James Bond 007: Blood Stone
Over the Christmas Holidays, I inevitably watched a selection of James Bond movies because it is one of my seasonal rituals. As a child a Bond movie was always one of the TV highlights of Christmas or Boxing Day. Subsequently this habit has stuck with me over the years and so I dutifully watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Naturally this raised my interest in all things Bond, so I decided to dust of the video game James Bond 007: Blood Stone. I originally bought this game upon release back in November 2010, unaware that the Bond franchise has always been an utter lottery when it comes to tie-in games. I initially played through it for a month or so, then deleted it from my hard drive. It was a classic example of me simply losing interest in a game and then removing it in one of my regular PC housekeeping exercises. To be fair I had a lot of other games on the go at the same time, so there was a good chance that I didn't give it the level of attention it deserved. So yesterday I decided to give it another go and re-installed the game via Steam. Thanks to the miracle of the internet, I downloaded the 9GB game in twenty minutes.
Over the Christmas Holidays, I inevitably watched a selection of James Bond movies because it is one of my seasonal rituals. As a child a Bond movie was always one of the TV highlights of Christmas or Boxing Day. Subsequently this habit has stuck with me over the years and so I dutifully watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Naturally this raised my interest in all things Bond, so I decided to dust of the video game James Bond 007: Blood Stone. I originally bought this game upon release back in November 2010, unaware that the Bond franchise has always been an utter lottery when it comes to tie-in games. I initially played through it for a month or so, then deleted it from my hard drive. It was a classic example of me simply losing interest in a game and then removing it in one of my regular PC housekeeping exercises. To be fair I had a lot of other games on the go at the same time, so there was a good chance that I didn't give it the level of attention it deserved. So yesterday I decided to give it another go and re-installed the game via Steam. Thanks to the miracle of the internet, I downloaded the 9GB game in twenty minutes.
So, what does James Bond 007: Blood Stone have to offer, second time around? Well exactly the same frustrations that caused me to kick it into touch last time. The story is quite good for this sort of thing, being written by Bruce Feirstein who penned a few of the Pierce Brosnan movies. There is also voice acting from Daniel Craig and Judi Dench as well as a “Bondesque” soundtrack by Richard Jacques, which all do much to elevate the proceedings. The game is a third person cover based shooter with additional hand-to-hand combat and driving sequences. James Bond 007: Blood Stone features a focus aim system which allows players to lock onto targets after melee takedowns, providing guaranteed kills. The stealth kills are quite satisfying and look the part. Ben Cooke, who is Daniel Craig's stunt double in the films, provided the motion capture choreography for Bond's digital animation and is credited as the game's stunt coordinator. Like in recent Bond movies the vogue for gadgets in this game is far more subdued. There is a lot of hacking of electronic locks and computers via a smartphone, which mainly involves the use of quick time events. However, it also provides a means for highlighting waypoints, weapons and enemies as well as items that can be scanned for intel.
However, despite all these acceptable points, the game is a very clumsy console port. It has all the obvious hallmarks. First there’s the cartoon like cut scenes and a game engine that simply looks lacklustre on a decent PC. Then there’s the clumsy UI. However, the biggest failing and the main reason I ditched this title last time I played is the control system. The keyboard and mouse work fine for combat but are inadequate for steering vehicles. The PC version does support an Xbox controller but not simultaneously with the other input devices. So, whenever you reach a check point prior to a car chase, you have to wait for the chase to fail, then go into the game settings and change the input to a gamepad. Once that section is over, you then have to do the same again to return to the keyboard and mouse. This is frustrating to say the least and it doesn't take long for tempers to fray. I shall try to persevere with James Bond 007: Blood Stone but I can't make any promises as to whether I shall complete it. The whole thing just highlights the fact that Bond as a franchise has never really got the treatment it should have from the gaming industry. Apart from Goldeneye and Goldeneye Reloaded but they never got released on the PC platform anyway.
I would love to see a more complex and nuanced RPG, where you could play as Bond and have a story that has multiple endings. A game that as well as shooting sequences, offered other activities seen in classic Bond movies such as Skiing or Scuba Diving. A mini game based set in a Casino would also be a great addition. Perhaps setting the game in a specific time period to would add atmosphere and ambience, be it the suave sophistication of the sixties movies or the excess and grandiose scope of the seventies films. Games such as the The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption 2 have an excellent balance of narrative choice and action. This sort of game style and mechanic would be ideal for the world of James Bond with its focus on pithy dialogue and kiss-off lines. But I’m not particularly hopeful. Activision were the last licence holders for Bond video games and they struggled to do the franchise justice. James Bond 007: Blood Stone is a weak title which killed off its developer Bizarre Creations. Oddly enough the follow up game 007 Legends was even more of a dog’s dinner and also put pay to Eurocom, the studio that created it. For the present no one seems to want to tackle the possibilities presented with such an intellectual property, because it doesn’t immediately lend itself to live services or multiplayer gaming.
