GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS
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Goldeneye
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GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

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Developer(s) EA Los Angeles
EA Tiburon (DS)
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Platform(s) PS2, Xbox, GameCube, DS
Release date November 15, 2004 (PS2, GCN, Xbox)

June 13, 2005 (Nintendo DS)
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: T
PEGI: 12+
OFLC: M
Media 2 × GameCube Optical Disc, 1 × DVD-ROM

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is a James Bond video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. The player takes the role of an ex-MI6 agent who is recruited by Auric Goldfinger, a member of a powerful unnamed criminal organization, to assassinate his rival Dr. No. Several other characters from the Bond film series make appearances throughout the game in a non-canonical setting, including Pussy Galore, Oddjob, and Xenia Onatopp as well as Francisco Scaramanga, playing a Q type character with the voice and likeness of Christopher Lee, who played the same character in 1974's The Man with the Golden Gun. The model on the cover of the video game box is Patrick Price.

Reception

Rogue Agent is largely considered to be an attempt to recreate the success of one of the best selling video games in recent history, GoldenEye 007, [1][2] which was a first-person shooter for the Nintendo 64 based on the Bond film GoldenEye. Aside from the character Xenia Onatopp, the Uplink multiplayer level, and the fact that both involve a good agent going bad, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent actually has nothing to do with either the film GoldenEye or its video game adaptation although his scarred appearance considerably resembles Sean Bean's portrayal of rogue agent Alec Trevelyan in that film.

Rogue Agent was preceded by the critically acclaimed Bond game Everything or Nothing which featured the likeness and voice talents of Pierce Brosnan and Willem Dafoe. Rogue Agent, however, was released to mediocre reviews. Reviewers criticized its lack of innovation and personality, despite its unique premise, as well as its mediocre gameplay.

Plot

The player takes the role of Jonathan Hunter, later to be known as "GoldenEye" (His full biography is only available in the instruction booklet of the PS2 version).

Hunter was trained in the British Special Air Service, reaching the rank of major. While serving in the SAS, he was commander of a sniper detail and later an assault team. He was recruited into MI6 in 2001 and became a 00-agent. At the start of Rogue Agent, a recording by M (head of MI6) reveals that: "Three years ago, while on assignment, the agent was severely wounded in an encounter with Dr. No, and subsequently lost the use of his right eye. Consumed with vengeance, he frequently resorts to violence and brutality, and is no longer fit for service with MI6."

Three years after the incident which claimed GoldenEye's right eye, he is evaluated through a holographic simulation in which he is paired with 007 to stop Auric Goldfinger, a member of OCTOPUS, from detonating a suitcase nuke inside of Fort Knox. He fails the test, and is held directly responsible for the "death" of 007, although there is nothing the player can do to save 007. Charged with "reckless brutality", he is dismissed from MI6. As he leaves the headquarters, he is seen reading an offer by Goldfinger to enlist in his organization.

GoldenEye accepts Goldfinger's offer and is recruited as his enforcer, meeting with him at Auric Enterprises, where Goldfinger's scientists have developed a weapon known as the OMEN (Organic Mass Energy Neutralizer), which releases energy capable of breaking down organic matter on a nearly atomic level, resulting in disintegration. For his job of eliminating Dr. No, a fellow official of the criminal organization who has declared war on Goldfinger's branch of the organization, GoldenEye is given a gold-hued cybernetic eye created by Francisco Scaramanga, another official of Goldfinger's organization (from which he receives his codename "GoldenEye"). As GoldenEye takes on more difficult missions, Scaramanga provides upgrades for the eye, starting with MRI vision, then an EM hack feature, then a magnetic polarity shield, and finally a magnetic induction field.

GoldenEye is sent by Goldfinger against Dr. No on various missions in various locations around the globe (many of which are borrowed from settings found in James Bond movies and novels). He is eventually sent to Crab Key, where he confronts Dr. No. During their duel, GoldenEye uses his mechanical eye to sabotage the island's nuclear reactor, causing it to electrocute Dr. No. Upon No's death, Goldfinger contacts GoldenEye and informs him that he believes he is too dangerous to be left alive, and that he had contacted GoldenEye earlier and told him to activate a program which would shut down the Lair's defense grid. Goldfinger reveals that he is intent on taking over the Lair, and leaves GoldenEye to die in the impending nuclear meltdown. GoldenEye, however, manages to escape in Dr. No's osprey before the reactor overloads and the island is destroyed in a big explosion.

GoldenEye returns to the Lair intent on confronting Goldfinger. Pussy Galore rendezvous with GoldenEye and informs him that Goldfinger has used the OMEN to wipe out most of the Lair's guards, and taken control of it. Scaramanga provides the mechanical eye with a computer virus which he can use to overload the OMEN.

