819 replies to this topic

[Matt_13]

I'm playing it on 00 Agent right now and it's a real challenge. My only real complain is that we don't have the ability to crouch. When was the last time a third person shooter came out and the player was unable to crouch? That hinders the stealth aspect but only slightly. On Burma now and it's still a great deal of fun. What the hell was up with that dump truck in Bangkok? That was a bit overkill don't you think?

[00Kevin]

just finished. some of the levels were alot of fun. deffinatly enjoyed all the asia segments. It seems written almost as a bond film (plot fits into 2 hours). the settings were aot of fun! someone mentioned the rooftop chase, a pure craig-ish action scene. I actually liked the vehical chase in bangkok. the last 2 levels were great too! awesome ending. also i forgot to mention that the take down moves are pretty fun. I'm going to start a spoiler thread to discuss the ending.

[Matt_13]

I just beat it.


Okay, to start off that game was better than anything we've been dealt since EoN. The framerate was solid, the gameplay responsive, and the story...well, it was certainly good enough. The driving was nothing short of remarkable, which prompts the question- Why wasn't there more of it? That last level, the epilogue, is simply exhilarating. I had a huge grin on my face for the duration. THAT was James Bond. You see, Blood Stone has everything going for it except a genuine sense of high octane action for the duration. Yes, there are some genuinely exciting moments (ALL of the car chases and the Istanbul tunnel escape from that gargantuan drill), but the level designs are a bit bland, and lack any real color or pop. Athens and wherever that last mission took place were colorful, and Siberia had some stunning weather effects and explosions. Those missions were among the most enjoyable for that reason, they were pure escapist fun. The shooting, while serviceable, simply failed to engage on the same level as the driving. The hand to hand combat was nice, yes, but the manual aim is tricky, and often frustrating (I was amused when I saw during the end credits a special thanks go to High Moon Studios, the guys who made The Bourne Conspiracy. Similar issues with aiming exist in that game as well. In fact, the weapons sound identical in both games, not really a big deal but still interesting to note), leaving the player to rely heavily on the Focus Aim mechanic.

Call of Duty syndrome also set in every so often, with overwhelming numbers of enemies converging on my location. This would have been fine if Bond had been given the same swiftness as Sam Fisher has been for Conviction, which brings me to another complaint. Whose idea was it to not include a crouch button? Seriously, guys, every modern shooter has a crouch button, why did you guys opt against that? If I recall, the right thumbstick was still available for use. That could have worked fine. If you're going to make a stealth action game, you've got to include the ability to sneak around while crouched down. That's just how it works. Even with all of these problems, however, Blood Stone still manages to be a fair amount of fun. It is certainly not worth the disgrace of a 5, but I now understand why the reviewer may have given it such a harsh score. Personally, I was expecting more from the shooting and level design than what I got. I think part of the problem was that it just wasn't that compelling. Splinter Cell was hugely satisfying with it's combat, and that's what made that game so fun and gave it replay value, not to mention the marvelous Deniable Ops that allowed for split screen terrorist hunts and 1v1 face offs. Finally, the cut scenes left a lot to be desired. By using them to disguise load times, they also were forced to use the in game graphics, which did not translate well to cinematics. Blood Stone isn't quite a missed opportunity, but it isn't the masterpiece I was hoping for. I still think I'll enjoy it better than Goldeneye, which I haven't picked up yet, but it's certainly not without its fair share of problems. Honestly guys, if you all weren't die hard Bond fans like me I'd say this one is worth a rental, but definitely not a purchase. I just can't see myself coming back to this game in a few months time.

As a last word, I'd really like Bizarre to get another crack at Bond. Their heart was clearly into it, and as a first effort with an original story they did really well, and with that ending we need some closure. Better still, let Eurocom handle the shooting, while Bizarre handles the driving (a FPS with cinematic cut scenes and break neck driving, that'd be wonderful). It's best for them to stick with what they know. Now, I know they wanted to nail the Daniel Craig aesthetic, and to a degree they did. The color palette is identical to Quantum of Solace (film), which is really impressive, the hand to hand is brutal, and for the most part his character model moves with the same raw athleticism. With that said, having overcast skies and dreary streets may constitute "grit," but I want my Bond games to have some color. This was a good first step towards a return to quality, but a few things have to change before we see the definitive Bond game.

Kudos to Rory Kinnear for giving the best performance in the game. I do hope Tanner makes a return for Bond 23.

