TGS 2003James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing Update

We've had another look at James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, the entirely original Bond game in production at Electronic Arts. Unlike previous Bond games, which have generally been based on one of the famous secret agent's films, Everything or Nothing has been conceived and built from the ground up as an entirely new story with new characters and settings. We played a bit of the game at EA's TGS 2003 booth and saw some more of it in action, and we can say that the game is progressing nicely on all fronts.

The first mission we got to see is similar to the one shown at the Camp EA event back in July. It featured Bond trying to work his way through some sort of futuristic industrial complex while evading guards and dodging intermittent explosions. A couple of times, we were forced to rappel down the sheer side of the building we were on, and as we did, parts of the building were exploding and crumbling, causing our descent to be pretty harried. In between these sequences, we had to deal with enemy operatives in a run-and-gun fashion, which was made easier by the game's lock-on feature (which is enabled by holding the R1 button). Bond had a pistol to work with initially, and fallen guards' assault rifles could be co-opted for greater fire power. Of course, Bond is never one to back down from fisticuffs, and in close quarters we simply beat the enemies into submission. This action sequence was fast-paced and hectic, and if it's any indication of the final product, Everything or Nothing ought to be a pretty satisfying action experience, Bond license or not.

We also observed a level being played in two-player cooperative mode using two characters who were definitely not James Bond. One was a burly, bald commando type, and the other was a lithe female combatant. The level was set in a city of what looked like Middle Eastern design, and it had the two allies helping each other out against a horde of enemies who were hiding among the buildings.

Everything or Nothing is looking pretty sharp at this stage in development, and since the game is now set for a March 2004 release, the team ought to have plenty of time to finish assembling the game's ambitious spec. Another interesting note is that the game's presence at TGS is an interesting sign of the times. In the past, it was rare for American companies to show their own games in Japan, but this year Electronic Arts has a full booth set up on the show floor. If nothing else, this shows how symbiotic the Japanese and American game markets have become, and it's nice to see the continued globalization of our collective hobby.

See more of GameSpot's coverage of the 2003 Tokyo Game Show.