Release: 2022
Systems: Steam
Publisher: Replicant D6
Developer: Replicant D6
I think it is safe to say that I had a progressive and mixed reaction while playing Agent 64: Spies Never Die (just referred to as Agent 64 from here on out). I had read a couple of articles touting how this beta demo hits right in the GoldenEye 007 nostalgia feels, and from what I could tell from the handful of screenshots, it did look a lot like a modernized (but not a ray-traced 8K glow up) version of the 1997 release of GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64 (and not the atrocious 2010 remake that fell on the DS, although the Wii, PS3, and Xbox version were apparently better). What I was expecting was at least the Facility level from GoldenEye but with smoother animations, less blocky graphics, and playable on my laptop with mouse/keyboard controls, played as a modern fps with a similar feel. Agent 64 was not quite that experience.
First off, I did invert the camera because I actually wanted to be able to play the game, but then the camera movement with the mouse felt beyond sluggish. It literally felt like I had to swipe from the middle of my non-existent mousepad (because I am a savage and was playing on my kitchen table without a mousepad) no fewer than ten times to do a complete 360-degree turn. Imagine trying to turn around while standing in a shower filled with jello up to your shoulders and not being able to lift your feet off of the ground. That was what looking around in this game felt like. I adjusted the mouse look option from where it defaulted at .20 up to .83, and while that felt better, it still did not feel the way I wanted it to feel, which as it turns out is not how it would feel on the N64. GoldenEye 007 was not designed as a dual analog shooter, although with the 1.2 Solitaire control setting, you could have the joystick to look and the C buttons to move, there were still limitations on how the game moved and felt compared to a game like TimeSplitters from 2000. That was the key distinction that I think might be a huge turn-off to people who did not play any fps on the N64, let alone GoldenEye.
Because GoldenEye 007 was designed with a controller in mind and not mouse/keyboard, Rare implemented an aim assist feature that automatically slid the gun barrel in the direction of any enemy you were within range of shooting. It may not lock on to their head but it would aim the gun at their torso allowing you to generally hit your target. Manually aiming the gun required you to press and hold, in most control configurations, the R shoulder button which then gave you a looser freedom of movement, and also placed a reticle on-screen showing where you were specifically aiming. I bring all of this boring nonsense up because this seems to be how Replicant D6 approached looking and aiming in Agent 64. Once this was their approach to moving/looking/aiming, the game became a lot more enjoyable and less like I was trudging through chest-deep sludge.
The second aspect of the game that I was initially disappointed about was that this was not a level in GoldenEye, but an entirely new environment with new albeit similar weapons, all still heavily inspired by GoldenEye. Once I got past the initial, "Ah man, I wanted something different than this," and got used to the controls, I found that I actually enjoyed the environment and the intuitiveness of the level design. Enemies standing at attention with their back to you, shattering glass, exploding barrels and boxes, multiple guns (although only two that I found), no jumping, different missions depending on the difficulty setting, simplistic weapons reloading animations and sounds. And exploding couches, because anything that can be shot and damaged is capable of exploding. The level design actually reminded me more of the first stage in Perfect Dark (dataDyne Central: Defection) where you land on top of a skyscraper and traverse down to the bottom floor where you take an elevator to the research basement. The music too was reminiscent of a James Bond-themed game, although I do not recall the characteristic anvil-hit from GoldenEye, again, this is not a James Bond or even a GoldenEye game, but just one inspired by GoldenEye 007.
From what I have played, Agent 64 does not feel perfect, but then again it is not supposed to be. It is demo from a game that is in active beta testing. It is a single level with three different difficulty and mission settings for a game that is not finished. As a proof of concept, I think Replicant D6 has accomplished what I believe they set out to do, which was create a faithful homage to GoldenEye 007 playable on the PC. But again, that faithfulness to the feel of the N64 controls and how the game operates might need some accessibility features and smoothing out if they want to win over people who are not nostalgic for the feel of an N64 FPS from 1997.
~JWfW/JDub/The Faceplantman/Jaconian
Bow Down Before His Eyes
P.S. And be wary of getting shot because in proper 1997 FPS GoldenEye fashion, your health does not regenerate, there are no health packs, and oddly enough I wasn't able to find any body armor, which might mean that I just need to look around a few more corners.
No comments:
Post a Comment