[MattofSteel]

Is that actually Rory Kinnear?

[Marketto007]

Multiplayer gameplay. It looks like a lot Uncharted 2 Multiplayer.



xxx

[Matt_13]

Is that actually Rory Kinnear?

Yeah he's in the end credits.

[00Kevin]

Finally, the cut scenes left a lot to be desired. By using them to disguise load times, they also were forced to use the in game graphics, which did not translate well to cinematics.

meh, I like a cut scene with regular graphics, some games show thier cinematics in the trailers and make you think the gameplay is going to have these crazy graphics, but it ends up not being the same, it can be a little distracting. someone was talking about this in a game informer a few months back

As a last word, I'd really like Bizarre to get another crack at Bond. Their heart was clearly into it, and as a first effort with an original story they did really well, and with that ending we need some closure. Better still, let Eurocom handle the shooting, while Bizarre handles the driving (a FPS with cinematic cut scenes and break neck driving, that'd be wonderful).

YES! Oh god yes, now THAT would be a bond game

[sharpshooter]

Just got my copy. Disappointed by the negative reaction here. 5/10 sounds absurd to me, and purely subjective. Surely it cannot be that bad. I'm off to play it now. I'll be back here later with my thoughts.

[00Kevin]

enjoy it shooter! yea, 5 is harsh but i think this game isn't worth the 60 bucks i paid for it. usually u pay 60 bucks for many hours of gameplay but this is short and doesn't have much replay value. and I lost interest in multiplayer fast.

I think u need to look at this not from a video game perspective but from a bond film perspective. from a film outlook, this is a very good package with an interestin story and good diologue. thus this game would make a nice holliday item...next year

[sharpshooter]

Been playing for three/four hours straight, and the story and tone are dead on. Craig Bond through and through. I can easily imagine this as Bond 23. It's classic, gritty and just under EON for me in terms of game play.

Really good scenarios presented in the game. Joss Stone is a revelation as well. Enjoyed her quite a bit, and hopefully she shows up in another game, ala Zoe Nightshade.

Anyway, it's great to finally have a new, I repeat new, Bond adventure among us. I'll finish the game later and give my final score. But it's nowhere near the mess some reviews claim it to be. Blood Stone, er, rocks.

[MattofSteel]

I've been blown away by Joss Stone so far. Her introduction was pathetic, but she's the most interesting female character thus far in a Bond game and has all the genuinely likable qualities a proper Bond girl requires. Plus, her voice acting has been phenomenal.

[MattofSteel]

I would never officially condone piracy, but unofficially, one of you crooks needs to get on ripping Jacques' game score.

[Matt_13]

Yes, Joss Stone was VERY good as Nicole Hunter in this game. A very interesting female lead for a video game, thanks largely to the fact that they took the time to flesh out her character. My issues with the villains, however, are that they are all underdeveloped, and don't really drive the narrative forward in any way. Also, in the end, despite a rousing score by Jacques, the Bond theme would have been most welcome, as would the gunbarrel. Like I said, this is a very competent, well made game. It just fails to be overwhelmingly compelling.

[MattofSteel]

Despite being only partway through - the complete absence of the Bond theme in the score seems to be in effort of mimicking Casino Royale without understanding the reasoning behind such an approach. On the other hand, Jacques has written a very OHMSS/CR type score in the sense that it sounds like part of the Bond musical universe - very much - without actually leaning on it. Interesting approach, definitely a first for a Bond video game (which, let's be honest, to this point have been absolutely drenched in Bond theme).

It's just the hardcore fan in me that wanted touches of it here and there. I've literally heard none. Even CR used it blatantly a few times.

Should be a testament to the game, I suppose, that we're comparing it in conversation to the films.

The lack of a gunbarrel is just a stupid, pointless oversight. How you fail to solidify the brand by including one is beyond me. I'm racking my brain for any reason why it wouldn't be there, and I can't think of a logical one.

Does Wii GoldenEye have one?

[sharpshooter]

Just finished half an hour ago. The epilogue was good - I didn’t see that twist coming at all!

I think Everything or Nothing is superior, but Blood Stone is at least in the vein of it. It’s definitely a solid outing that has its heart in the right place. Yes, the length is quite short, but I’ll play through it again on the harder difficulties next. And get the trophies. That will be a tougher challenge I’m sure.

