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Quantum of Solace
Let’s get something straight: this isn’t GoldenEye. GoldenEye is dead. It’s time to move on.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can focus on what this game is: a Call of Duty 4/Gears of War hybrid wrapped in James Bond paper with a Splinter Cell bow on top. Sounds like a shooter slice of heaven, and in some ways, it’s just that. The Call of Duty 4 engine covers the A.I. and controls, the Gears cover system handles maneuverability, and the features nabbed from Splinter Cell — hacking locks and silently taking out enemies from behind — manage the stealth.
Unfortunately, this mix ultimately devolves into nothing more than relentless stop-and-pop gameplay, broken up only by a few dozen QTE takedowns. And though we applaud the brutal beatings Daniel Craig’s Bond dishes out, we wouldn’t have minded a teensy bit of challenge. The hundreds of henchmen you encounter have identical slide-and-cover animations and flank tactics, turning every shootout — be it below an opera house or atop a train — into the exact same battle you just conquered. Besides being remarkably predictable, the A.I. has no peripheral vision and seems to be slightly near-sighted, making sneaking up for a kill a cinch.
However, diehard 007 fans will blow past the repetition and shoddy stealth for the meat that makes this game a James Bond title: high-speed chases, racing across rooftops, and escapes from buildings rigged to explode. You even get to pursue the free-running bomb maker from the beginning of Casino Royale. And to top it off, Daniel Craig and the others grace Quantum in likeness and in voice.
But what a license giveth, a license can taketh away. In this case, it removed the main ingredient: the movie. More than three-fourths of Quantum is devoted to its predecessor, Casino Royale, and the sole hour spared for the game’s namesake leaves out most of the story.
We’d love to say that Quantum’s multiplayer redeems the five-hour campaign. But after a few rounds of multiplayer deathmatch or escorting Bond to the escape in the VIP-like Bond Evasion mode, you’ll really just find yourself wishing you were playing Call of Duty 4 instead. Different maps and purchasing weapons may hold you off for a while, but we guarantee you’ll want to summon an airstrike before too long.
For double-agent wannabes, we suggest renting a copy. Playing through Casino Royale is worth the thrill despite the game’s many flaws. But if you wanted an interactive version of the newest Bond fl ick or a game to replace the Call of Duty experience, Quantum just doesn’t make the cut.
On Xbox 360
+ Offing henchmen as the most badass Bond since Sean Connery.
- Too short; not enough Quantum of Solace.
- Multiplayer is just an imitation of Call of Duty 4 — without the fun.
? Shaken or stirred?
6.5
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AlphaFoxtrot32
November 08, 2010 at 4:31pm
i think people shouldn't compare one stellar game to another that seems similar. sure you can compare and contrast but dont say dont play it because it is not another game. im not just saying this to you meaghan, but to all of OXM
RedNBlueAllOver
December 15, 2008 at 5:05pm
You guys are saying that this game is justifiably bad, but the game is better than you say. The multiplayer is fun; with different game modes than you normally see, like the Bond vs. mode. Meghan you said that there is shoddy stealth in this game, but I recall a level where if you take out a guy with a silenced pistol, no one is alerted to your presence, but if you just open fire on him or take him down with the QTE takedowns, other men are alerted. When your presence is unknown the level is a lot easier, but with them on you I found that level very difficult. The train level is different from the opera house. In the opera house (the beginning of the level I just explained) is more of a sniping battle, while the train level can be taken on different ways, from the top of the train or from inside the train. You say all this game is other games with a different cover, but really all games resemble each other. Halo is kind of like Unreal Tournament III, all games have to have a cover system, and using the A Button to take cover makes sense. Of course the guns are somewhat the same, it’s a modern shooter. There are numerous stealth games and saying this is just a hybrid is like saying the rest of the games out there are nothing but knock offs. I am sorry but your reasoning on this game is poor. You never even mentioned achievements. There are the usual achievements for beating the levels, but there is one achievement per level that you can earn extra. Like the satellites on the second level, opening the cellar door on the first level with one shot, etc. Trying to do the levels more conservative, like the cellar door achievement, or just looking closer at your surroundings changes the game for the player. Also the cell phones are like the computers in CoD4 or Gears of War. But do not also tell me that QoS AND CoD4 BOTH copied off of Gears, I mean, CoD4 got a ten, so it was perfect and DIDN’T copy off of another game! Just had to get it out.
jimchris
December 07, 2008 at 8:59am
To Meghan Since i find your taste in games similar to mine which games would you recommend to an X-box newcomer?
MazerRackham
December 06, 2008 at 8:08am
I agree with Alex Great 75. Why does everyone insist on attacking the one reviewing the games? I posted a defensive comment on the Dead Space review because I didn't like what people had to say about Maghan and it is carrying over to every review she does now!?!? I happen to trust Meghan alot because she is honest in her opinions, which ultimately that is all a review is!!! If you don't like what OXM has to say, be a conformer and find someone who justifies your own opinion rather than bashing everyone who doesn't.
Alex GREAT 75
December 05, 2008 at 4:44pm
What is going on here? I’m not talking to you Meghan (or the rest of OXM for that matter), I’m talking to the people like ReignINblooD420 who don’t seem to understand what a review is. The review is the reviewer’s personal opinion, not always yours. Although you may feel different for a game, that doesn’t mean that someone who has a varying opinion is wrong or an untrustibile imbasile. I certainly commend you ReignINblooD420 for getting 44/48 achievements from Dead Space, and from my assumption you must of really liked it to replay it, but do not hold a grudge. I personally agreed with the OXM reviews of such not quite low but not meeting expectation review scores such as COD WAW, Bond QOS, and Mercs. 2. While I disagreed with review scores for Rainbow 6 Las Vegas 2. I wouldn’t blame the reviewers. Vote with your wallet not with your strong words against reviewers. I agree with this review score. The campaign was short, the AI was dumb, Quantum of Solace was almost completely ignored and the multiplayer was nothing but a 5 minute diversion. It had some fun moments but definitely not enough. It was an adequate game with some very enjoyment segments but it had too many significant issues for me to recommend it. Heck the review is even 2.5 points higher than OXM UK http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=6860. One small recommendation for OXM. Make your reviews more personalized; recall experiences you had when you were playing. Talk specifically about bugs or your favorite multiplayer experiences. Please stop using the word WE and start using I in your reviews!
ThunderChief66
December 05, 2008 at 4:20pm
Yeah seriously, lay off meghan, I'd rather her give an honest low score than give a bad game a high score that she feels it doesn't deserve
Meghan OXM
December 05, 2008 at 3:28pm
And those aren't the only games I've reviewed (forgot to add that!).
Meghan OXM
December 05, 2008 at 3:27pm
I would personally check the site to see if that statement was true before posting. True, Dead Space, QoS, and War World received scores below 7.0. But QoS got a 6.5 on metacritic and War World scored even lower. Check your facts, ok?
ReignINblooD420
December 05, 2008 at 2:01pm
a 6.5 from meghan? i'm pretty sure that means this game is cool. i highly suggest checking out Metacritic.com before trusting any of her reviews. She's famous for her low scoring of Dead Space and has been met with skepticism on all her reviews as a result, with good reason too. she gave that game a 6.5 as well. She's a very negative reviewer and i personally have never seen her score anything above a 7.0.
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