GoldenEye 007 for Wii

[Ravenlock]

So, it's out now, and it doesn't appear that we have a thread going. I picked it up last night and have put in about an hour of the single player and about a half hour of the multiplayer, and so far I think it kicks ass, so I thought I'd kick one off.

Trailer here, which does a decent job of showing off how it looks and plays:

The GameTrailers Review is also a pretty good summary if you want some more info:

Having played all of the "big" Wii FPS titles (CoD: World at War, Red Steel 2, The Conduit, Metroid if you consider it one), at this early point GoldenEye is in the running for my favorite, with CoD: World at War close behind. Excellent controls, a very competent and atmospheric single player mode, and online play with all the stuff you expect now (leveling, unlocks, lots of modes, etc). Sadly it doesn't support Wiispeak, but that's about the only thing I can hold against it so far.

Anyhow, if anybody else has picked it up, chime in and say what you think. I might start a Matchmaking thread later, but for now, I'll just start a Friend Code list in this thread and keep it updated here in the OP so we can find each other online if we want. Obviously if other ways to contact you (Steam, XBL, etc) are in your sig it's helpful to be on lots of friends lists, since Wii has no good way to communicate with other users out-of-game.

GoldenEye Friend Codes:
Ravenlock - 3953 7940 3265
axion - 2478 5054 4310

For England, lads.

EDIT: I also don't know if anyone's still maintaining the CoG Friend Code database on Zoho, but if they are, getting GoldenEye added to that would be a bonus.

[biosc1]

I totally forgot this was coming out. I'll have to see if I can get it this week (probably not, but I loved the original).

[J Arcane]

Sounds good enough, and I could use a new Wii game, but I'm dead broke right now, any game expenditures more than a couple of dollars are pushing it.

[axion]

I think I'll have to pick this up. Any thoughts on Wiimote/Nunchuk vs. Classic vs. Gamecube?

[Ravenlock]

I haven't tried the Classic Controller with it yet (I do have one, just haven't switched over to it), but the Wiimote/Nunchuk controls are great. Snap-to-target with Z works very well, but not so much that you're getting automatic headshots or anything, and there's at least 4 or 5 preset control sensitivity levels (including the ability to customize it yourself) so that you get something comfortable.

Also, when you're playing with the Wiimote and Bond gets a call on his phone, it plays through the Wiimote. Which I think is cool.

There's extremely minimal waggle in the normal gameplay - basically, you shake the nunchuk to execute a melee attack - and it works well. Occasionally you'll need to shake both during a quicktime cutscene thingy, but that's pretty rare. Generally it's just point-and-shoot and very nicely done.

I would also expect that Classic Controller players are going to be at a disadvantage in multiplayer, since there's really no way you can target as quickly with an analog stick as you can with the pointer. But it's nice that it's there as an option for the folks used to CoD, etc.

[Wayward_Son]

I'd like to see how this pans out, GoldenEye was a big part of a certain stage of my childhood.

After that wannabe Goldeneye game on the PS2, whatever it was, it'd be nice to see something like this do well. On the Wii though, that.... ehhh that makes me nervous.

I think I spent more of my time in the singleplayer just screwin' around (add a Gameshark later on and it got really interesting), that's what's more important to me really than the multiplayer, Goldeneye's MP is a little.... dated, I dunno that it's fair to expect as much as we're inclined to when we see the title of the game (which, honestly, I have no business saying that since I have a thread about motion controls in arcades).

[Ravenlock]

Well, the multiplayer essentially has two components - the local split screen, which is essentially the old game, and the online multiplayer, which is much more CoD-style with the gaining XP, leveling up and unlocking weapons and gadgets. I haven't tried local, but the online MP is pretty good.

But yes, single-player matters more to me as well, and I've spent more of my time in that. I've probably had 3 or 4 hours with the single player now, and I'm still quite happy with it. A good combination of genuine stealth and balls-out blowing stuff up action.

As for the control scheme, if you don't like the pointer or the occasional waggle of the nunchuk, just plug in the classic controller. I mean, that's why that option is there.

[Wayward_Son]

How similar is the level design to the original? I remember reading somewhere that some of the SP maps were throwbacks to older ones, like the Dam level.

I'm a sucker for that kinda nostalgia in my games.

