2021/3/28: Game Boy Advance: 007: Everything Or Nothing

[ThePixelatedGenocide]

I really want to know if you guys agree with my review!

Depends how I'm playing the game. If I take the stealth mechanics and the story seriously, then the gameplay suffers. The entire game is designed to punish you, if you even try to play cautiously. Guards can and will turn on a dime, without warning. Bond being ordered to knock a guy out with his fists, while he immediately recognizes the threat before you're in range and shoots you in the face?

The immersion was completely broken, and this happens early on.

Not to mention, the game can never make up its mind whether blowing your cover is an instant game over or a great way to insert a mandatory action scene. And this camera isn't built for long distance shoot-outs.

The second you're fighting back, you're forced to stand up and make yourself a target.

Your review was the only reason I kept powering my way through this nonsense. What was I missing?

Especially after the next scene seemed like more of the same. Half a dozen game overs later, the game finally broke me. I barely even tried to hide behind the columns. James Bond didn't give a damn whether or not he was caught, and he had nothing but contempt for the intelligence of his enemies. Why cautiously approach enemies from behind when you can boldly go for their blind spot?

At least it's a more efficient way to fail the mission.

But suddenly, it was the easiest stealth game I've ever played. And the most fun. One non-lethal take down followed another.

And I was on an all time adrenaline high. It was the wildest power fantasy since becoming a werewolf in Altered Beast and Samus finding her armor in the pirate's ship at the end of Zero Mission.

The game followed this up by finally allowing me to mingle with a crowd, and order my favorite drink.

And that might be the most accurate simulation of James Bond ever created.

So now I have no idea what to make of the game. Do I like it? No idea. Do I intend to continue any further, or just quit while I'm ahead? Yes to both.

If nothing else, I can at least respect your review, even if I think I disagree. (Because I also think I don't.)

[VideoGameCritic]

It's fun to hear another person's perspective.

In my mind, stealth games should give an advantage to a player who executes stealth techniques skillfully. On the other hand, breaking stealth should not end your mission, even if it means all hell breaking loose.

I think this game does a pretty good job of balancing the two.

[ThePixelatedGenocide]

It's fun to hear another person's perspective.

In my mind, stealth games should give an advantage to a player who executes stealth techniques skillfully. On the other hand, breaking stealth should not end your mission, even if it means all hell breaking loose.

I think this game does a pretty good job of balancing the two.

Maybe it's just the casino that's a problem? So far, the only mandatory action scene with the guards was the tutorial on ducking. The stealth is perfectly balanced everywhere else - once you come to grips with its quirks, it's surprisingly rewarding. By contrast, the only time I've been instantly failed for playing the game like Max Payne was the next tutorial. (Q would be proud of the experiments James performed to be certain. Even if nobody else survived the peer review process.)

It was just a bad first impression. Especially the fist vs. bullets mandatory boss fight.

I'd also rather I had a chance to play the card game, rather than just being automatically awarded the credits. There's a mini game built in, so why skip it? ("Unlock with 2500 style points!" No thanks.)

But generally, the game seems more welcoming of individual play styles than than a bad first impression suggests. And the isometric Spy Hunter completely won me back. I hope there's more of it.