GoldenEye fights his way through the Lair, eventually reaching the area where Goldfinger and the OMEN are. Goldfinger traps GoldenEye inside a chamber which he claims will soon be devoid of oxygen. GoldenEye now plants the virus in the OMEN, causing it to explode in a burst of energy, killing Goldfinger and his troops. GoldenEye and Galore leave the Lair aboard Galore's chopper, and Scaramanga and SPECTRE's Number One (Ernst Stavro Blofeld) later discuss what to do with GoldenEye, and decide to simply see what he does next before proceeding.

Multiplayer

The game featured a highly customizable multiplayer component as well. It features 4-player split screen play, as well as online play on the PS2 and Xbox versions. On November 26 2006, the servers for both versions were shut down due to "inactivity" online. Players can unlock additional customization options, skins, maps, and gametype variations by playing through Story Mode and performing well. There are some locked skins such as Oddjob, Dr. No, and Xenia Onatopp. There are also locked maps such as the Pump Room, Carver's Press, the BathHouse, the Vault Core, the Lower Turbine, the Fissure Platform, Dr. No's Reactor, and GoldenEye's Retreat.

Weapons

* Mk2 Detonator - A weapon which launches grenades that stick to any surface, and detonate after pushing the fire button again. Note that the when the AI fires a shot with these, those shots are set to detonate after a short period of time.
* SPEC 9 - GoldenEye's default 9mm handgun, which never runs out of ammo. It does very little damage.
* AR4 Commando - An assault rifle, much like the M4A1 or M16.
* Venom 200ml - A gun which fires darts that inject drugs into an adversary. It has different effects on GoldenEye and the AI.
* Jackal .385 - A powerful handgun.
* HS90 - An automatic rifle which is very similar to the FN P90
* Mamba Shotgun - A very powerful shotgun, although only effective at very close range.
* Predator MG - A chain-gun, apparently designed for anti- aircraft purposes.
* Harpoon RL - A rocket launcher.
* Longbow SR - A high caliber sniper rifle.
* Omen XR - A rifle which uses organic mass energy neutralization technology to vaporize oppenents.
* Magrail - A gun which fires high caliber bullets with high speed. It is the only gun in the game that can shoot through walls.
* The golden gun is also available in the game.

Cast and characters

* Jonathan Hunter — protagonist / Christopher Sabat
* Dr. Julius No — Carlos Alazraqui
* James Bond — Jason Carter
* M — Judi Dench
* Pussy Galore — Jeannie Elias
* Ernst Stavro Blofeld — Gideon Emery
* Xenia Onatopp — Jenya Lano
* Francisco Scaramanga — Christopher Lee
* Auric Goldfinger — Stienford Griffin
* Wu Li Yong — (Hong Kong Triad informant) — Timothy Dang

Sequel

A sequel was originally planned but scrapped due to poor sales and reviews. The game's ending suggested a sequel as well. According to various sources, the sequel would have included vehicles and a longer story mode. On the EA website for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, a form with many questions about what fans wanted to see in the next game was available. Rogue Agent's engine for the DS was used as a concept for a version of Halo: Combat Evolved for Nintendo's handheld (informally called Halo DS), but didn't get past verification, despite a playable demo was made.
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The Saint 007
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Favorite Bond Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me, A View To A Kill, Goldfinger, GoldenEye, For Your Eyes Only, Moonraker, Octopussy, Thunderball

Re: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Post by The Saint 007 »

I thought that the whole concept of this game was kind of interesting, but overall it was poorly executed. Still got to give EA credit for trying something different, though.
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John P. Drake
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Re: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Post by John P. Drake »

Good call, Saint. But, EA are evil moneymakers once again. GERA originally had a different plot, but the protagonist was still called GoldenEye, although the title was different. The character was going to be an evil version of Bond, that's how I read. Here's the original look of GoldenEye, the James Bond of the evil side.
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John P. Drake
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Favorite Bond Movie: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies.
Location: Somewhere, strangling Barbara Broccoli.

Re: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Post by John P. Drake »

Today, I interviewed Danny Bilson, one of the writers behind the game itself. In case you're interested, here's the link:
http://thespyarenaweblog.blogspot.com/2 ... -with.html
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Re: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Post by Omega »

John P. Drake wrote:Good call, Saint. But, EA are evil moneymakers once again. GERA originally had a different plot, but the protagonist was still called GoldenEye, although the title was different. The character was going to be an evil version of Bond, that's how I read. Here's the original look of GoldenEye, the James Bond of the evil side.
Image
Crap. He looks like Craig on a good day.


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