[Ravenlock]

They do a pretty good job in the beginning of hitting you with nostalgia, then mixing it up. You'll start the dam level the exact same way, crossing a bridge and taking out a sniper tower, but then instead of walking through a tunnel you're shooting through the windshield of a stolen truck as 006 drives it down the (now much longer) tunnel. The pre-jump dam section feels similar in layout, but your objectives are different. Later, you'll end up in the labs under the dam with the scientists, which feels familiar, but it's a much more stealth-oriented section than it used to be.

[EDIT: I should say that so far all the stealth has been optional - there's never a "you triggered an alarm" fail state, at least not yet. I've just really enjoyed choosing to sneak around and get stealth melee / headshot kills rather than start big firefights, when the game allows you to. There's this neat mechanic where if you get a stealth headshot on one guy, time will slow down for a second to let you try to take out the guy standing next to him too before he can react. Feels great when you pull it off.]

Further on in the game (I'm only a few levels past that at this point), you end up with levels that weren't in the original at all - Zuchovsky's nightclub, for one, and then a weapons show in Dubai (which is where the new script has the EMP-shielded helicopter stolen from) - but I'm pretty sure there are going to be throwbacks placed throughout. I've seen footage of the Moscow tank level, for instance.

[Wayward_Son]

I remember having big fun rushing through the Facility level in the original, trying to use only silenced weapons and getting headshots only, while obtaining all the objectives... I did it over and over, always trying to beat my best time. I imagine I'd play in much the same way now, if only to see if the gameplay can conform to such.

It is good to know there's no forced stealth though, 'cause.... like the Siberia levels in the original--- you could set off the alarms and enemies would spawn indefinitely, I had fun on those levels just seeing how long I could survive... ahhh, the memories.

'nother question. Does the difficulty still work the same way, higher difficulties mean more objectives? I loved that about the original, mega replay value man.

[Ravenlock]

It does, though I haven't gotten far enough to have tried it yet. The Giant Bomb review makes me believe some of the extra objectives on higher difficulties may be hidden objectives, and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but they're definitely still tying objectives to difficulty level.

There are also actual time trials on the levels, as there were in the original. I haven't tried to beat any times, though, so I don't know what the reward structure is, if any.

[Ravenlock]

Played through the opening dam level again tonight with the Classic Controller, and I thought it worked just fine. It's not as good as the Wiimote at shooting from the hip - the sensitivity (which it didn't seem like I could change - odd, given how many options there are for the Wiimote controls) was too high for getting a bead on somebody while running.

But once you're aimed down with the sights, it actually seemed a bit easier to get headshots, maybe because it's easier to aim steadily when you center the stick and things are perfectly still (as opposed to your wrist moving slightly while aiming with the Wiimote).

Not sure which control method I'll keep playing with. Both are good, though.

[Stmfuller]

I've been playing with the wiimote/nunchuck combo. It's fun, but the story changes drive me nuts. Still a lot of fun though

[axion]

Looked at like 4 places today all sold out or didn't have it.

[Ravenlock]

I've gone back to the Wiimote / Nunchuk, I think exclusively. Just feels better for me than using the dual analog sticks, and I don't miss enough headshots to want to give up how much easier it is to quickly aim around the screen and engage multiple enemies compared to doing it with the Classic Controller.

[Wayward_Son]

What sort of save mechanics are we looking at? Any autosaves? Or is there none apart from profile data and unlocked levels (which.... I actually kinda wished there had been some kinda checkpoint system or something in the N64 Goldeneye, Natalya kept dying at the end of the Control level and I had to start alllll overrrrr, grr)

I really should just get it so I don't have to ask so many questions >.>

[Ravenlock]

It's a checkpoint system, pretty generous. At any time you can save and quit and restart at the last checkpoint next time you play. You can also select any mission to start from the beginning that you've played before, as in the original. I'd say the checkpoints are every 5-10 minutes of gameplay, sometimes more frequent than that depending on the mission.

I really should just get it so I don't have to ask so many questions >.>

Well certainly I should think you know by now whether or not you want to.

[axion]

Of course where do I find the game finally? Grocery shopping. I'll update later with my friend code.

[Stmfuller]

does anyone actually use the wii zapper?

[Ravenlock]

I can't imagine why you would. On an unrelated note, the only thing I get when I turn my Wii on today is "The system files are corrupted. Please refer to your Owners Manual."

Looks like I'm out $75 and my Wii for a week.