007: Everything or Nothing is a fairly successful attempt at incorporating stealth-based gameplay on the Game Boy Advance, though the isometric perspective and finicky AI definitely get in the way of what is an otherwise solid title.
Though it's not based on any Bond film, Everything or Nothing does feature a surprisingly dorky concept, well suited for the gaming crowd – this time, it's not a nuclear missile or defense satellite you are after, but stolen nanomachine technology. It's not an award winning plot by any means, but it does keep things moving along nicely, and fits well in the context of the typical 007 parameters.
In an interesting twist for GBA titles, Everything or Nothing features gameplay that is primarily based upon stealth. You can always go in guns-a-blazin, but you will probably find that the isometric perspective and slightly less than optimal controls make that a little more difficult than it sounds. Besides, doing things the quiet way will yield you a wealth of "style points", which allows you to buy new upgrades and equipment. This does go a long way to adding a bit of depth to an otherwise straightforward game. There are also several driving sequences thrown in for good measure, though they are rather primitive in design and short in length.
Mr. Bond certainly looks more than presentable, though I don't believe that EA captured his best angle – the isometric perspective is always a tricky one to pull off, and often makes pulling off that quiet kill difficult. Additionally, while this perspective is often used to give a wide view of the action, Everything or Nothing's ¾ overhead is surprisingly squashed in close, often making it hard to spot your next enemy without being seen yourself. The audio in the game is well done and surprisingly abundant, with actual voice samples from the series' actors added to the usual MIDI compressed theme song.
Overall, Everything or Nothing captures the essence of Bond pretty well, though it doesn't do so without a few noticeable problems along the way. Fans of the series and stealth action alike would do well to pick this one up.
-George
Create an Account
Member Login
