'Game Informer' Declassifies EA's 'From Russia With Love'

Hold onto your joysticks everyone.

The April issue of Game Informer magazine (www.gameinformer.com) has blown the lid off EA’s new Bond game, James Bond 007: From Russia With Love, with a full 10 pages of exclusive coverage! The cover features a first look at Sean Connery’s CG image. Not bad.

Currently the magazine is only available to subscribers and is expected to hit newsstands in a matter of days. However, CBn’s own Jack Bauer has the magazine in hand and reports on the exciting details revealed inside:

* The game follows the storyline of the film closely, but it will feature many elements of the early Bond days to recreate the feel of the era (thus, the jetpack).

Game Informer, April 2005

* The cars will be from the 50s and 60s, gadgets will be bulkier, etc.

* While they can’t get voice talent from many of the actors in the original film, as they’ve either retired or passed away, EA is planning on adding in additional content so they can get some big-named talent involved.

* We get to see Bond duke it out on the Orient Express, take part in a high speed boat chase, and see a gypsy fight in one way or another (either playable, or a sequence).

* While the final fight in the film revolves around Bond taking down Klebb and her boot knife, it doesn’t make for a very good boss battle, so there’ll be a lot more to it this time around.

* Whereas Everything or Nothing had 2 different game engines, one for fighting and one for driving, From Russia With Love will run on one single engine so the transition between the two will be much smoother.

* Much like the Grand Theft Auto games, Bond can “fire a few rounds from his Walther PPK, hop into an authentic ’60s car to strategically use the vehicle’s armor and weaponry, then hop out and keep going.” However, it won’t be like Grand Theft Autoin the sense that Bond has a mission that he must follow.

The jetpack is back!

* In many other games, there is one set path to success. In From Russia With Love, EA lets you choose your path. For example, if you find a motorcycle, you could take it and ride up the stairs, gunning down the opposition if they get in your way. Or, if you find a jetpack, fly up the stairs. They let you choose your way through.

* There is a new mechanic called “Focus Mode”, which allows you the ability to slow down time to get a more accurate shot. It is supposed to take you into Bond’s mind, and what he’s thinking about, so you could shoot at an enemy’s specific body part, or something on him, like a radio or grenade.

* Enemies now seem to work together to coordinate attacks against Bond. They’re a lot smarter than previous artificial-intelligence.

* Also, guards will be different, now. Instead of facing a group of identical looking goons, you could face 10 different looking guys.

* Like Metal Gear Solid, you can choose how you want to beat a level. If you want to go through it slowly and stealthily, you may. However, as the primary objective of a Bond game is to come out guns a-blazing, you could have shootouts with your foes, letting them know where you are.

Sean Connery IS James Bond

* There is a new gadget called the “Serum Gun”. A bar shows up on the screen letting you know how long the serum has until it goes into effect. The guard will go berserk, and kill everything around him, his allies included.

* Daniela Bianchi’s likeness is in the game. Her character will assist Bond by pointing out shortcuts and doing other things.

* Kerim Bay will also help out James, and even fellow MI6 members will help him out when needed.

* Regarding the use of his image, GI quotes Sean Connery as saying, “As an artist, I see this as another way to explore the creative process. Video games are an extremely popular form of entertainment today, and I am looking forward to seeing how it all fits together.”