By Tyler
With a slew of more notable shooters set to be released around the same time as "Quantum of Solace," it was to be expected that not much attention would be paid to the latest "007" title. And that is a pity. Especially for those gamers who've had their fill of aliens and beige-hued war zones. The Playboy-esque high-style of Bond's latest adventure might be just what they're looking for.
Though the graphics aren't quite textured or shaded as nicely as they could have been, they serve their function in conveying the elegant atmosphere which makes up the secret-agent mystique. When you're running around the rooftop of an opera house with a silenced sniper rifle, or engaged in a sub-machine gun firefight in the Romanesque spa of a luxury hotel, you can't help but feel that your coolness factor just rose a couple of notches. And the gameplay weaves seamlessly into these settings. You can take cover behind just about any object, triggering a toggle from your default first-person perspective to a comprehensive third-person view of Bond and his surroundings (think "Rainbow Six")--extremely useful when facing flanks of enemies that would otherwise overwhelm you. "Takedowns" are useful tactics for silent killings, or when you're out of ammo and the option of reloading just wouldn't be quick enough. The only complaint I have with this feature is that often times when you're facing two or more enemies in close quarters and you go for a takedown, you're then spun around and left facing a different direction, and if you're not quick in figuring out exactly what direction you need to turn back to in order face the remaining foe(s), you're pretty much dead.
Unlike most other shooter titles, all the action takes place while on foot. There are no vehicle pursuits. However, there is a point in the game when you shoot from a mounted machine gun on a helicopter, but the copter is grounded, having just crashed. However, the battles on foot were engaging enough that I personally didn't even realize this until after the game was over. But it's worth mentioning for those who may be partial to vehicle gameplay.
In the end, the only real complaint I'd have is that I wish there was more. You could complete the game in under six hours on your first go-around, and when it's over you're left wishing there was at least a few more hours worth of game. But then again, if you're left wanting more, what you did get probably wasn't all that bad of a thing. It certainly wasn't in this case.
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