Movie tie-ins usually fizzle, but Quantum of Solace indeed does deliver the goods and is a fun ride to boot.
Just being able to play QoS is also somewhat of an adventure ... especially if Internet Explorer is your web browser. Sometime around mid-2009 Microsoft issued a security update to IE that made the game "unplayable" unless you use the somewhat awkward solution. The work around I adopted was to install an alternate default web browser (I opted for Firefox) and deactivate IE and delete the offending security update(s) although these keep reinstalling with each PC restart. Cumbersome yes, but if you want to play the game there is presently no alternative. [UPDATE (15 May 2010): a new simple fix is given in my 26 December 2009 blog.]
It's not so much IE that is the problem, rather some part of the security update(s) does not allow QoS to start up, whether or not you are connected to the internet. The real puzzle in all this is that Microsoft, which is responsible for IE and the security updates, is also behind "Games for Windows Live" of which QoS is a prominent title, although Activision is the publisher. Reading the various player forums neither Microsoft nor Activision has released a patch to fix this problem to date and each party blames the other.
Well setting that "minor" irritation aside, what is QoS like? As an FPS QoS is plenty good ... lots of bad guys to take down, interesting weapons, beautifully rendered 3D settings and over the top action aplenty. Lots of good gameplay innovations and of course in keeping with customer demands graphically stunning.
One of the earliest FPS games I played was 007 Nightfire, which is also my only other Bond-themed game. Nightfire had its fair share of thrills and spills but was very much the "clean and smooth" gadget-intensive Bond actioner one would expect from the Bond movies to that point. QoS the game, like QoS the movie, is much grittier ... you are very much playing Daniel Craig's or Sean Connery's, not say Pierce Brosnan's or Roger Moore's, interpretation of Bond.
The narrative structure however is rather muddled. The story starts by essentially following the plot of the Quantum of Solace movie, modified to make it a playable FPS game. About a third of the way through the game the story shifts back to the Casino Royale movie plot. Personally I'd rather play the game missions in chronological sequence, like the movies. A few games use a "flashback" gimmick and some, like Max Payne, do it well, QoS is, for me, less successful. Nightfire's narrative, outlandish as the storyline in any Bond film, is standalone and not connected with any specific movie and as such is somewhat fresher and more satisfying. QoS trying to fit in elements from both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace muddles the flow of the storyline by choosing to use the flashback. For me, this was a bad design call and probably driven by movie tie-in marketing demands.
Despite the importance, to me anyway, of narrative structure QoS does succeed as an FPS. There are plenty of great SP missions in QoS, among my favourites is the first, "White's Estate" which also serves as the pre-credits action sequence. Others that have a good combination of stealth, gunplay and all round good action are "Siena", with its transitions from sewers to rooftops, the two "Science Centre" missions (which reminded me of Rainbow 6 Vegas), "Montenegro Train", "Casino Royale", "Venice" and the "Barge". The other missions are also very good, these were just my favourites. There is, of course, the obligatory FPS mission requiring you to shoot down the helicopter while pinned down on a rooftop. All QoS missions are beautifully presented with superb graphics (for characters, background and those impressive Bondesque explosions) and sound (both voice acting and sound effects). This, despite the narrative shortcomings, makes the game quite immersive.
Gameplay is quite innovative. I especially like the switch to 3rd-person when shooting from behind cover and this mechanic exists in quite a few recent games, like Rainbow 6 Vegas. What is unique, in my experience, is the Q-button takedown mechanic that you use to initiate a silent kill that triggers an "interactive cut-scene" whereby you control the actual hand-to-hand combat that ensues using the mouse. (BTW, I interupted playing IGI2 Covert Strike when QoS arrived at Xmas, IGI2 also features a secret agent and uses stealth and silent takedowns, although QoS is more satisfying on a number of levels even if much shorter.) QoS, unlike Nightfire, does not feature too many Q-branch gadgets and is very much in line with the recent movies whereby the protagonist relies on his brain, lethal hands and available guns rather than outlandish gadgets.
Weapons are the usual array of modern hand guns, SMGs and assault and sniper rifles familiar to FPS afficionados, some with, some without scopes, though all (thankfully) allowing down-the-barrel aiming. There are some spectacular firefights in QoS, usually after Bond is detected and the guards appear. Enemy AI is rather good, they do try and outflank you when you take cover and many, wearing body armour, take a few hits to terminate. Thankfully there are no painfully difficult boss fights in the game. So in some ways QoS is less formulaic than other similar genre-FPS games I have played, like say Soldier of Fortune, Nightfire, IGI2, etc, but still preserves the best features of those games.
QoS ran pretty smoothly and glitch free on my PC except that I did encounter a minor (in hindsight) problem in the Bolivia (sink hole cave) mission. The game became extremely laggy to the point I had to reset the graphics downwards and exit the game a number of times. Perhaps it was all the dazzling fireball and explosion dust effects? This is a very rare occurrence on my PC. Anyway, once out of the caves the graphics were running smoothly again on maximum again.
Finally a warning for anyone who gets seasick. Well we've all heard a bit about the adverse effects video games may have on you, like photosensitive seizures for example, but QoS with the scene where Bond is drugged in the "Casino Poison" mission had me feeling quite queasy with all its blurry, bending, swaying, in and out of focus effects. I was quite surprised by this. I obviously won't be playing any yacht sailing themed games!
As usual, I didn't try the multiplayer aspects so cannot comment, from experience but others have said it is good.
OVERALL: I highly recommend QoS to those who enjoy a good modern era FPS game. The game has its own innovations and incorporates some features from its genre peers. This is a gritty 2000s-era Bond ... forget the gadgets ... you need to take down the bad guys in the old hands-on way. Be aware that QoS is a shortish game, or at least plays fast, like say MOH Airborne.
The only "problem" with the game, and not of its own making, is the incompatibility issue with Microsoft's IE security updates ... hopefully a patch will be issues to resolve this.
Downunder the game is greatly reduced in price nowadays (probably because of the compatibility problem) but is well worth ~A$20-25 and the muck-around to get it working.