007: Quantum of Solace

(Activision for Xbox 360)
By Mike Delano

Considering the lack of meaningful competition, it’s easy to list 007: Quantum of Solace as one of the best movie tie-in games ever made. Occasional Call of Duty developer Treyarch took the powerful Call of Duty 4 engine and inserted Bond into a hybrid FPS/Gears of War-style third-person stop-and-pop based on the last two films. In doing so, however, Treyarch enters the insanely crowded and competitive holiday shooter market and is outdone by, among other titles, the developer’s own Call of Duty: World at War, released within weeks of 007. The game is held back by a lack of ambition: It still has a little of that “good enough” movie tie-in mentality. You’ll plow through the short single-player campaign, which is often gorgeous but holds no surprises, and move on to multiplayer, which is similarly serviceable, but makes little effort to incorporate much of the trademark Bond style into the maps or presentation. All of it is fun to play because of tight controls and a solid framework, and, for a weekend rental, it’s a no-brainer. But it’s hard to imagine picking this game over the wealth of other shooter choices on the shelves.
(www.activision.com)