The James Bond Game That Killed Off James Bond
By Andy Kelly In the opening mission of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, you find yourself loosely recreating a scene from classic ’60s Bond filmi Goldfinger. The villainous Auric Goldfinger is threatening to detonate a nuclear bomb in Fort Knox, and you have to stop him before the explosion irradiates the world’s gold reserves and devastates the global economy. But here’s the twist: you are not James Bond. You’re playing as another MI6 agent, and 007 is your partner. As you approach Fort Knox in a helicopter, it’s hit bu a rocket and comes crashing down. When the level begins, you see Bond hanging precariously from the wreckage, pleading for your help – but you do nothing. He falls to his death and is crushed by fiery rubble. It’s a bold James Bond game that kills James Bond mere minutes in, but that was Rogue Agent’s whole gimmick. You’re a bad guy, and after this disastrous mission you don’t stay with MI6 for long. …But I admire Rogue agent for trying something different. This is a rare piece of Bond media starring a clear-cut villain, rather than everyone’s favourite misogynistic tuxedo enthusiast. Also, as a fan of the series, I got a cheap thrill from hanging out with famous villains like Goldfinger, Dr. No, Blofeld, and Scaramanga. GoldenEye’s Xenia Onatopp, a relatively minor character, makes an appearance as well – perhaps in an attempt to justify the name. …A lot of talented people worked on Rogue Agent. Ken Adam, a legendary production designer who created some of the most beautiful, distinctive sets in Hollywood history (including Goldfinger’s Fort Knox), worked on the environments. Matrix costume designer Kym Barrett was behind the character designs. Paul Oakenfold, Grammy-winning DJ, provided the music. …Rogue Agent is a real one-off, and I doubt we’ll ever see a James Bond game like it again. According to EA it had sold a million copies by the end of 2004…
