The Power of Nostalgia

When I was a kid, my brother owned the second PlayStation. Every Friday night, I would go into his room, sit in the middle of the floor and play video games for hours. There are a few games that come to mind when I reflect on this memory from Tony Hawk’s Underground to World of Tanks. But one game in particular that I would spend seemingly endless hours on was James Bond 007: Nightfire. From a thrilling campaign, to an advanced online mode, to just the fact of playing Pierce Brosnan was enough for an 11-year-old child to go ecstatic. But after playing the game as a 21-year-old adult and looking at it through a set of critical lenses, does the same James Bond hold up to today’s video games standards? Well, it’s complicated.

To give some background, Nightfire was published by Electronic Arts and came out towards the end of 2002. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox were just entering the market for the top video game console. Video games weren’t a widely popular topic that was discussed in public, mainly due to the fact there wasn’t much to discuss to begin with. But Nightfire changed all of that.

Part of what made Nightfire so fascinating as a kid was the versatility of levels. In the beginning mission, players are given multiple routes to reach their destination. Whether it be stealthily climbing the side of the tower, sneaking into a wine truck, or just simply shooting all of the guards until no one is left standing. This kind of freedom allowed players to feel in control of their actions and also allowed “replayability”. The next level shifts players into a mounted vehicle section of shooting helicopters, snowmobiles and other vehicles out of their way. The third mission is set in the player being in the driver seat of the infamous Bond cars and giving players the chance to speed around while being able to shoot missiles from their headlights.

As you can see, the game created three completely different levels for the player to experience. Some critics claim shame the game for only creating one open ended level for players to create their own play style, but I disagree. If the developers created an entire game that was open for the player to choose their own play style, then the player would just stick to their own play style. Creating levels that players only have limited actions forces the player to adapt change their play style which ultimately keeps this engaged. This is what Agent: Nightfire does really well.

Another thing that Nightfire did well in for its time was the visuals and music. Graphics for Nightfire, while still old, aged surprisingly well for a game released in the same year as the first Spider Man. Music was also a highlight of the game. Being composed from Jeff Tymoschuk, he used music to create an atmosphere for the player to get lost in and it shows throughout the levels.

As much as I loved replaying this game as an adult, it was also a bit of chore. For one, shooting mechanics haven’t aged well, forcing the player to shoot sporadically rather than precisely aiming their shots. The health system is also a hassle since it requires players to look for health packs rather than a regenerating health system like most modern shooters today. This then causes the player to focus on their health and coordinate their attacks accordingly rather than taking in the scenery.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself replaying this game. I absolutely did. I had a blast reliving my childhood memories of blasting mediocre villains while my character inputs a cheap one line cliché at the end of most missions. James Bond 007: Nightfire set the stage for video game developers to come and was able to impress current Bond fans and newcomers to the series. Even with its clunky controls and dated graphics, it is still able to tickle that need for remanence. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a game that doesn’t take itself too serious while still maintaining essential elements that make James Bond 007: Nightfire a game that will forever be known to many as the game that sparked something bright.