MI6 attended the multiplayer reveal event in San Francisco on Monday for the upcoming game "GoldenEye 007: Reloaded"...

Multiplayer Reveal Event

12th October 2011

Activision revealed the multiplayer modes and features of the upcoming "GoldenEye 007: Reloaded" game at an exclusive preview event in San Francisco on Monday, and MI6 was the only Bond website to get the scoop. With almost all multiplayer modes in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 market focusing on online play, it is a bold move for Activision to promote the classic split-screen mayhem that the current generation of gaming bloggers grew up on almost 15 years ago.

As well as Daniel Craig as 007 in his iconic tuxedo, there are 44 generic playable characters and an additional 14 classic characters available in multiplayer, including: Oddjob, Jaws, Scaramanga, Baron Samedi, Rosa Klebb, Dr. No, Red Grant, Blofeld (Charles Grey), Tee Hee, Max Zorin, Goldfinger, Kananga, and a Hugo Drax exclusive for the PS3. Some of the characters also possess special abilities, such as Jaws' steel teeth that reduce the damage a head shot inflicts by deflecting some bullets.

Several multiplayer modes were demonstrated, including: 4-player split-screen, MI6 Ops, 16-player online and the new Sharp Shooter for the PS3.

The 4-player split screen mode, made famous by the original "GoldenEye 007" on the Nintendo 64 back in 1997, has been overhauled since last year's 'exclusive' release on the Wii. As you would expect with the all new high-definition game engine created by Eurocom for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, the frame rate and texture resolution is a massive improvement on the often blurry Wii edition. But the quality is not quite as sharp as the single player or full screen online modes, which is perhaps to be expected given the engine is supporting four players simultaneously. The game on show was not the final version that will hit stores next month, so there may be improvements to come, including the often sluggish load times. To live up to the GoldenEye brand, there are countless game modifiers which allow you to taylor the death matches (called 'Classic Conflict' here) to suit your personal preferences to the finest detail including favourites like paintball. The new Moonraker laser weapon was a particular favourite of the audience, and Oddjob maintains his reputation as a frustrating foe to come up against given his reduced height and deadly bowler hat.

Also unveiled for the first time was the new Sharp Shooter system which comprises a PlayStation Move motion controller, navigation controller, PlayStation Eye camera and Sharp Shooter peripheral. The Double 'O' Edition bundle pack is exclusive to the PS3 and also includes the Hugo Drax character. The Sharp Shooter took a bit of time to calibrate (hopefully a one-time process) and first time users suffered a few quick deaths before getting to grips with the move, aim and shoot combination of controls. As the Sharp Shooter is held against your shoulder, you do not look through the sights like a regular rifle, but an onscreen reticule makes it more accurate than 'shooting from the hip'. Turning to look around the environment is a lot slower than using a standard controller, and players must remain standing in the spot where the Sharp Shooter was calibrated to maintain optimal control. It is a fun addition to the single player campaign, but users in multiplayer may be at a serious disadvantage.

All the multiplayer modes were well received by the audience of gaming sites and bloggers, with the 16-player online mode retaining players for the longest period. Flashbacks of dorm room death-matches of yesteryear were had by all and many stories were shared during the battles. But the most vociferous feedback came from the 4-player split screen, where good humoured celebrations and insults were thrown around in equal measure in a party-like atmosphere, often to the curdling background scream of "Oddjooobbbbb!"

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