Quantum of SolacePlaystation 3, Activision, T (Teen)
Uh, oh, another video game based upon a movie. Someone please ring the alarm and get a can of air freshener. It's no secret that video games based on movies, especially games that slip out on the market around the same time of a big movie premiere, can be a dicey product.
At best they are solid representations of the characters and scenarios included in the big screen adventure. At their worst, they are hackneyed advertisements that cost too much ($60) and run too long (6-10 hours).
Given that "Quantum of Solace" centers on an iconic character, James Bond, the need to be at least a passable game is crucial to the franchise.
"Quantum of Solace" is combines story cues and characters from both the recent movie release and the "Casino Royale" movie. If you never saw either movie then the story of the game will not connect neatly. The problem is that the dialogue is sparse throughout the game, with most of is coming between missions. And it sets up the next snippet of action, instead of establishing a stronger link between events. The action takes places across 14 stages in locales such as Madagascar and Miami, and settings ranging from caves to estates.The individual stages are short. If you are familiar with video games you can breeze through most of them in 30 minutes, including multiple deaths. The game presents an interesting mix of foot chases, hand-to-hand combat and some decent gunfights. The "Call of Duty 4" game engine was used as a template but they forgot to give the game the same level of intensity. Only the timed missions have a sense of urgency. The enemies are not very aware. They are bright enough to chase and flank you, they also should be bright enough not to take cover behind explosive containers.
The game is played from first- and third-person perspectives. The controls get caught in the middle at times. The main example is when you have to remove yourself from cover then hop over an object. Bond will remove himself from cover but instead of immediately hopping over the barrier you might have to step back to try to clear it. The weapons targeting is decent, much better at mid-range and long distance when in first-person view. At up-close range you have some of those "how did I miss?" moments.The environments are fully destructible. In some instances they are falling down around you as you are moving through them. Exploding melons in market gunfights, splintered fences and shattered windows are just a few of the effects. The explosions, which look nice, have a Hollywood soundstage feel. But it is cool how the ripple from a nearby grenade or large explosion can shake your aim.
"Quantum" is not a terrible effort. It just needs more intensity and more robust dialogue to remove the standard movie video-game release stigma that comes with its title.
Source: Cleveland.com