James Bondgames were all the rage back in the day. Although there were lots of games about Ian Fleming’s master spy produced from the 1980s to the 2000s, fans probably rememberGoldenEye 007on the N64 the most. It showed the potential of whatJames Bondgames could be, and ended up being hugely influential to shooters in general. More recent examples include a slew of games focused on Piece Brosnan and Daniel Craig’s depictions of Bond, but the fad suddenly died out in 2012. That was the year that Eurocom and Activision released007 Legends,a compilation of adventures celebrating every actor who ever played Bond on the silver screen.
It didn’t go well.007 Legendshad a big idea, but failed to impress critics. On the contrary: the game received so much criticism that developer Eurocom laid off more than 100 employees and Activision decided to remove the game from digital stores across several platforms.007 Legendsis arguably the reason why there hasn’t been aJames Bondgame in so long. Now, it looks like IO Interactive is planning a new Bond game. The project is being calledProject 007in development, a fittingly mysterious title for the time being. WhileProject 007is something to look forward to, the return of Bond in video games means it’s worth taking a moment to look back on007 Legends.
RELATED:What IO Interactive’s James Bond Game Should Borrow From Hitman (And What it Shouldn’t)
Not So Suave
The concept behind007 Legendswas great. Considering how many actors have played the spy — implyingJames Bond’s true identityis always changing — there’s fertile ground for storytelling when the narratives are tied together under one roof. Unfortunately, critics thought that007 Legendsfailed to bring the stories together successfully. The six iterations of Bond were really just placed alongside each other in a sort-of anthology of playable missions, rather than creating something new out of these old adventures. The game wasn’t well received for its gameplay mechanics either.
Some critics called the gameplay loop mindless, mostly a matter of pushing buttons when prompted and getting into repetitive gunfights. Many players thought that the game reeked fartoo much ofCall of Duty.If Eurocom intentionally tried to imitateCall of Duty’s gameplay, it clearly didn’t work for theJames Bond’s reputation of stealth and subtlety. Stealth was another aspect of the game criticized heavily. It’s hard to imagine aJames Bondgame without strong stealth elements, but Eurocom failed to deliver. Between disappointing storytelling, boring action sequences, and weak stealth gameplay,007 Legendsdidn’t live up to expectations.
RELATED:The James Bond and Indiana Jones Games Have the Perfect Developers
A New Bond Generation
007 Legends' one saving grace was the praise for its split-screen multiplayer, in an era where many shooters didn’t show local multiplayer play much love. Unfortunately,GoldenEye 007had just been remadefor the Wii a couple years prior, and featured a pretty similar multiplayer offering. Since its one selling point was largely inconsequential,007 Legendsended the era ofJames Bondgames on a disappointing note. However,James Bondfans now have IO Interactive’s aforementioned project to look forward to.Project 007seems like an attempt to stir interest in Bond’s adventures for a new generation of fans.
There’s still a market for stealth-based adventures out there. For instance,Ghost of Tsushimawas a huge hitlast year. It strongly encouraged players to use stealth to pick off Mongol warriors one by one, living up to the game’s spectral title. It wouldn’t be surprising ifProject 007leans heavily into the stealthy spirit ofGhost ofTsushimaand IO Interactive’s ownHitman.However, IO Interactive should look to theJames Bondfranchise’s past when developing the game as well.
007 Legendsreminds onlookers of the importance of striking a strong balance of stealth, action, and story inJames Bondmedia. IfProject007takes note of that, it can pick up the ball where007 Legendsdropped it.