What is Your Favourite Bond Title Song?
There are many subjects that when mentioned will quickly start an argument. Who’s the best Doctor Who? (and it isn’t David Tennant), do Balrogs have wings? (no, read the text again) and of course that old chestnut, “Data or Spock?”. Then there’s the thorny issue of Bond film title songs. We now have twenty-four to choose from. Obviously, your age group and musical preferences will shape your opinion. As well as when you started viewing the franchise. I personally have very particular views on the subject, hence this post. So here for your edification are five of my personal favourites, each with a few thoughts about why they are of merit. Feel free to leave comments with your own opinions. I’m sure we won’t fall out over the matter. Unless you like Sheryl Crow.
There are many subjects that when mentioned will quickly start an argument. Who’s the best Doctor Who? (and it isn’t David Tennant), do Balrogs have wings? (no, read the text again) and of course that old chestnut, “Data or Spock?”. Then there’s the thorny issue of Bond film title songs. We now have twenty-four to choose from. Obviously, your age group and musical preferences will shape your opinion. As well as when you started viewing the franchise. I personally have very particular views on the subject, hence this post. So here for your edification are five of my personal favourites, each with a few thoughts about why they are of merit. Feel free to leave comments with your own opinions. I’m sure we won’t fall out over the matter. Unless you like Sheryl Crow.
First and in no order of preference we have Goldfinger. Composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, this iconic song was performed by Shirley Bassey (although it was originally intended that Newley would record it). Like the film, it was a huge commercial success in both UK and US music charts. What can be said about this song, other than the fact that it personified the emerging Bond franchise at the time. Well it’s brassy and ballsy, plus Bassey's delivery of the lyrics is superb. The whole song just oozes sixties cool and has subsequently become indelibly associated with the series. Curiously enough, despite the songs success, Barry and Bricusse only collaborated on one further Bond title song.
Next, we have my first of our controversial choices, because technically this is not a song from one of the film, but from an 007 game. However, before you all start spitting tacks and writing to your duly elected representative, I would point out that Bloodstone was an officially sanctioned product. Plus I really like this track and it is my blog, so there! Being editor has to have some benefits. I'll Take It All written by Dave Stewart and Joss Stone and performed by Joss Stone herself, is a solid Bond title song that understands the idiom and legacy of the franchise. It is yet another example of how the gaming industry equals the production values of the movie business. I'll Take It All is smart, powerfully delivered and could easily have graced the title credits in one of the more recent Bond films.
1977 saw the release of the biggest Bond film to date, namely The Spy Who Loved Me. Nobody Does It Better, a power ballad composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, was performed by Carly Simon. It was the first Bond theme song to be titled differently from the name of the film, although the phrase "the spy who loved me" is included in the lyrics. In some ways, this song is the complete opposite of Goldfinger, representing what Bond had become in the seventies. It is a very sexual and self-assured composition, verging on self-parody. Therefore, is perfectly enshrines the Roger Moore years and is also a damn fine song in its own right.
Here is another wild card. The 1969 Geroge Lazenby Bond film, On Her Majesties Secret Service, differed from most others by having an instrumental theme song, played over the titles. Composer John Barry opted to use more electrical instruments and crafted a slick instrumental based around a Moog synthesizer and under pinned by his peerless use of brass. This musical piece is both clever and stylish and certainly imbued this particular Bond outing with a subtly different ambience. But On Her Majesties Secret Service was not a typical Bond film and has in recent years been re-evaluated. It is more thoughtful and experimental, which is exactly what Barry brought to the table with his core and main theme.
Finally, we have a personal favourite of mine, You Know My Name. This intelligent, strong and enigmatic song performed by ex Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, fits perfectly into the title of the 2006 Bond reboot Casino Royale. Written by David Arnold and Cornell himself, it has always amazed me that the film’s producers allowed such an experimental (by Bond standards) approach to the title song. The song itself is oblique and somewhat discordant, yet it encapsulates the new Bond of the twenty first century. Gone is the smug caricature. We now have a song that explores the social isolation and the uncertainty of carrying a license to kill. This track perfectly complements Daniel Kleinman's opening credits and sets a new standard for the franchise.