive these elements and just enjoy playing as Bond because that's what makes the single player so fun. The levels take you through dozens of locations, some damp and some exotic no level feels dull thanks to the vibrant level design and for the fact playing as Bond has never felt so rewarding. All told, it makes the single player worth playing all over again.
Solace also helps the engaging game play along by changing course to familiar stealth roots which work out really well. By using your phone as a map reader, you'll be able to reveal all cameras and terrorists and the patterns they repeat. But it doesn't mean you'll have an easy time, far from it, it just involves alot more strategy and time which adds more depth and excitement to the game play.
The game play runs alot slower than Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare but it’s not half bad averaging the 25 frame mark. Although it does bog down the rather fresh Call of Duty feel game play, you have some compensations like cinematic takedowns and an excellent cover system, both of which work very well. Take downs are relatively simple to pull off but satisfying to behold and while the animations aren't quite as sharp as some polished games you'll have seen, James Bond doesn't make a half bad attempt either. The cover system is also fun and diverts the first person game play to third person and it's easy to enter and exit upon cover. It's slick and a very useful manner if you want to survive.
The visuals are easy on the eyes and thanks to the vibrant, colourful palette it makes the world of Bond feel alive and believable. But it's not all hunky dory, the jagged edges are noticeable although forgettable and the oblivious, pixelated animations can also, possibly be cast aside too. Some environments are also plainly textured and seeing as the Call of Duty engine is being used, it doesn't make as good of a job as one would hope. Still the presentation is good and that's what matters.
The audio is where James Bond should shine thanks to its license. Unfortunately it's not the case, the 007 soundtrack while catchy and exciting, fails to actually suck you in as they'll only trigger half way through a fire-fight and depending on your skill it will fade out accordingly which shouldn't be before long. The voice acting is a hit and miss, Daniel Craig does well but it's weak in comparison to his real authentic voice in the film and can often come across as stiff and wooden. Sound effects often do very well though it's nothing that shooters are incapable of these days.
Treyarch doesn't start a fresh in the multiplayer and duplicates the World at War online system but by numbing it down. The lobby is clunky, uninspired, matchmaking isn't as fast as I'd have hoped and the loading screens don't correspond to their exact percentages. There are also some online glitches such as failed reloads which systematically happen but visually, don't. Score tracking is also a bit of a nuisance and it won't always track your score as proficiently as it could've done. Lag is also a big problem and can sometimes go on for too long before you get kicked out, at times you'll want to simply quit but the lag will stop you from doing so. It's a rare element but frustrating nonetheless.
The multiplayer offering is fairly mundane but is given some distinct features including a few welcomed Bond modes. One of which pits Bond against a squad of terrorists and while Bond is handicapped he must attempt to defuse two of three bombs. Each player takes a turn as Bond and he's given three lives along with additional damage and health to balance the game play. The second features an escort mission where one team of MI6 Agents must escort Bond to the evac zone while the other faction must prevent him from doing so. There are around ten maps but none of them particularly stand out, they impersonate the single player’s lively and sometimes intricate level design.
The best integrated online element is the black market where you can buy an assortment of goodies ranging from the golden guns to the handy frag grenades. There are so many options to play around with and with so many classes and weapons at your disposal you'll be hard done by to buy the market out of stock. It won't keep you coming back for more and more but it's certainly a nice rewarding system which will not only encourage kills but replayability as well.
Pros
+ Excellent cover system.
+ Fantastic level design.
+ Lots of colour palettes and vibrant colours.
+ Solid gameplay mechanics.
+ Some cool cinematics.
+ Well timed takedowns.
Cons
- 007 Soundtrack fades out quick, Daniel Craig sounds stiff.
- Confusing, rushed mess of a story.
- Gameplay loses some appeal through 25 frames per second.
- Predictable online offering and tons of glitches/issues.
- Short single player clocking in at five hours.
- Visuals need some final polish.
Treyarch has made good use of the Call of Duty engine and delivered a promising shooter and a worthwhile movie tie-in at that. It doesn't provide much more than that but it doesn't need to and in doing so, Quantum of Solace allows you to play through the eyes of Bond in engaging and exciting ways that some movie tie-ins fail to achieve.
