007 - Tomorrow Never Dies

Release Date: November 16, 1999

"Bond is prone to getting snagged on the bug-riddled scenery"

Peppering this review with cliched Bondisms would be all too easy, which is precisely why it doesn't open with the line, “We've been expecting you, 007. You and your appallingly-overdue movie tie-in.”

Very loosely based upon the film of two years ago, Tomorrow Never Dies is a third-person action/adventure with subtle stealth overtones and gadgets ahoy. It should prove familiar territory to anyone who has played the superb Syphon Filter. However, where TND has the edge over Syphon Filter is in the impressive diversity of its gameplay.

For the most part, TND sees you shooting merry heck out of enemy troops, or sneaking around installations, tower blocks and hotels. You’ll also find yourself skiing down mountains and driving the movie’s signature BMW into battle against bomb-lobbing terrorists. One level even has you taking control of high-kicking Wai Lin, as played by Michelle Yeoh in the movie. Naturally, Bond himself comes well equipped, the ubiquitous sniper rifle surprising no one with its presence.

While all of this adds up to a fine experience on paper, the stark reality is that Tomorrow Never Dies is rubbish. For starters, the control system is all wrong.

Bond is unresponsive and prone to getting snagged on the bug-riddled scenery.

Admittedly, MGM Interactive may have done this on purpose, but try as we might, we can’t recall any scenes from the film where Pierce Brosnan wobbled around behind an intermittently disappearing fence, or slid along a wall like some possessed arthritic.

Better graphics or at least a Multiplayer Mode would have compensated somewhat. Although your missions are nicely varied - there’s usually some objective beyond just shooting stuff - it can't disguise the fact that Tomorrow Never Dies is an ugly, flawed monstrosity and utterly undeserving of its license. MGM should be ashamed. James Bond? James Arse, more like. Still, the soundtrack’s cool.