When Activision revealed it was re-imagining this Nintendo 64 classic, is sounded more like a threat than an announcement. Fans of the 1997 original have since been split into the ‘awesome, I can’t wait’, or the ‘what they hell do they think they’re playing at?’ camp. It’s understandable given the game’s unwavering cult following, partly due to how forward thinking and enjoyable the original was back in the day.

The game doesn't scrimp on the firepower

Now the game is set for a spiritual sequel this year on the most technically disadvantaged home console of the generation. However, after seeing the game in action and playing it for ourselves, we were pleasantly reminded that looks aren’t everything.

As it’s a re-imagining the game is set in 2010, and stars Bond of the moment Daniel Craig. The gameplay session begins in familiar fashion, plonking us on the outskirts of a fortified Russian military outpost. Although this isn’t the same compound we visited in 1997. Gone is the dam, instead replaced with a sprawling Metal Gear-esque facility embedded into the side of a mountain. The idea is that this is Activision’s own riff on the original game, complete with a new set of fancy bells and whistles.

We saw Bond making his way down a precarious cliff face to rendezvous with one-time accomplice and eventual nemesis Alec Trevelyan. The technical proficiency of the game is apparent from the start, with a gritty, rain soaked tone and a draw distance that reveals the scale of the facility. Taking a cue from Mirror’s Edge, the duo dispatched a pair of hapless guards with crushing melee takedowns, the action never leaving a first-person viewpoint as parts of Bond’s anatomy appear on screen to add weight to the manoeuvre.

You dirty rat

It doesn’t take long for back up to arrive and a gunfight to breakout. Although the stealth approach is gratifying, this is where the draw of this remake comes into play. Shooting looks and sounds weighty as bullets tear across the screen, rip apart flimsy cover and spark as they ricochet off harder surfaces. Aesthetically, this is impressive stuff from a Wii shooter, which if past attempts have taught us anything, are usually guff.

The demonstration ends with a thrilling on rails jeep chase through a tunnel. Still in the first-person, Bond and Trevelyan reach a checkpoint and are quizzed by a pair of guards. Suspecting foul play, the Russians start to panic as Bond reaches through the window and takes down the passenger side enemy, grabbing his gun before he slumps to the floor. Set pieces are clearly the name of the game here and like Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2 before it, integrates them seamlessly into the gameplay.

As with the original GoldenEye, the solo campaign will take back seat to multiplayer. We had an extensive hands-on session with four-player deathmatch, as Jaws, Oddjob and other series villains ran around the classic Military Archive map, blowing each other apart with machine guns. Although it's been almost 15 years since the first game hit the stores, the multiplayer mode feels just like its N64 counterpart, complete with the same zany modes, game variables and sense of fun that made it so endearing.

With over 200 variables, such as bouncy grenades, melee only, paintball mode and more, it’s clear that Activision has researched what made GoldenEye such a highly-regarded experience. Although the visuals lack the polish of their Xbox 360 and PS3 peers, the gameplay is familiar, the visual trickery is impressive and the multiplayer is an utter riot.

… continued