James Bond: From Russia With Love (PS2)

Even ignoring the `60s angle, the fact that the game is obviously trying to distance itself from the risible GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is another obvious boon. It's a third person adventure much more in keeping with Everything or Nothing, with a similar mix of on foot and vehicle combat, with particular emphasis seeming to be given to the jetpack from Thunderball.

Although Bond looks and sounds (thanks to newly recorded dialogue by the man himself) like Sean Connery the game also has a role-playing element where you can customise your character according to your preferred style of play. There's also an online and split screen multiplayer mode for you to compare these settings with friends.

Alas there doesn't yet seem to be any sign of a mini-game allowing you to ferret out bad guys according to their incorrect choice of wine at the dinner table, but in all other respects this is shaping up to be the ultimate retro Bond game. --Harrison Dent

This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.

Still, From Russia With Love, so far the most current Bond game decides to go back in time. It's stylings and technology are sixties in look and feel, because Sean Connery is back as the super spy.

It's the right move to make - the nostalgic feel of the films with all the old gadgets included make this game great for any Bond fan, and it doesn't in any way, become a travesty of the classic film.

In fact, the movie's plotline is used to great effect for some pretty good levels. From the opening maze scene, right to the very end boat chase finale, this follows the film closely, and the levels don't feel force.

Occasionally the creators have included an extra bit not in the film, but on the whole, it's accurate, and the new stuff - apart from Natasha Bedingfield as one of the characters, why? - doesn't feel out of place.

The controls are pretty fluid, and are set in the usual 3rd person adventure positioning that every game uses. The jet pack was a surprise, in that it's very easy to handle. The only difficulty in conttrols wise was manning the gun turrets, particularly on the first speed boat level - it is very picky, and you have to be very accurate, which makes that sewer level a pain to complete.

The driving sections, while a bit plain, where quite good fun, nonetheless. And there is also a small mini-game where you have to unlock briefcases to get the info inside which is mildly diverting from the main missions.

The main missions, however, are quite short. I blasted through this game in 2 days. It's not exactly a laster - however, harder difficulty settings gie you more objectives, and there's alwasy the obligatory multiplayer option (but that will never beat Goldeneye's endlessly playable N64 version).

On the whole, this game, most importantly, wasn't a let down. While short, it was a blast of fun, and polished to spick and span from the cut scenes to in game graphics by EA. It feels, in places, more like a ovie than a game, and proves that Connery is, without a doubt, the best Bond of all...!


Excellent   March 19, 2006
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

People say it's too easy? I'm not that gr8 at 1st person shooters but this game being more easy means i can progress in the levels instead of being stuck on the first few unable to get any further. It sticks close to the movie and therefore is a must for all bond fans like me.


Great game, but we've seen it before.   January 1, 2006
C. O'Connor (Birmingham, UK)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Based on the film, "From Russia with Love," EA have compiled a game that fans of the James Bond series will love, and those who love great games will enjoy.
From Russia With Love follows James Bond attempting to save the world once again from forces that threaten all sorts of horrible things for Mankind, and who want James Bond out of the way. Basically, its based on the film.
The graphics are good, but not great. You get the feeling they could have been better, and that more detail could have been added, especially in certain sections such as the hedge maze. However, there are some brilliant touches such as flying above London, so you'll forgive this. That, and there is very little pop up 2 and the enemies are well created.
The gameplay is set in the third person (you control a person as opposed to just a gun.) This follows the same formulae as James Bond, "Everything or Nothing," on PS2. That is, you shoot, fly and drive your way through the missions (flying is a nice touch.) However, it is so deep. The shooting sections for instance mean you can either a) creep up and use excellent stealth moves, b) take cover and shoot or c) go in all guns blazing. This means it can keep everyone happy. Add to this the fact that you can upgrade your weapons and gadgets by finding schematics in the game and some brilliant gadgets such as the little helicopter bomb thing and you've got a great game. Best thing is that Sean Connery even lends his voice to the game, so the sound is good too.
What lets it down, 1) only 22 levels means its not very long. 2) We saw all of this in "Everything or Nothing," which even had an original story line. For those who always wanted to see a James Bond game based on one of the films though, this is great. Good gameplay and graphics make this a fine addition to any PS2 collection.