When all has gone quiet about his next movie installment, this is the perfect compensation for James Bond fans.
Bloodstone is ultimately like water, since it was a solid game, which unfortunately did not leave you with anything after tasting it. The action sequences in which you either shoot, punch or sneak your way through linear levels are reminiscent to games like The Bourne Conspiracy or Splinter Cell: Conviction. The driving sequences might remind you of the adrenaline-pumped intensity of the Burnout series. The multiplayer in particular has been dismissed as a throwaway section of the game because it loses itself amongst the third-person competitive modes of similar games like Gears of War in lacking sufficient depth to elements like character and weapon customization for instance. Nonetheless, all of these critics seem very harsh once you've made the effort to play this game to the full. Only then do you appreciate what at first seems like forgettable details.
While hardly innovative, depth is present in the multiplayer mode, through devices like competing to player as the 'leader' of your team, challenges that give purpose the action and levelling up through XP alone. There are not many weapons or character costumes to choose from but this is forgivable since there is already enough to entertain for a good length of time, considering the fact gamers might soon return to old favourites anyway. What is intolerable is the lack of multiplayer maps to run riot across. Only six in total, the fact that three are set in Siberia and three in Turkey means that they quickly blur into either snowy fortresses or sunny construction sites, with little variation in design. The bar set by the variety in the campaign falls flat in the multiplayer and, at times, the only incentives to keep you playing are the achievements, assuming that you bought it for the Xbox 360. If this becomes the case, then it is worth trying hard to earn them now while you can, since the online community for Bloodstone is declining rapidly. Unsurprisingly, finding matches can be a tediously long process.
On the plus side, what makes this title stand out is the story mode. Crafted by veteran writer of the movies that fans know and love, Bond's mission will take him all over the world as he seeks to stop a secret biochemical weapons project from falling into the wrong hands. There is no need to give anything away in illustrating the positives. However, gamers may be comfortably assured that this story could easily have been adapted into a successful film. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench reprise their roles of James Bond and M respectively. Along with a strong supporting voice cast, they make the cut scenes thoroughly engaging and authentic. Layered nicely over this package is an exhilarating musical score that consistently compliments the player's actions throughout every single campaign mission. Last but by no means least, every other mission of this campaign places you behind the wheel of aesthetically different but identically handled vehicles. These missions are intense from start to finish, so long as you can keep up with your target. There are more than enough of these car chases for those whose enjoyment of them refuses to run dry.
Whether gamers like or not, as the credits roll after the campaign's completion, it's clearly sated that James Bond will return. For Bond fans, Bloodstone is a stepping-stone for those struggling to accept Craig as the latest 007. For experienced gamers, Bloodstone leaves an everlasting taste through a compelling story will believable characters, although the multiplayer, after offering a few laughs and moments of achievement-earning glory, will be forgotten the instant their copies of the game are returned to their shelves. Better luck next time Bond.