My issues with the villains, however, are that they are all underdeveloped, and don't really drive the narrative forward in any way. Also, in the end, despite a rousing score by Jacques, the Bond theme would have been most welcome, as would the gunbarrel.

I agree with that. They were vague, and I didn't feel like I knew them in any way. Everything or Nothing had the distinct threat of Diavolo. NightFire had Drake. But I can't say much about these villains at all. I'm with you regarding the Bond Theme as well. I would've liked hints to it at least, ala Dinner Jackets. But there's nothing, save the end credits. And while I think Jacques' score is good, it does get same-y after a while.

As for the gun barrel, I'm glad it's nowhere to be seen. Also with Wii's GoldenEye. Bond 23 deserves the right for it to grace the opening first.

[Matt_13]

Right sharpshooter. They certainly imply that there is a main villain next time around (really hope we see it), so fingers crossed that they tighten the weaker elements up and deliver a fresh outing next time.

[sharpshooter]

Right sharpshooter. They certainly imply that there is a main villain next time around (really hope we see it), so fingers crossed that they tighten the weaker elements up and deliver a fresh outing next time.

Agreed. The game is good fun, but I think they could really build upon this model. If they do a direct sequel with third person, they now have something to compare to.

They never once utter who these folks work for. But I'm assuming it's Quantum.

[PeteNeon]

As for the gun barrel, I'm glad it's nowhere to be seen. Also with Wii's GoldenEye. Bond 23 deserves the right for it to grace the opening first.

Yes, but wouldn't it have been great if both games opened with the same pre-rendered video, with Daniel Craig in a Pierce Brosnan style gunbarrel?

[coco1997]

A couple of questions:

Spoiler

1. What kind of dump truck is the assassin driving through Bangkok when Bond is chasing him in the tow truck?

2. What kind of helicopter is Rak flying in the penultimate level?

3. What tips Bond off that Nicole was a mole?

[Matt_13]

As I've begun working my way through 007 difficulty (absurdly hard), here are a few more thoughts:

The game has excellent lighting, and the Monaco scenes stand out as a highlight in this department. I love the lens flair, the soft glow of the lamps, and the polished marble floor that compliments the ornate banisters and casino floor below. These elements really heighten the atmosphere and gives the game that Bond feel. What's really missing are consistent stand out moments. EoN had some stunning stealth bits, woven in between adrenaline fueled chase scenes and interesting combat situations, not to mention wonderful cut scenes that rewarded the player for completing a mission. Both EoN and Nightfire also had those cool Bond moments when you did something interesting/amusing in the environment (massaging that girl in the Kiss Kiss Club for example) that made the player feel as though they were Bond. There just weren't enough special moments like these in Blood Stone, and when the ones that do exist occur, they are far too brief, and only serve to demonstrate how mundane the rest of the proceedings are in comparison. This game is damn near identical to The Bourne Conspiracy, struggling with the same problems with level design, inconsistency, and gameplay mechanics. It's really close to being something special, just like Bourne, but bizarre gameplay decisions mar the experience. I also really just wish the game posed more of a challenge outside of getting shot too many times. There are no challenging hacking games, no mandatory stealth segments, fun but straightforward driving, and level design that, while not obnoxiously linear, offers little to no flexibility when it comes to taking down and evading your foes. A straight stealth mission, a mission with no alarms and no suspicion, and no necessary contact with the enemy, would have been a great change of pace. Walking around as Craig's Bond is pretty neat, and more often than not you do feel like Bond when you work through the environments, it's just...he's not doing anything really interesting most of the time.

Ultimately, I guess we can lay a lot of the blame on Feirstein's relatively underdeveloped script, and it's bland dialogue, characters, and themes. The locations were right, Nicole Hunter was great, and the ideas were in place, just nothing particularly interesting came out of it. It's certainly a more wholesome experience than the Quantum of Solace and From Russia with Love games, and it's evident Bizarre cared about the license and wanted to do it justice, but as far as Bond adventures go, EoN and Nightfire still reign supreme. A solid third place effort though. I really, really hope they get another shot at it. Our expectations (or mine anyway) were positively through the roof, and I know that many had anticipated a lot more from it and feel equally disappointed (due to said expectations). It's not a bad game, it's just an uneventful one. Tighten up the script and dialogue next time, guys, and don't be afraid to show some creativity. The hovercraft sequence was wonderful, as were all of your car chases. We just need more of them. Don't be afraid to go all out, I know that you're on time and budget constraints, but there's a lot more you could have done with this game that you can fix in round 2. Driving sequences, when done properly, can also pad the length of the game. Another boat chase and car chase would have given another hour to the gameplay. In all, not a failure by any stretch, but not a roaring success either. My final impression: 6.8.


