Agent 64: Spies Never Die

best game ever with Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough

Yes, yes, and yes—I bought the Supporter DLC. This is what I've been missing since my childhood, when I was too young to play these games but did anyway. Amazing soundtrack and cool level design. There are challenges, a “Paradox” (aka “Cheat/Modifier”) mode, and online deathmatch/arena. Awesome. The story is interesting enough. I've yet to finish the game, but I'm quite intrigued. However, I try not to leave a good review without mentioning some negatives. My nitpicks: No blood and/or spark effects when enemies are hit; Dana's (Natalya's) AI seems to pick targets almost at random [she literally ran off in the Castle level and avoided 2–3 enemies just to cap 1–2 stationary guards]; the guns and sound effects sound somewhat same-ish and underwhelming; and the AI's reaction time is almost a legit half-second, if not faster, on Hard mode. They can also shoot through railings. GoldenEye/Perfect Dark's guards didn't react this quickly unless you were playing on 007/Perfect Agent mode, and even Perfect Dark acknowledged minor barriers! The lack of blood/sparks isn't a deal breaker, though. I'm glad the animations are dramatic enough to tell whether I've hit-stunned an enemy or not. The sound effects aren't a major issue either, but the guns sound more “pew pew” than “bang bang.” Very few weapons feel like they have any real power or heft. I think the dev took more of a liking to Perfect Dark's sound design than GoldenEye's rough crunch? Random aside: I ended up pushing Dana around in the Castle level to get her to kill enemies for me. It was easier in some situations. Sorry, daughter! The (solo?) dev is fixing bugs as they pop up, and Easy Anti-Cheat is optional if you want a solo experience. To those whining about the Cypher system: honestly, get better. Sure, I can't remember a game “gatekeeping the story” as much as this one, but maybe try challenging yourself for once? It's not hard if you take it slow. Find the body armor like I did if you really struggle. The only levels I've had trouble with were the first one, because I had no clue what I was in for; the Snow level, because of a bug that has since been fixed (getting locked behind a certain door); and Nightclub, because of skill. Also: crybabies. So many. Do you need yellow paint and autosaves after every objective? Welcome to the '90s, where you bought a game not to feel like Captain America, but to learn, overcome challenges, and seem like a wizard to your friends. Find the armor, which is on almost every level, and cry harder if you die with it on. It's a 4/5 at worst, and a solid 5/5 if the dev releases future updates that further mimic its inspirations.