Cate Archer, a former thief reborn operative, is now working for Unity - a secret agency fighting to free the world from the clutches of H.A.R.M. Cate takes on assignments from Unity to bring down H.A.R.M. in a 1960s influenced action game. Along with exotic international locales and original weapons/gadgets, you have villains of the wide variety. The action depends on stealth along with brute force to gain information about the H.A.R.M.'s identity and animal/man bombing scheme.

The surprise game of the year is hands down No One Lives Forever. Showing off the outstanding performance of the LithTech 2.5 engine to convey a comical and clever plot along with superb graphics and gameplay, the LithTech 2.5 engine has gained total respect in such a release as NOLF. This first-person shooter is comparable to Half Life, which has won numerous awards for game of the year. In a lot of ways NOLF surpasses Half Life in story, sound, and graphics. The multiplayer is NOLF's weak point and doesn't compare to the online Half Life/TFC/Counterstrike community. The multiplayer of NOLF only has a handful of maps to play from and the attraction is just not there like other online games.

Graphically NOLF is good but not the best. Details in the scenery and backgrounds are great, but lack that certain luster that games like Unreal and Quake 3 have. The cut-scenes throughout the game are excellent with facial expressions and animation that add to the plot. The story is a cross between Austin Powers and James Bond. There are even references to Austin Powers throughout the game.

If NOLF's graphics don't impress you, then the sound definitely will. The music is inspired from the 60's and even includes playable music tracks on the 2nd CD. Throughout the game you are rewarded for using stealth instead of killing. Walking around quietly will allow you hear H.A.R.M.'s guards talk about work, family, and valuable information. Most of the funniest moments are when you eavesdrop on the guards throughout the game talking about their personal problems. The music and sound are very impressive and just add to this game-of-the-year candidate.

Gameplay and controls are typical with any first-person shooter. The controls don't need tweaking if you use the standard controls included with other first-person shooters. The gamepad also works well if you prefer those controls. A very attractive feature to the gameplay is the movement from the enemies, like blowing back from blasts and falling off of ledges when shot. The AI of those enemies, on the other hand, is not good. The silenced weapons that Cate carries are heard a mile away by other guards and no matter where you hide, the guard will walk directly toward you and shoot.

The story has many mini games to progress you through the story. They include sniping out windows, setting off planted explosives, jumping out of a plane with no parachute, and many more. The variety of the mini games is what makes the game fun and original. NOLF is this year's surprise hit and on a short list of best game of the year.

Install: Easy (2 CDs)

Gameplay: 9, NOLF is campy, fun, and entertaining. The AI is somewhat lacking with the super hearing and seeing guards.

Graphics: 9, NOLF looks great, but lacks the luster of Unreal and Quake 3.

Sound: 10, An absolute masterpiece that demonstrates how to include sound into a game in a fun way.

Difficulty: 8.5, The game is straightforward and driven in one direction.

Concept: 9.5, The concept of taking Austin Powers and 007 with a Lara Croft wanna-be can't be all that bad.

Overall: 9.5, The game is definitely a contender for game of the year. If a possible AI patch would be released, then this game would be a 10+.