James Bond 007 - NightFire on Xbox (2002)

Brief synopsis of James Bond 007 - NightFire

The ultimate secret agent is back in his most dangerous adventure yet. Just when you think he's no longer 'under fire', James Bond 007: Nightfire makes its entrance, coinciding with the release of the Die Another Day feature film. For gamers and cinema-goers alike, it's been a pretty good couple of weeks. Slavishly aping no Bond film that we've ever seen, but by the same token reminding us of any number of them depending on the individual mission and the inevitable interaction with the ladies, Nightfire lets you explore new heights of secret agent-type adventures and plunges you into the depths at the same time. The infiltration of high-rise skyscrapers and treacherous underwater missions are both on the cards, and plenty inbetween. Phoenix International Corporation, run by the green industrialist Raphael Drake, has been entrusted with dismantling warheads throughout the world. These efforts have been billed as being philanthropic in nature, but Bond knows better, and realises Drake has more sinister motives. Intelligence implicates Drake in organising the theft of a secret component of the missile guidance hardware intended for the US Space Weapons Platform. Unfortunately for the good guys, Drake has been very careful to keep his plans well hidden, and this is where Bond comes in. With some help from Q and a number of key agents in the field, you must stop Drake in his plans for world domination. The storyline is, admittedly, nothing new, but the fact that Nightfire is not based on a Bond movie or an Ian Fleming novel should draw in the curious fan. As long as no-one spoils the fun and spills the beans on how it all turns out in the end, there's also the fact that, like reading one of the books or seeing one of the films for the first time, you just don't know what's going to happen next, beyond 'kill the baddies, get the girl(s)'. Fans of 007 will love this because it has all the requisite elements: gadgets, girls, fast cars - the lot. Plus, you get a really good likeness of Pierce Brosnan in the numerous cut-scenes. Very impressive. You don't have to be a Bond fanatic though - Nightfire is as good a first-person shooter as we've seen on the Xbox.