James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
For the first time, a James Bond game isn't based on one of the movies. This time, an all new original storyline has been created specifically for the game. With a bunch of new characters and a Bond who looks like all the actors who have ever played him mixed into one, Agent Under Fire is sure to be a smash hit…..or is it?

Graphics:

The graphics in the game are good, but they could definitely look a lot better. Explosions look somewhat real, but other effects look cheesy at times. This is especially true with glass shattering effects, which are the cheesiest of them all. The levels are designed well, and are sure to keep you interested throughout the span of each one of them. All the characters in the game look good, except for James Bond. The Bond in this game does not look like any of the actors who have played him, but rather a mix of what they would all look like when combined into one Agent 007. It may sound pretty cool, but overall he doesn't look that great.

Sound and Music:

The music in the game is average at most. None of it will really stick in your mind as a great music, other than the James Bond Theme perhaps. The voice acting in the game is done fairly well. James Bond sounds a little bit like Sean Connery, while all the other characters have a unique voice of their own. The music also seems to know what is going on in the game. If you are sneaking around, the music will have a low tone. If you are in the middle of a firefight, the music will be fast paced. The sound effects, such as guns being fired and rockets exploding, sound great. I have no complaint with any of the sound effects.

Storyline:

The storyline in the game is weak and far fetched, making it dull. It revolves around a company called Malprave Industries, which is involved in oil, shipping, and biotechnology. With the help of Nigel Bloch, the head of the Identicon Corporation, they plan to clone the top world leaders, kill the real ones, and replace them with the evil clones. This is why I didn't like the storyline of the game that much. The whole idea of human cloning seemed way to far fetched, even for James Bond. Throughout the game you will meet many different characters, including a female CIA agent by the name of Zoe Nightshade and a female assassin who goes by the codename "Carla the Jackal". Even though James Bond storylines tend to be a little unbelievable, I just couldn't accept the idea of human cloning that was presented in the game.

Gameplay:

The gameplay in the game is just like that of the previous James Bond titles. Whereas the other games offered more variety in levels, Agent Under Fire's missions tend to follow the same idea. Sneak into a building, take out any bad guys who get in your way, and retrieve what you came to get without getting killed. The game offers a few driving levels and a rescue mission, but it doesn't really help the other flaws the gameplay presents. However, what does help the gameplay it is the ability to pull off "Bond Moves". "Bond Moves" are such things as popping tires to conserve ammo or shooting barrels next to bad guys, causing them to all be killed in a single bullet shot. At the end of the mission, you will gain points for how many "Bond Moves" you pulled off, which in turn will unlock extras in both the single and multiplayer modes. This brings us to the multiplayer mode. While it is probably the best part in the game, it doesn't compare to either of the previous Bond games. Allowing only a small amount of gameplay modes, along with only a few good levels to play in, the multiplayer mode is lacking. While the experience is fun and fast paced, it just seems like they could have added A LOT more options and characters to choose from.

Controls:

The controls in the game, while taking awhile to adjust to, are pretty good. I'm sure there could have been better button arrangements, such as using A and B to accelerate and brake in the driving levels instead of R and L, but they work fairly well overall. R is used to shoot the gun, which is pretty cool because it actually feels like you are pulling a trigger. L is used to aim your weapon, while the D-pad is used to scroll through your weapons and gadgets. The control stick is obviously used to make you move, while the C-stick is used to strafe from side to side. In driving levels, R is used to accelerate and L is used to put the vehicle in reverse. B shoots your machine guns, while A uses missiles and other various gadgets attached to the vehicles.

Replayability:

While the game offers you the ability to unlock new features for the single and multiplayer modes, it will only last awhile. Once you have everything unlocked, all that you will be able to do is go through missions again or play the multiplayer mode. The game allows you to play against AI Bots, which means you don't need any friends to play multiplayer. However, the fun of this game only lasts until you get a new game to play. To this day I hardly even play the game, only bringing it to the occasionally party in which it still doesn't get played.

Overall, Agent Under Fire is the worst entry in the James Bond series of games, excluding Tomorrow Never Dies for the PlayStation. The gameplay can become repetitive, the multiplayer is brought down with a lack of options and gameplay modes, and the storyline is extremely weak. While the game was fun while it lasted, the flaws show themselves once you are done playing it. Agent Under Fire tries so hard to surpass the previous installments in the series, but in the end it just isn’t as good as the previous Bond games in the series.
Graphics: 9.0/10
Sound and Music: 8.2/10
Storyline: 6.0/10
Gameplay: 7.6/10
Controls: 9.5/10
Replayability: 7.0/10
7.0
Out of 10