For comparison, I consider:

Agent Under Fire to be a 5.5
Quantum of Solace/ From Russia with Love to be a 6
Everything or Nothing to be an 8
Nightfire to be a 9

[DamnCoffee]

GameSpot - 7.5/10
http://uk.gamespot.c...topslot;title;2

This should be coming very soon for me! I should get it by the end of this week!


Anyone see this I posted before? I think it's gone unnoticed.



Brilliant review. If only the IGN one was as good as this. It's like he's reviewing an entirely different game.

[MattofSteel]

Did anyone else notice cut scenes are vertically cropped far more in-game than in preview videos? Smells of an effort to make them more 'contemporary' and cinematical. I only notice because I've seen the preview vids many times, and several shots are missing quite a lot of real estate.

[Iroquois]

What I want to know is how is Daniel Craig's performance in the game? I've heard from some sources that he's great but then I've also heard from about 2 others that it's 'phoned in'. I find this hard to believe what with it being Craig, and also because he's simultaneously being applauded for his work in Goldeneye...

Edited by Iroquois, 03 November 2010 - 09:16 PM.

[00Kevin]

What I want to know is how is Daniel Craig's performance in the game? I've heard from some sources that he's great but then I've also heard from about 2 others that it's 'phoned in'. I find this hard to believe what with it being Craig, and also because he's simultaneously being applauded for his work in Goldeneye...

craig was awesome! his delivery was as good as the films!

[Jeff007]

Yes I agree with 00Kevin. I don't even know how much time he would of had to take to do this because I think he's such a good actor he could of just read his lines in one day. They are top notch though.

[Matt_13]

I'd argue that some of his lines are definitely not as well delivered as others. I think his work in Goldeneye sounds superior from what I've heard, but I haven't played it yet to judge (I can only find the Bundle Pack for some reason, I don't need another controller!).

[sharpshooter]

A couple of questions:

Spoiler

1. What kind of dump truck is the assassin driving through Bangkok when Bond is chasing him in the tow truck?

2. What kind of helicopter is Rak flying in the penultimate level?

3. What tips Bond off that Nicole was a mole?

Spoiler

1. A BIG one. It's a bit silly, but it's fine for a game.

2. Looked like an original design to me. All I know is that it's heavily armoured and has fierce machine guns.

3. Well, I assume Bond takes note of Rak's knife and thinks Nicole made it for him. With Rak dead, Bond sends it to her, and with her cover blown, she makes a run for it. I think it works so well because it is subtle. You don't expect it.

I found Craig’s delivery fine. I grinned whenever he shouted.

As I said before, this could easily be a Craig Bond film. There’s some really good moments that would work magnificently on the big screen. The Aston jumping onto the train, for one.

You’d only have to tweak a few things, really. Say, build upon Rak’s character a bit more; make the dump truck chase shorter and less OTT, etc. Remove the “game” bits that slow things, down – finding bugs in the aquarium, for example.

They did manage to capture the vibe of the two films. But between the two, I find there is somewhat more QoS inspired content.

[Jeff007]

So the game moved quite fast as does the new movies. I would of liked to of seen Bond involved with more woman in a traditional 007 manner.

Also, I wanted the Aston to have a horn. Not that it would do anything but I like actual sound effect in the game. I think Everything Or Nothing had it.

On the down side, I'm having trouble seeing the replay value and I think that's the problem with the crouch behind cover and shoot games. Each scenario become very similar.

[00Kevin]

They did manage to capture the vibe of the two films. But between the two, I find there is somewhat more QoS inspired content.

I felt more of a casino royale vibe myself, the ending and the story were more CRish, both having a similar sort of 'part one' with a cliffhanger. in particular the bangkok chase reminded me of the chase in the miami airport. also I should note that all 3 of these story have had a rooftop chase of some sort (CR-madagazcar, qos-sienna, bs-bangkok assassin) the bangkok and madagascar scenes felt similar to me in terms of excitement, the sienna chase just didn't do it for me...

[sharpshooter]

One thing I'll never get tired of seeing: Bond's brutal takedown animations.