Being an iconic image for generations tends to inherently give the “don’t screw up” pat on the back whenever a new Bond project begins production whether it be a movie, or in this case a video game.

Bond fans can rest assured the newly transferred franchise is still an action-packed, inspired Bond project that will satisfy all you die-hard fans. But does it satisfy casual fans?

The game starts out with a very entertaining in-game cinematic reminding you that Craig isn’t playing your daddy’s Bond. He’s a raw, gritty version that doesn’t care to get his hands dirty to get the job done. The game swiftly throws you into the heat of a battle and slowly teaches you the controls as you shoot your way through a mansion. But the story more frequently unfolds the reason for your violence after you’ve started the mission. This along with such additions as a mini-hacking game of timed button strings to open a door or the slow-mo key-mashing cinematics (a la God of War) are just small things that keep the gameplay always moving quickly.

One of the newest additions to this Bond game is a cover system. That’s right, you can duck down below an object for cover while shooting around corners or over tables. This mechanic has been made fantastically popular by Gears of War. The problem with QoS though is this: if a company can’t do it as well or better than the original, they might not want to include it; and thus is the situation with this new installment. The system functions (most of the time), but it’s just not as slick or responsive as Gears. You have to hit something at just the right angle or it won’t let you duck, and it seems that the levels are built around things for everybody to duck behind. You’ll spend most of your time running up and shooting enemies hiding behind things rather than shooting them from cover.

Speaking of enemies, there isn’t much variety in them. It’s like they are running out of a clone machine the whole game. They mostly look all the same and certainly act exactly alike. It would have been nice to see a variety of enemies respond differently depending on your environment or the culture you are in.

The graphics are sharp. Being built on the Call of Duty 4 engine you know the potential is there. Everything runs smooth for the most part with sharp textures and a fair amount of debris. The only hiccups were in large, open environments with lots of gunplay.

Finally, the missions are mostly just a taste of the new film. I don’t know if this was to preserve the story of the new movie coming out in the coming weeks or what. Either way, it seems the names are pretty much the only thing you’ll see directly related to the new film. That being said, I haven’t seen the new film yet so there might some I’m missing.

The multiplayer for Quantum of Solace is fun. Period. My two favorite modes are Bond Evasion, where you trying to get someone out of a level without them dying while another team hunts. And the second is Golden Gun, where one person has a golden gun that results in the classic one-hit-kill. This one is interesting because it forces people to work together to kill the person with the golden gun… that is until they get it for themselves.

All in all, QoS isn’t a bad game. Not at all. It’s just a lot of small aspects barrowed from other games that aren’t as well done. It’s like making a parody of a comedy; if the parody isn’t going to be funnier than the original comedy, it’s going to be quickly forgotten, and I’m afraid that’s what going to happen with Quantum of Solace.

Gameplay 7.5
A mediocre attempt at replicating pieces of other great games and wrapping them in the Bond world.

Graphics 8.3
Being built on the CoD 4 engine automatically has its perks. It’s just not as good looking as CoD (but the explosions are really cool in slow motion).

Sound 7.6
A lot of the actors from the film put their talents in the game, which really sells its authenticity. The sounds themselves though do their job, but nothing jumps out as superb.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept 7.6
The game tries really hard to give you the Bond “feel,” in which it succeeds most of the time. But there are a few moments in which the world feels like a cheap fabrication of such a timeless lore.

Multiplayer 8.5
The only modes that stick out are the Bond Evasion and Golden Gun, which hold the weight for all the others. They are very fun and addicting.

Overall 7.8
It’s hard to really push for this one when it’s being released in the exact same weeks as other momentous AAA titles. It hurts to say it, but I don’t think this one is going to stay at the top of the stack; not to mention a six-hour gameplay time.