Enter the long-awaited remaster of GoldenEye 007. No, not the complete ground-up remake and remaster that’s often been rumored. We’re talking about the 4K upscale that’s now on Xbox Game Pass and a part of Rare Replay.
This is how GoldenEye was always meant to be played. Despite all the odds, it proves that the game still has a seat at the table today with other to-tier console FPS titles.
GOLDENEYE 007 HAS NEVER PLAYED BETTER
I should preface this by saying I’m talking about specifically the Xbox version. While the Nintendo Switch version runs surprisingly well, it suffers from some frustrating controls.
Enemies are shockingly clever; they’ll use cover, roll, dodge your attacks, and attempt to flank you throughout the campaign. Is it perfect? No; most AI operates on what feels like an on-rails system.
Rare crafts a perfect balance between original content and movie-inspired level design. While the game’s story takes some liberties with the source material, every change works extraordinarily well.
A LICENSE TO KILL
Many are nervous that GoldenEye 007’s issues will become too prevalent once the nostalgia is gone. Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This game is arguably better today than it was in the past.
The game’s first half, however, is an absolute delight. Upscaled visuals, iconic music, and fantastic gameplay on the Xbox makes me wonder what took so long for this game to be re-released.