Difficulty:

Easy

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Instant classic"

I purchased this game for its single player campaign. I have not played the multiplayer. The game is engaging and very reminiscent of the classic N64 version. It is a standard first person shooter with all the classic guns. I enjoyed learning the tactics, and choosing either entering a mission with stealth or with guns blazing. One of the highlights for me was the mission driving the tank. I like campaigns that offer variety in game play.

There was one element of single player campaign play that was lacking in this game: character advancement. Although the landscape and missions change, the most significant progression is the changing weapon set. Otherwise, there are no hidden skills, unlocking items, accumulating items, etc. There is no reward for completing a mission more quickly or with stealth. Unlocking cheats are rewarded from playing the online multiplayer. As a consequence, sometimes a new mission feels like playing more of the same. After completing half the game, I got bored, stopped playing for a couple months, and then came back and finished.

Using the Wii controller during game play can be quite frustrating, because both aiming and turning is controlled by pointing at the screen. As a consequence, when trying to turn too quickly, often the controller would point out of range and control would be lost at the most critical moments. With some practice, this can be overcome.

Overall, the bar for the Wii version of Golden Eye was set very high by the N64 Golden Eye and Perfect Dark predecessors. It met my expectations, but it missed an opportunity to be outstanding.