shooter

I have been a long-time fan of the Bond franchise, and when I saw this game for PS2 I knew I had to have it. It looked impressive and in the end I have to admit, it was very entertaining, but certainly not a masterpiece.

Now don't get me wrong, "Agent Under Fire" will provide you with hours of fun as you step into the shoes of secret agent, James Bond. Your objective: through a series of twelve missions investigate a clone conspiracy and take down the people in charge. You can do this using a variety of weapons and gadgets while sometimes driving souped up cars that incorporate machine guns and rocket launchers. Sounds cool, right? It is, and the great multiplayer action (which is as good if not better than Goldeneye's) only adds to the excitement you'll experience. The graphics are amazing as well providing realistic face expressions and environments.

However, if you are looking for a game that requires a brain to complete and a more interesting and complex plot, I would recommend "Metal Gear Solid 2", because if you face the facts, "Agent Under Fire" is simply a typical action game with a shoot-em'-up-bang-bang premise.

Entertaining:YES
Must-Have:NO

In 1997, Rare breathed new life into the genre of first-person shooter games by releasing Goldeneye. To this day, some gamers feel that Goldeneye was the best game on the Nintendo 64.

Soon after, EA bought the rights to the James Bond franchise and released the lackluster Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, and 007 Racing for the Playstation. After three flops, gamers wondered why Rare lost the Bond license in the first place.

Fortunately, EA pulled its act together for James Bond's first outing on the Playstation 2. Entitled "007: Agent Under Fire," this is an original game that finally gives Goldeneye a run for its money. EA created an original story for the new game, and they've succeeded on that front. Agent Under Fire has everything that a 007 game should have: Bond girls, Q gadgets, heavily armed cars, and over-the-top villains.

Seasoned gamers will first notice that the controls for 007: AUF are the same as those in Medal of Honor. Seeing as how Medal of Honor was one of the best first-person shooters on the original Playstation, that can't be bad. But 007: AUF can't be classified as a simple FPS. Several of the missions have the player driving Bond's Aston Martin, firing at enemy vehicles. In other missions, the computer controls the driving while the player fires the weapons at oncoming enemies. These missions are very exciting, and they're a fresh playing experience that adds interest to what would have been a straight FPS.

EA has done an excellent job recreating the feel of the James Bond films. The graphics are very realistic. You will look twice at the digital Bond to make sure that it's not the real Pierce Brosnan. Players are rewarded for discovering secrets and using the Q gadgets creatively. And 007: AUF captures Bond's personality perfectly in the cut scenes that tell the game's story. The player is just a dry martini away from becoming Bond.

One of the things that made Goldeneye great was the multiplayer mode. 007: AUF repeats this tradition. The multiplayer levels are alright, and there's plenty of variety in the multiplayer missions. Some force the players to diffuse bombs, others are variations on the game of Capture the Flag. But Goldeneye still has the better multiplayer mode, thanks to its use of classic Bond villains. The characters EA created for 007: AUF just aren't as exciting as Jaws and Oddjob.

007: Agent Under Fire is a good first outing for Bond on the Playstation 2. The game offers a lot of variety and plenty of plot, which are rare in most first-person shooters. People who have played their share of first-person shooters will find enough depth in the game to come back for more, while casual gamers will be blown away by the entire experience. This game lacks the innovation of Goldeneye, but it's still not to be missed.

I hated this game at first but now I think it's OK.The graphics are fine and the sound is solid,apart from the horrible dialogue(blech)in this game.The gameplay is allright,except I would've liked to see some more off-road exploring but otherwise it isn't so bad.And the A.I espicially needed some work.The multi-player arenas are also kind of small(but none the less fun.)
I still reccomend Nightfire or Everything or Nothing over this one though(which are both much better than this,but overall,not a bad way to spend an afternoon.