JAMES BOND 007: BLOOD STONE (PS3)
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Publisher: Activision.
Developer: Bizarre Creations. Released: November 2010. Genre: Third-person shoot 'em up. Other versions: X360; PC. Posted 2nd August 2016. By Tom Clare © 2016 |
Broadly speaking, Bond games have been about as hit and miss as you’d expect of a film franchise that’s been spawning tie-ins for more than thirty years. Thanks largely to GoldenEye 007’s sizable legacy however, each outing sees hope harboured anew that 007 will be involved in another classic. And for once, on paper at least, Blood Stone gave fans reason to be optimistic. Quantum of Solace, hastily and blatantly crafted around a Call of Duty engine, ended up turning a forgettable film into a really playable FPS, thanks in no small part to a design masterstroke that saw Casino Royale’s excellent, far more action-conducive narrative worked into the mix.
Further cause for optimism came in the news that James Bond 007: Blood Stone was to be crafted by a renowned development house in Bizarre Creations. Their reputation was well-earned, through a spate of excellent racing games dating back to the early days of the original PlayStation. However, Blood Stone would prove a dispiritingly by-the-numbers adventure that, having been met with a tepid reaction both commercially and critically, would sound the death knell for the developer.
That’s not to say the game is a disaster. There’s nothing, as Sean Connery might have put it, that’s “positively shocking” about Blood Stone. It’s diverting enough, just far too uniform for a Bond adventure. Bizarre Creations followed as many Bond tropes as they could reasonably manage within the framework of a third-person shoot ‘em up, but there isn’t any spark, nothing stands out. The combat engine works, but truth be told, for a facet that’s relied upon an awful lot, it isn’t especially strong. You’d have had the driving sections as a nailed-on success given the developer’s lineage. But, aside from a precarious sequence that involves barrelling along an ice sheet as it gets carved up by helicopter fire, they never really excite either. There’s all the Aston Martins, explosions and general mayhem you’d expect, but it all feels just a little too scripted and predetermined. It’s like making your way through an elaborate, explosive gallery; it’s all very eye-catching, but the routes and the driving aspect in general are unmemorable.
Further cause for optimism came in the news that James Bond 007: Blood Stone was to be crafted by a renowned development house in Bizarre Creations. Their reputation was well-earned, through a spate of excellent racing games dating back to the early days of the original PlayStation. However, Blood Stone would prove a dispiritingly by-the-numbers adventure that, having been met with a tepid reaction both commercially and critically, would sound the death knell for the developer.
That’s not to say the game is a disaster. There’s nothing, as Sean Connery might have put it, that’s “positively shocking” about Blood Stone. It’s diverting enough, just far too uniform for a Bond adventure. Bizarre Creations followed as many Bond tropes as they could reasonably manage within the framework of a third-person shoot ‘em up, but there isn’t any spark, nothing stands out. The combat engine works, but truth be told, for a facet that’s relied upon an awful lot, it isn’t especially strong. You’d have had the driving sections as a nailed-on success given the developer’s lineage. But, aside from a precarious sequence that involves barrelling along an ice sheet as it gets carved up by helicopter fire, they never really excite either. There’s all the Aston Martins, explosions and general mayhem you’d expect, but it all feels just a little too scripted and predetermined. It’s like making your way through an elaborate, explosive gallery; it’s all very eye-catching, but the routes and the driving aspect in general are unmemorable.
007 is deadly, even in a muted Grandpa blazer
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Bond + cars = an insurance nightmare
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Still, if you’re a big fan of Bond and third-person shooters, it’s worth a whirl. The game opens with a suitably frantic, glamorous prologue set against the backdrop of Athens. Utilising mini segments to ease the player into each element of the experience, we’re treated to a bit of stealth, a car chase, seeking cover from helicopter fire and, of course, gunning down copious numbers of smartly-dressed bad guys. It’s a decent enough taster that servers as a fairly smooth – and not overbearing – tutorial.
Blood Stone’s stealth sections work quite effectively too. Granted, there’s nothing that will give Metal Gear Solid cause for sleepless nights, but using cover, utilising windows of opportunity to perform takedowns, pushing enemies off balconies and generally acting as the Secret Agent should, works refreshingly well, and avoids many of the issues that have marred so many sneaking games. A Monte Carlo night mission extols it best, and there are smatterings of stealth here and there throughout the rest of the game. The transitions between stealth and shooting are fairly fluid, so the pacing of the adventure doesn’t feel uneven. There’s also little in the way of enemies randomly turning around as you sneak up behind them, and should they happen to see Bond as he moves in for the kill, there’s always CQC as a last resort.
