Game: 007 Legends
System: Wii U (also X360, PS3, and PC)
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Eurocom
Release date: December 11, 2012
Pros: Good multiplayer options
Cons: Unresponsive controls, awkward stealth sections, poor enemy AI, mockery of James Bond
In December 2012, game studio Eurocom laid off its staff and closed shop forever. Its final title was 007 Legends, a game with an interesting premise: a single-player campaign that includes episodes from the careers of all six James Bonds. That's Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig, for all you Bond neophytes. The problem is the game stinks. Instead of being a celebration of all things Bond, it becomes a mockery of some of the most beloved and important moments in the history of Ian Fleming's super spy. All that would be forgivable if the game itself played well, but it's a complete train wreck, especially on Wii U, where the controls are unresponsive and clunky. The artificial intelligence is poor, the graphics are outdated, the "boss battles" -- if they can even be called that -- are boring and repetitive, and the entire game plays like a dumbed-down Call of Duty clone. Only the local multiplayer saves the game from being a complete disaster.
007 Legends covers the life of James Bond from Goldfinger to Skyfall, with several episodes in between. Players control a single Bond, Daniel Craig, throughout the entire game. It's mighty strange to see the likeness of Daniel Craig canoodle with Teresa di Vicenzo or grapple with Gustav Graves, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. The bigger issue is that Eurocom totally misses the point of so many of the Bond movies it references.
Whereas earlier Bond games like GoldenEye, Everything or Nothing, and even Eurocom's own Nightfire were smarter than the average bear, 007 Legends is decidedly dumb. It plays like a poor man's Call of Duty, without the big budget, superior production values, tight mechanics, and capable artificial intelligence. Bond no longer feels like a spy; he seems more like an action hero. Eurocom tries to diversify with stealth and driving sections, but these are either joyless or broken, or both. Occasionally Bond can use gadgets to interact with surveillance equipment and pick up fingerprints, but these feel forced and contrived. Bond isn't sleuthing, he's going through the motions.
The Wii U version of 007 Legends ends up being the worst version, in large part because the controls on the GamePad are unresponsive and inaccurate. The game features a dead zone the size of Rhode Island, so that the aiming reticle moves wildly across the screen once the analog stick is manipulated with any force. If it wasn't for a generous aiming assist feature, it would be nearly impossible to shoot enemies with any accuracy. If you're still considering 007 Legends after this negative review, avoid the Wii U version and go for the Xbox 360 or PS3 version.
It's strange that Eurocom bombed so hard with 007 Legends. Over the past 15 years, the British developer has made some of the better Bond games, including Nightfire and the GoldenEye remake in 2010. Perhaps Activision, the publisher of Legends, pressed Eurocom to cater to the lowest common denominator, or perhaps the talent at Eurocom went elsewhere. Whatever the case, 007 Legends now stands as the worst Bond game of all time.
System: Wii U (also X360, PS3, and PC)
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Eurocom
Release date: December 11, 2012
Pros: Good multiplayer options
Cons: Unresponsive controls, awkward stealth sections, poor enemy AI, mockery of James Bond
In December 2012, game studio Eurocom laid off its staff and closed shop forever. Its final title was 007 Legends, a game with an interesting premise: a single-player campaign that includes episodes from the careers of all six James Bonds. That's Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig, for all you Bond neophytes. The problem is the game stinks. Instead of being a celebration of all things Bond, it becomes a mockery of some of the most beloved and important moments in the history of Ian Fleming's super spy. All that would be forgivable if the game itself played well, but it's a complete train wreck, especially on Wii U, where the controls are unresponsive and clunky. The artificial intelligence is poor, the graphics are outdated, the "boss battles" -- if they can even be called that -- are boring and repetitive, and the entire game plays like a dumbed-down Call of Duty clone. Only the local multiplayer saves the game from being a complete disaster.
007 Legends covers the life of James Bond from Goldfinger to Skyfall, with several episodes in between. Players control a single Bond, Daniel Craig, throughout the entire game. It's mighty strange to see the likeness of Daniel Craig canoodle with Teresa di Vicenzo or grapple with Gustav Graves, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. The bigger issue is that Eurocom totally misses the point of so many of the Bond movies it references.
Whereas earlier Bond games like GoldenEye, Everything or Nothing, and even Eurocom's own Nightfire were smarter than the average bear, 007 Legends is decidedly dumb. It plays like a poor man's Call of Duty, without the big budget, superior production values, tight mechanics, and capable artificial intelligence. Bond no longer feels like a spy; he seems more like an action hero. Eurocom tries to diversify with stealth and driving sections, but these are either joyless or broken, or both. Occasionally Bond can use gadgets to interact with surveillance equipment and pick up fingerprints, but these feel forced and contrived. Bond isn't sleuthing, he's going through the motions.
The Wii U version of 007 Legends ends up being the worst version, in large part because the controls on the GamePad are unresponsive and inaccurate. The game features a dead zone the size of Rhode Island, so that the aiming reticle moves wildly across the screen once the analog stick is manipulated with any force. If it wasn't for a generous aiming assist feature, it would be nearly impossible to shoot enemies with any accuracy. If you're still considering 007 Legends after this negative review, avoid the Wii U version and go for the Xbox 360 or PS3 version.
It's strange that Eurocom bombed so hard with 007 Legends. Over the past 15 years, the British developer has made some of the better Bond games, including Nightfire and the GoldenEye remake in 2010. Perhaps Activision, the publisher of Legends, pressed Eurocom to cater to the lowest common denominator, or perhaps the talent at Eurocom went elsewhere. Whatever the case, 007 Legends now stands as the worst Bond game of all time.
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