Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Shooter
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 15 Mar 06

User Rating
9 (2 votes)

Score 10 (Best) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (Worst)

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Overview

There are not many games that had as big of an impact as the first James Bond game for the Nintendo 64. The game was of course Goldeneye a FPS adventure that was like no other before. It really began a huge emergence of multiplayer gaming for the consoles, and to this day is one of the most beloved video games of all time. Since this game there have been a ton of different games based on the James Bond movies, including this recent one today From Russia With Love for the Sony PSP, the first 007 game based on the movie of the same title, starring Sean Connery. So how does the game end up turning out? Read our full review to find out!

Gameplay

So going into this review I have to say I was pretty curious as to how the translation of From Russia With Love was going to go from consoles to the PSP. To me the developers were working with a movie that really set itself up nicely for being a fun game. In fact for many James Bond fans, From Russia With Love is one of the most beloved (if not the most loved) movie of the series. Of course that is up for debate but can the game capture the magic of the movie?

So for those who got a chance to play the From Russia With Love games that were available for the consoles earlier, then you might be expecting the same great experience on the PSP. And for the most part you are going to get a lot of what you saw on the consoles here, however also some of it is missing in the PSP experience. Some of the more influential parts of the game (aka those that weren't just pure run and gun action) were removed from the PSP experience, which to me was a bit disappointing as these were some of my more memorable memories of this game.

Controlling the game on the PSP is a bit of a change of pace as well, with a lock on system that actually works rather well on the handheld. I cannot say that this is a flawless action game, but for a handheld game it is pretty much exactly what we have come to expect. There are some camera issues that I don't recall from the console version, but are found sporadically in the single player experience of the game.

For the most part (besides like I mentioned some cuts) the game still remains about the exact same as the console counterparts. I did feel however that the single player just felt a bit underwhelming and not as entertaining. With that being said, it is still a good Bond experience that is backed up by some multiplayer options. The game is an interesting take on shooters online (being that it has an auto lock-on targeting system) but I still found the experience to be at least somewhat entertaining. In the end, I feel as though the game was a little short compared it its console versions, and could have really used more time behind closed doors getting some of the kinks out before releasing it.

Graphics

Visually the game definitely gets a downgrade in the graphics department from the consoles to the PSP, which is obviously understandable. A lot of the detail and the character that this game had on the consoles is not all that apparent on the PSP version. You are really missing the style that the game had and it does take some dividends on the game's experience. In the end, the visuals still hold up on the PSP but it definitely still has room for improvement.

Fun Factor

I am a big fan of anything that is James Bond related, but I have to say there is just so much more that could have been done with From Russia With Love. To say that the game just lacked any sort of desire to succeed is a pretty accurate statement. I get the feeling that the developers just wanted to get this game out on the PSP and move on. This is unfortunate because they could have really taken this good game and made it a great handheld experience. The game is still entertaining but don't expect it to have anywhere near as memorable of experience as many of the other 007 games.

Overall

In the end, From Russia With Love is just a good solid action game that manages to pass by on the PSP. For those that were hoping for the same great experience, you are going to be disappointed because a lot of what made From Russia with Love great on the consoles has been taken out of this title. Unless you just love the franchise, you can probably just pass up From Russia With Love.

Gameplay
6.0

Graphics
6.0

Fun Factor
6.0

Overall
6.0

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