007 Racing (PS) (007 Racing (PS))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	007 Racing (PS)
Date:	23/06/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sound

Disadvantages: Gameplay, Graphics

"007 Racing" is a video game released for the Sony Playstation console in 2000 by Electronic Arts. It is a driving game based on the popular James Bond film series. In the United States, the game received a rating of "T" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for teenage years and above.

In this title, players assume the role of an unknown character which is presumably James Bond. It is the player's objective to complete a set of missions while making use of an assortment of typical Bond gadgets and vehicles including the BMW 750 and Lotus Esprit. Each vehicle comes equipped with weapons and can be modified prior to playing through the missions, though this did not prove to be necessary as many weapons are scattered throughout each playing level and can be equipped by simply driving over them. This does present a problem, however, as each acquired weapon will be automatically armed by default. When involved with a high speed pursuit I found it difficult to accurately aim at my opponents due to the automatic cycling to newly acquired arms. What was for one moment a front facing heat-seeking rocket could quickly change to a rear facing oil slick, and this requires the player to cycle through his or her available weapons back to the rockets. As each mission is timed this wastes many valuable seconds and can incur many mission failures. The vehicles themselves do not handle very well either. I found many vehicles, but especially on the Aston Martin DB5, to be highly unresponsive to my turn commands and this saw me needlessly meandering into walls and buildings.

The graphics are presented from a rear view of the player's vehicle. The visuals are as lackluster as the gameplay itself. In-game images did not seem to render appropriately as I noticed many "splotchy" areas on my television set. The visual effects are also less than stunning. A rocket fired against an opposing vehicle results in a very tiny circle and red and yellow to suggest a fiery explosion but this sort of effect would be on par with a handheld console such as the Gameboy Color. The sound is the only redeeming quality of the game as it features an excellent voice actor simulating the traditional Bond voice and is followed by a few snippets of Judi Dench's "Q" character. The music has a distinct espionage feel to it and this compliments the Bond universe well.

Overall, 007 Racing is not a game I would recommend to prospective buyers. The graphics are below par and this, when combined with the clunky control scheme along with generally poor responsiveness, makes for a poor gaming experience.

Summary: Thumbs down