The James Bond video game series is about to return in a big way. It's been completely dormant since 2012 when 007 Legends made its debut on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC. Now, nearly a decade later, Hitman developer IO Interactive is taking the reins with a brand new installment. Of course, it's going to be some time until we see the project. Screenshots or even gameplay are worlds away.
Luckily, there are plenty of Bond adventures you can go on right now (aside from GoldenEye 007, because the world knows and loves that game). If you're looking to get your Bond fix while waiting for No Time To Die as well as what IO Interactive has up its sleeve, you might want to check out one of these enduring Bond missions. They're still very much worth playing, even though they're quite dated. Here are some of the missions you should definitely check out.
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
One of the flashiest James Bond games out there feels more like a full-fledged movie rather than an interactive experience. Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Richard Kiel, Willem Dafoe, Heidi Klum, Shannon Elizabeth, and others lent their voices and likeness to the game. Additionally, the theme song by Mýa, who also played a character in the game, was even performed on The Tonight Show.
The plot, involving nanobots, revenge, and double agents, is quintessential Bond, from top to bottom. Combining satisfying third-person action gameplay with one of the most exciting motorcycle chase sequences of the era (especially since it really felt like you were careening down a bridge), it was everything a Bond game should be.
This represented the last game that Pierce Brosnan would officially take on the mantle of Bond in, and he went out with a bang. It's just a shame the game didn't get a chance to hit the big screen with an official adaptation. It could certainly have held its own.
Tomorrow Never Dies
Pierce Brosnan's second appearance as James Bond in a video game following GoldenEye 007 was nowhere near as popular as the Nintendo 64 title before it, but it's still very much a third-person shooter worth revisiting, especially since it allows players to control another character aside from Bond. With a storyline that matched up with the original film and a fun, jet-setting trip all the way to Germany and beyond, Tomorrow Never Dies captured the somewhat campy spirit of that era's Bond films with panache.
While it didn't include a multiplayer component and was a bit shorter than other titles in the franchise, it was still a triumph in terms of accessibility, exciting missions, and featuring more of the same likenesses and voices from the film. It's still a good time for Bond fans despite the age.
James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
Unfortunately, we lost the best Bond of all time, Sean Connery, this year. His legend lives on, however, in From Russia with Love, which was a pleasant surprise late in the PlayStation 2's life cycle. It packed some of the best moments from the original Bond film into one satisfying package, and was an absolute treat to experience the whole way through -- hearing Connery's voiceover was the real treat, especially for fans who had grown up with the actor as "their' Bond.
Surprisingly, though of course, it looks a bit dated, the graphics, shootouts, and overall quality hold up today, especially if you're a fan of the late PS2-era visuals and effects unique to the system. Plus, it's the only game available where you can play as the original James Bond. If you're tired of the gloom and doom of modern Bond and want to go back to the '60s when the series was a bit more tongue-in-cheek, From Russia with Love is your prime destination.
007 returns to the interactive screen in an all-new project from Hitman developer IO Interactive.
