[J'nathus]

They said the game was short (after reach level 80 on WoW I'm really over LOOOONG gaming hauls anyhow).

The graphics are kind of average to decent. I would say it's about the level of Tomb Raider Legend without the next-gen stuff turned on (the PC version does this).

The enemies can be a bit cookie-cutter-ish in their repetitious multitudes. It uses a cover system not unlike Rainbow Six: Vegas or perhaps Gears of War (neither of which I think has a huge variety of enemies either). I know this cover system was pioneered elsewhere, but I didn't play those elsewares... so I can't comment accurately.

The game has the goods. I'm surprised it's not better reviewed. Not EVERY game can be Call of Duty 4.

Enough of the environment is destructible, you get enough grenades, long-range, silenced and automatic weapons to make the gameplay variety enough for my tastes. It can feel a bit dumbed down / console-ish at times, but I can see past that for the graphical gaming enjoyment that is presented.

There are some issues like the world is FULL of doors, NONE of which you can open unless there's a hackable lock attached. Willing suspension of disbelief allows me to see past this bit. I think doors that don't open are staples of all kinds of games (Call of Duty 4 included).

The demo isn't the best indicator on what the game is like, but it is about 40-50% of the 'types' of experiences you can expect. There are sniping areas, stealth areas, full-on action areas, unstable 'the world is falling apart, but for some reason you're still being shot at' areas, as well as "woops, looks like you forgot to bring a weapon" areas. You do seem to trip into full-on action fights wherever you go... blame Bond or blame the game developers.

I tried playing through PainKiller a few years back and found that game to be too story-less / soul-less for playing enjoyment. I think Quantum of Solace does a good job of getting closer to a story / enjoyable interaction while keeping the game action-packed, easy on the eyes and an experience worthy of paying for. I feared Treyarch wasn't going to deliver on this one because of their horrible Call of Duty 3, but it seems that this game and Call of Duty World at War are testaments to the decent offerings they can turn out.

Oh, and if you feel that you need a constant Bond theme running no matter where you are . . . this is also the game for you. It feels more like a Bond soundtrack than much of the last 2 movies' scores.

All-in-all, I give this one a thumbs up . . . at it has had a price drop. When it hits the bargain bin, it's worth a run through, or a weekend rental on a console. I haven't tried the multiplayer yet, but I have no high hopes for that . . . I'll report back if it's just great.

[teflon]

J, on January 25th 2009, 04:49 AM, said:

The game has the goods. I'm surprised it's not better reviewed. Not EVERY game can be Call of Duty 4.

Oh the irony of what you just said.
-QoS is developed by Treyarch, who also did.... Call of Duty World at War...
-QoS also uses the CoD 4 engine.
-copies the MP almost verbatim
-copies much of the gameplay and then subtracts friendly AI
etc.
etc.

The main difference is the 3rd person cover system.

And all of that is the reason why it hasnt reviewed very well. Because it pales in comparison to the game where it draws most of its DNA from. And also doesnt really manage to pull off the essence of Bond, which is spying. I dont think theres any stealth missions, just running and gunning.

of course, I havent played it, but based on what Ive read I didnt want to (not the biggest fan of CoD anymore). Though I have no doubt that its a fun game.

[J'nathus]

teflon, on January 25th 2009, 07:56 AM, said:

I dont think theres any stealth missions, just running and gunning.

There's no 'it's all stealth' missions, and that is a flaw to be sure. It's not "No One Lives Forever" or "Splinter Cell" where you can pretty much stealth your way through the whole game. However, there are plenty of sections that being cautious and well planned can keep the gameplay in the stealth realm.

There are 2 problems with this though. First, once you trigger the 'more bad guys' it's a one way switch and it's very unforgiving. I played through one area a couple of times before I figured out that you don't have to kill EVERY bad guy... You meet less resistance if you sneak past a few. Another problem is (as I said) that you always end up headlong in to a shooting gallery... Like when bond announces to Quantum "I think you people should find a better place to meet," and next thing you know there's bullets coming from everywhere. Never mind the fact that I meticulously stealth-ed my whole way to that vantage point and never raised an alarm . . . it can be done . . . when the game allows it.

I have a friend who does game reviews for PC Power Play (Australian PC gaming magazine), and he agrees QoS is actually a pretty solid game for a movie tie in. If for no other reason, I like it because it's a game NOT set in WWII where I don't have to face zombies, mutants, or aliens (there is more reason than that).

[bobbob]

teflon, on January 25th 2009, 05:56 AM, said:

doesnt really manage to pull off the essence of Bond, which is spying. I dont think theres any stealth missions, just running and gunning.

Did Goldeneye? I remember like 1 or 2 missions that had short sections where stealth was key, but run+gun pretty much held its own if you could take 'em down fast enough.

[J'nathus]

bobbob, on January 25th 2009, 03:45 PM, said:

Did Goldeneye? I remember like 1 or 2 missions that had short sections where stealth was key, but run+gun pretty much held its own if you could take 'em down fast enough.

I agree with Teflon that there should be more spying / intelligence gathering / stealth, but I also agree that action isn't out of place in the game. If you take the last 2 movies as your baseline, there's not a whole lot of stealth action. In that vein, the game is more in-line with Bond from an action standpoint.

If I could change the game in any way, I would have less enemies and more opportunities to set up strategic attacks (instead of triggered spawning events). Sort of how the developers of F.E.A.R. said that they let the play initiate combat. That was something they also did in No One Lives Forever. It's a game mechanic I appreciate and enjoy.

[teflon]

bobbob, on January 25th 2009, 07:45 PM, said:

Did Goldeneye? I remember like 1 or 2 missions that had short sections where stealth was key, but run+gun pretty much held its own if you could take 'em down fast enough.

well yes, but seeing as Goldeneye was the first Console FPS game to get it spot on right, not to mention 13 years ago in terms of technology and gameplay (for example, we now have decent stealth action games such as Splinter Cell, MGS4 (previous ones were basically just stealth)). So Goldeneye doesnt count really...

[Tetsuya]

i think some people havent actually watched Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. They are a LOT more like the original Connery-bond movies - WAY more action. The game, from what ive seen, accurately follows the movie, both in the ammount of spying and shooting (well probably more shooting, it being a game and all).

[Wumpus]

I was interested in the game when it was released, but the reviews prevented me from buying it. Fortunately the demo came along, but I kind of forgot about it. This thread reminded me, so I just got the demo, but haven't had time to try it out yet. Probably sometime next week I'll be able to do so then chime in on what its like.

[Wumpus]

I tried out the demo. Runs great on max settings on new macbook pro. Great presentation, but I can't say I really like the game itself. It just didn't feel right to me, in terms of what I like in an FPS. I'm sure its a fine game, but I'll be giving it a pass. I didn't even finish the demo as it just simply didn't capture me.