Blood Stone’s visual quality is patchy. Before things descend into painfully uniform, refinery shootouts of grey and brown, a few levels recall Bond in full pomp. Monaco opens with 007 in full tux, milling with party-going socialites, as you’re treated to a fireworks display and an evening view of Monte Carlo’s extensive harbour. It’s quite a spectacle. Sticking with the nautical theme, Athens kicks the game off on a minor villain’s yacht, whilst later on we’re treated to a breathless shoot out in a giant aquarium with glass walls forming a huge, suitably Bond-esque subterranean backdrop. Bright, colourful and frenetic, it’s pretty rousing stuff. But whilst Blood Stone shows high-end pedigree at times, particularly in its dynamic driving locations, it also falls short in some areas. The main protagonists look alright (if a touch expressionless), but there’s a pretty big drop off in quality with some less than inspiring goons and NPCs. Likewise, some of the meat and potatoes environs look unattractively sludgy.
Blood Stone’s stealth sections work quite effectively too. Granted, there’s nothing that will give Metal Gear Solid cause for sleepless nights, but using cover, utilising windows of opportunity to perform takedowns, pushing enemies off balconies and generally acting as the Secret Agent should, works refreshingly well, and avoids many of the issues that have marred so many sneaking games. A Monte Carlo night mission extols it best, and there are smatterings of stealth here and there throughout the rest of the game. The transitions between stealth and shooting are fairly fluid, so the pacing of the adventure doesn’t feel uneven. There’s also little in the way of enemies randomly turning around as you sneak up behind them, and should they happen to see Bond as he moves in for the kill, there’s always CQC as a last resort.
Blood Stone’s visual quality is patchy. Before things descend into painfully uniform, refinery shootouts of grey and brown, a few levels recall Bond in full pomp. Monaco opens with 007 in full tux, milling with party-going socialites, as you’re treated to a fireworks display and an evening view of Monte Carlo’s extensive harbour. It’s quite a spectacle. Sticking with the nautical theme, Athens kicks the game off on a minor villain’s yacht, whilst later on we’re treated to a breathless shoot out in a giant aquarium with glass walls forming a huge, suitably Bond-esque subterranean backdrop. Bright, colourful and frenetic, it’s pretty rousing stuff. But whilst Blood Stone shows high-end pedigree at times, particularly in its dynamic driving locations, it also falls short in some areas. The main protagonists look alright (if a touch expressionless), but there’s a pretty big drop off in quality with some less than inspiring goons and NPCs. Likewise, some of the meat and potatoes environs look unattractively sludgy.
Monaco is the place to be for bonfire night
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Generic pow-pow in a nice suit
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Daniel Craig and Judi Dench were enlisted for their vocal talents and likeness, but there’s little of the snappy, quotable 007 that makes the films such fun. Having both of these actors on board for a uniquely scripted Bond video game is a big deal, so it’s a real shame they weren’t given a greater opportunity to exercise their acting chops. Joss Stone lends a commendable performance, not only singing the game’s theme, but also playing the role of femme fatale Nicole Hunter. She gives it a decent shot, though the dialogue she, and the rest of the cast for that matter, had to work with seems on occasions laboured and clumsy.
Gunplay is leaned on heavily in the final few missions, and it’s all rather mediocre. Combat simply isn’t exciting enough, and though enemies use their numbers to put pressure on Bond’s cover positions, they’re rather dull too. The weapons are boring, and apart from a phone that locates cameras and collectibles, there’s precious little in the way of gadgets either. Even the ‘Focus Aim’, Blood Stone’s one identifiable gameplay innovation, is essentially a simplified version of the ‘Mark and Execute’ system from Splinter Cell: Conviction. Except here, it does the ‘Mark’ part automatically. It’s a largely redundant concept anyway, as on any difficulty short of the highest, snap auto-aiming tends to serve the same purpose.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment lies in the online multiplayer. You’d have thought coming from the publisher-developer combo that it did (and with GoldenEye 007 as a constant, inevitable yardstick), Blood Stone would have been a dead-cert as a multiplayer hit. It too however, feels bland and phoned-in. It’s sadly indicative of the game as a whole: not bad, but falling well short of its potential. For a series so synonymous with thrills, spills and action high-jinx, ‘not bad’ just doesn’t cut it.
Gunplay is leaned on heavily in the final few missions, and it’s all rather mediocre. Combat simply isn’t exciting enough, and though enemies use their numbers to put pressure on Bond’s cover positions, they’re rather dull too. The weapons are boring, and apart from a phone that locates cameras and collectibles, there’s precious little in the way of gadgets either. Even the ‘Focus Aim’, Blood Stone’s one identifiable gameplay innovation, is essentially a simplified version of the ‘Mark and Execute’ system from Splinter Cell: Conviction. Except here, it does the ‘Mark’ part automatically. It’s a largely redundant concept anyway, as on any difficulty short of the highest, snap auto-aiming tends to serve the same purpose.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment lies in the online multiplayer. You’d have thought coming from the publisher-developer combo that it did (and with GoldenEye 007 as a constant, inevitable yardstick), Blood Stone would have been a dead-cert as a multiplayer hit. It too however, feels bland and phoned-in. It’s sadly indicative of the game as a whole: not bad, but falling well short of its potential. For a series so synonymous with thrills, spills and action high-jinx, ‘not bad’ just doesn’t cut it.
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VERDICT
Visual: 6/10
Audio: 6/10 Gameplay: 4/10 Longevity: 5/10 OVERALL: 5/10 |