Like a bolt out of the blue, IO Interactive announced that they are working on a new James Bond game, currently labelled Project 007. While there have been several James Bond games over the decades, only Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 really lived up to the amazing potential the franchise offers.
As the leading developer of stealth-based games, IO Interactive and the James Bond franchise look like a match made in heaven, however, simply cloning the ‘Hitman template’ and sticking Bond at the forefront, will not cut it, as there are a number of things which they are going to have to get absolutely right. Here are some things we’d love to see in the new game.
10 Dynamic Combat Systems
The original Hitman games, which formed the basis for one of the most globally popular video-game films, allowed a bit more freedom with the level of subterfuge required to complete a mission. Players could go in all-guns-blazing and wipe out the targets by peppering them with submachine gun rounds or, for those wishing to attain a mission rating of ‘Ghost’, stealth could be implemented, so not a single guard was alerted to the assassination.
In the more recent Hitman games, the focus on strategy was so strong that players could choose between a wide range of stealthy options, with all-out combat heavily discouraged. As a result, gunfights with guards felt sluggish and clunky, almost as if you were playing the game wrong. This was fine for the Hitman series, but it won’t work with Project 007, where combat should feel tight and precise and include everything from melee action to super long-range weaponry.
9 A Balanced Environment
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A hallmark of IO Interactive is their ability to create open sandbox environments where multiple factors and game mechanics interact in real time to create opportunities and limitations. In such an environment, the player is encouraged to observe, analyze, and evaluate these factors before committing to an action.
This type of environment is perfect for a slower-paced puzzler but is likely unsuitable for the fast-action elements, which players will demand of Project 007. That being said, creating a linear style game, where players are funneled into a set route, would be an enormous waste of the developer’s talents. The challenge for IO Interactive, therefore, will be to create an environment which balances both elements.
8 Gadgets, Lots Of Gadgets
This one is painfully obvious but shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the most iconic aspects of the James Bond franchise is the use of gadgets and concealed weapons. This is an area where the developer could have a lot of fun with the game.
By offering an array of awesome gadgets for the player to deploy at their discretion (albeit with a specific purpose in mind) IO Interactive will create uniquely fun interactions and keep users wanting more.
7 Espionage Meets Action
As we know, James Bond is a spy and, as expected, this requires a certain amount of stealth, be it blending into a social environment or staying completely out of sight. In this regard, we are in safe hands with IO Interactive, who have mastered this element of gameplay.
But James Bond is also about fast-paced action sequences, gigantic explosions, dramatic set pieces and over-the-top drama. It is here that the developer may be entering unchartered territory. Finding the balance between these two elements will be crucial to Project 007 becoming one of the best espionage games of all time.
6 Witty Dialogue & Punchy One-Liners
The game mechanics of the Hitman series didn’t lend too well to meaningful discourse between characters. By suppressing the number of dialogue options with NPCs, the developers could avoid awkward moments which could ruin the illusion.
With Project 007, the player is going to expect quick-witted, off-the-cuff dialogue featuring cheesy put downs and tongue-in-cheek one-liners. Perhaps this could be achieved via short cut-scenes or interactive dialogue sequences where the player can decide which one-liner to drop.
5 Vehicles & High-Speed Chases
This is where IO Interactive is going to have to work outside its comfort zone, because anyone who spends their hard-earned cash on this game is going to want fast cars, helicopters, speedboats and tanks.
To get the most out of missions involving vehicle chases, the scale of Project 007 is going to have to be bigger than anything they have previously created. Much bigger.
4 Memorable Characters
Bald, scarred villains, henchman who can bite through metal, and bodyguards with razor-lined top hats. These are the sort of characters who will make us sit up and take notice and are a trademark of the James Bond world.
In order to stay true to the franchise, Project 007 cannot skimp in this area. While the original nature of the game offers a blank slate, we would love to see the developers getting creative with the game’s villains, henchmen and side characters.
3 Different Types Of Stealth
With its cocktail parties, wealthy business dealings and glamorous private islands, James Bond and the ‘social stealth’ element that IO Interactive excels in will go together like a martini (shaken, obviously) and olives.
At times, however, we are going to want to see a return to the more traditional, Metal Gear Solid-esque stealth mechanics. Faster-paced creeping, which is more centered around matching guards’ patrol patterns, than hiding in plain sight dressed as a florist.
2 Action Set-Pieces On A Grand Scale
While the linear nature of Call of Duty games would not suit this endeavor, the big action set-pieces the game is famed for, such as the ‘Shock and Awe’ scene in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (where Private Jackson is fleeing from a nuclear detonation in a helicopter), would work really well in Project 007.
There is so much scope for interactive set-pieces in the new Bond game, and we hope this, as well as a grand opening sequence, is an aspect IO Interactive gets exactly right.
1 Respect The Franchise
IO Interactive give very little away on their website other than to say the game will be a “wholly original Bond story” and that it will be “the very first James Bond origin story”. This gives an exciting foundation for them to build the game from, but the highly coveted source material brings with it great pressure and responsibility.
Assuming IO Interactive gets the game mechanics, combat style and gameplay exactly right (and there’s little reason to suspect they won’t), it will all have been for nothing if they do not capture the essence of the James Bond franchise. This means getting the characters (especially 007) spot on, the atmosphere right, the action scenes bold and, above all else, making the game great fun to play.
Project 007 is currently in development.