Just like the movie it was based on, this game pretty much sucks.
Black Ops has been tasked with the nearly impossible; follow up Rare's critically acclaimed N64 hit GoldenEye 007 with the PlayStation exclusive 007: Tomorrow Never Dies. Considering GoldenEye was such a huge hit, TND was bound to fail. But it fails not only because it stacks up unfavorably against a superior game but also because TND is not a good game no matter what you stack it up against.
Story-wise, Tomorrow Never Dies is unimpressive. Like most games based on movies, the story differs from it's silver screen counterpart, but the basic premise remains the same; Elliot Carver is the owner of a massive media empire, using his connections and influence to broker all kinds of shady deals. In an effort to install a new regime in China, one that would view his new expansion to the East more favorably, he tries to initiate a war between Britain and China. Naturally Bond is the only one who can stop this. As you can see, it's typical Bond clap trap with madmen and their quest for world domination.
Gameplay is the usual third-person shooting with some vehicle, jet plane and even skiing missions interspersed. The problem lies in the fact that the PlayStation controller isn't exactly ideal for a shooter requiring any sort of precision. Thankfully there is an auto-aim feature, but it sort of defeats the purpose of making a shooter in the first place. For a change, the camera is not a total pain in the ass. It gives you a good view of the action most of the time and when Bond obscures the view, he goes translucent. The inventory system will drive you insane, quarantined. Instead of allowing you to cycle between your weapons with ease, you're forced to first press the triangle button to bring up your entire inventory. Only then can you cycle through all your items and equip the weapon you want. The first time you need to do this while in combat feels stupid. The second time around it will annoy you. After the third time, you'll be ready to chuck the controller at the nearest wall. With controls like these, it's perhaps a good thing the AI is so dumb. Enemies will rarely come to investigate any commotion, will never alert their friends of your presence, persistently shoot at objects you're behind and rely on a narrow vision cone to engage you. Stay clear of this area and you will be allowed to blast them with impunity.
Graphically TND is not bad, but it's far from the best we've seen on the PlayStation. There is significant pop-up, the view distance is short enough to make sniper rifles redundant and the explosions and other effects are uninspired at best. The framerate can get a bit sticky at times, but the game stays playable throughout.
The audio in TND is decent as well. Even though Brosnan doesn't reprise his role in-game, his stand-in Adam Blackwood does a serviceable job. Weapon sounds are delightfully heavy, as are other effects. The music is typical for a Bond game and never rises to prominence. All in all, the audio is a fairly average package.
Tomorrow Never Dies isn't exactly a terrible game, it's just an uninspired one. The gameplay mechanics are executed poorly and the story is weak. If you're looking to get your spy fix, there are better candidates available, like Syphon Filter and Medal of Honor. Or you could always try GoldenEye…