From Russia With Love First Look
We get an exclusive look at EA's latest Bond game starring everyone's favorite Bond, Sir Sean Connery.
Glen Schofield gives us our first look at From Russia with Love in this exclusive interview.
Since FRWL is based on an existing film, you might be thinking that the game won't hold much in the way of surprises. However, EA has worked with MGM to really flesh out some of those aspects. The hope is that the end result will serve up an engaging "director's cut" take on the adventure, which will stay true to the source material but still feel fresh. If you haven't been keeping up on the Bond film oeuvre, we'll fill you in on what FRWL is all about. The film is based on the fifth novel published in 1957 from the late, great Ian Fleming. It begins with the resourceful MI-6 agent on a mission to stop the evil SPECTRE organization from using a stolen Russian decoding device that will allow SPECTRE to peruse secret Russian files that could potentially unbalance the precarious world order of the day.
While this story is obviously core to FRWL's narrative, there have been some notable additions. The game will feature a new opening for the story, a modified middle section, and a new ending that will contain a twist to the story's denouement. In addition, you'll encounter new characters that are going to be integrated into the familiar tale.
As far as its gameplay goes, From Russia With Love's play mechanics should be familiar to anyone who played last year's Everything or Nothing. But, while the game shares its predecessor's core control scheme and accessibility, there have been a number of additions and enhancements to the experience that look very promising. First and foremost, the point and upgrade systems have been beefed up to have more of an action role-playing-game feel. You'll once again earn points that will unlock the ambitious assortment of extras the team is cramming into the game, but you'll also earn currency that will let you upgrade different elements such as your weapons. As with any Bond game worth its license to kill, FRWL will feature a full complement of weapons, gadgets, and vehicles for you to use in your adventure. Some, such as the rappel, will return from EON, but others, such as the oh-so-cool jetpack, are brand new. And, yes, before the Bond purists out there point out that the jetpack didn't appear in FRWL, we have to say that the addition of the unique mode of transportation is just a bit of dramatic license. But once you start zipping around and blowing things up, we doubt anyone's going to complain. FRWL will also feature driving sequences that will send you tearing along at high speeds, dodging all manner of danger. One of the nice new pacing tweaks is that the jetpack and driving segments will no longer be stand-alone levels. The team is aiming to integrate both types of gameplay into a more cohesive experience.
But, since the vehicle segments only make up a portion of the experience in FRWL, the team has put a hefty amount of time into refining the on-foot sequences. The most welcome new element to the experience is the ability to jump, which finally lets you get over debris that's blocking your path. More importantly, you'll be able to traverse large gaps--such as the ones between the second floor of a building and the safety of a chandelier--when you're in a firefight. Speaking of guns, FRWL will also feature an enhanced shooting system that will let you feel like a highly trained British secret agent without the hassle of going through all the pesky training. A new focused aim lets you pinpoint specific points to shoot at on an enemy, such as his head or the grenade he is preparing to throw, which comes in very handy.
When you feel the need to get more up close and personal with your foes, you can choose to go mano a mano with some melee combat. While the core handling is about the same as in EON, Bond's fighting style has been changed some to keep it more in line with the way Connery's Bond carried himself. As a result, you can expect a much more visceral style of combat that uses throws and a satisfying touch of boxing tossed in for good measure.
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- Electronic Arts
- Modern Action Adventure
- Release: Nov 15, 2005
- ESRB: Teen
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