James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Platforms: PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
ESRB: Teen
Official Website: http://bloodstonegame.com/

Ever since Goldeneye, few Bond games were developed beyond mediocrity.  Lately, however, the quality of games starring MI6’s superspy has been steadily rising. One may wonder if the new Bond face has anything to do with that, and rightfully so; Daniel Craig’s portrayal of the formerly debonair secret agent arguably translates into videogames with more fluidity and comes apropos to the genre.

For what it’s worth, Blood Stone has a good campaign mode. Its plot isn’t far off from what one would expect from a Bond movie, and all the traditional elements are there: the car, the girl, the smartphone (technically it should be a wristwatch, but come on, this is 2010), and the PPK. Fans will appreciate the effort put into making the game seem canonical to the Bond universe.

The gameplay relies on mostly tried-and-true mechanics. The cover system is responsive, which is necessary in a third-person shooter. There’s immense satisfaction to be had with the melee takedowns, and the Focus Aim system (exactly the same as Splinter Cell: Converson’s “Mark and Execute” system) is a welcome reward for the risk of going melee.

Monotony is abated via the car chase sequences, and there’s always the 16-player online modes to try out for replay value. That said, the game doesn’t break any new ground, which pretty much says it all about most things Bond-related.

Scorecard: (Rate using 1 to 5 scale, 5 being the highest.)

• Graphics: 3
• Sounds: 4
• Fun Factor: 4
• Replayability: 3
• Overall Score: 3.5