007 Racing

Last updated
007 Racing
007 racing.jpg
Developer(s) Eutechnyx
Publisher(s) EA Games
Composer(s) Allister Brimble
Series James Bond
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • NA: 17 November 2000 [1]
  • EU: 15 December 2000
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

007 Racing is a 2000 racing video game based on the James Bond license. It was developed by Eutechnyx, published by Electronic Arts, and released for the PlayStation console system. This game marks the seventh appearance of Pierce Brosnan's James Bond; the game included his likeness but not his voice, which is provided by Tim Bentinck. Including many revived characters from previous entries, the game is considered to be a spin-off out of the original chronicles.

Contents

Gameplay

In 007 Racing the player takes on the role of British secret agent James Bond, behind the wheel of several of his vehicles from the then-19 official films. Cars include the Aston Martin DB5 made famous in its initial appearance in Goldfinger , the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only , and the BMW Z8 that briefly appeared in The World Is Not Enough as well as seven other automobiles. Each car is equipped with all the usual gadgetry and weapons issued by Q, the Quartermaster of a special branch of MI6 referred to as Q-Branch.

Plot

In 007 Racing, a high ranking European diplomat and businessman plans to hijack a shipment of NATO weapons and smuggle them to international terrorists inside cars that roll off the assembly line of his automotive plants. As Bond, it is up to the player to stop him. The gamer is supplied with several gadget-filled cars from the Bond universe to thwart the villain.

The story opens with Bond rescuing Cherise Litte from an Eastern European country (presumably Estonia) and getting her over the border in his Aston Martin DB5. Upon his return to London he is informed by M that a freighter carrying top secret NATO weapons including laser-guided surface-to-air missiles, long-range missiles, missile shields, latest GPS technology and Q equipped BMW 750iL bound for Halifax was intercepted in the Labrador Sea, south of Greenland. Bond is tasked with finding the cargo. His mission takes him to New York City, where he is met by his friend from the CIA Jack Wade. Upon arriving in New York he is informed by a villain that a bomb has been planted on his car and that any attempt to defuse it or slow down the vehicle will cause it to explode. Bond jettisons the car in the Hudson River.

Bond continues on with finding the electromagnetic pulse device that was stolen and destroying ten computers in distribution center from which a car transporter carrying the smuggling cars. He intercepts the transporter with his Aston Martin. Bond then goes to Mexico with his BMW Z3, to where he was pointed by questioning the transporter driver, the henchman Whisper. He is trying to track Zukovsky and once he manages, he finds out that behind everything is Dr Hammond Litte, Cherise's father, and that her rescue was just a decoy mission aiming to distract him from the freighter. Bond then engages in race with Xenia Onatopp and her Ferrari F355 after which he gets captured and taken to Louisiana. He manages to escape and finds the stolen BMW, after which he pursues and destroys the boat driven by Jaws.

Back in New York, Bond downloads the files from four limousines with his BMW Z8 and discovers that Litte's real plan is to release a deadly virus that will kill millions. Bond then goes to the Baltic Sea with his Lotus Esprit and after infiltrating opponent's underwater base he destroys the plane transporting the virus.

Development and release

007 Racing was developed by Eutechnyx, which worked with MGM to create the game's storyline. It includes objectives and vehicles based on those featured in the James Bond films. [2] 007 Racing uses a modified version of the game engine that was developed for Eutechnyx's earlier Le Mans 24 Hours . Lead programmer Peter Davies recalled in 2021: "given the huge differences in the game style it was a massive overhaul, but some core components like the physics engine, renderer, and build tools were retained." [3]

In North America, 007 Racing was released in November 2000. [1] [4] [5] A sequel for the PlayStation 2 was announced shortly thereafter, but was never released. [6]

Reception

007 Racing received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [7]

Game Informer 's Paul Anderson called the graphics "ugly" and "nasty", but said there are some "well-designed" missions. He called the voice acting "excellent", particularly praising the performance given by Cleese, but thought the game had an inconsistent mix of content. [11]

Douglass C. Perry of IGN stated that 007 Racing is "a decent little game, as long as you don't expect too much from it". He added: "It's not original, nor is it good looking. It's filled with awkward spots and questionable areas (like when I reached the broken bridge in Escape and the vocals chimed in after it was too late to launch my parachute), and it becomes a chore rather than fun. Occasionally, there are little flashes of goodness (Escape and Gimme a Break are examples), but the game never really reaches any new planes of play that we've did already experience in Spy Hunter, back in the early 1980s. I mean if you're simply dying to drive Bond cars, rent this game, but don't buy it full price. Now, if you don't mind, I've got an old-school arcade to find." [15]

Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot gave a mixed review, stating: "The game's varied mission objectives occasionally give it a Driver -like feel, but the clunky control issues really manage to take you out of the game. The heavily modified Need for Speed engine[ sic ] is great for the fast action, fast driving missions, but the slower-paced, more combat-heavy levels suffer from the game's rough control. Overall, 007 Racing isn't polished enough to fill the needs of objective-based driving game fans. Fans of these types of games would be better served by Driver 2 ." [14] Retro Gamer criticized the slow pace of the missions. [19] David Chen of NextGen said that the game was "Fine as a rental car, but not worth the sticker price." [16] Jake The Snake of GamePro said that the game "offers mild fun that will appeal for sure only to gamers who love both Bond and action-driving games. [20] [lower-alpha 2]

Notes

  1. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 1/10, 6/10, and 1.5/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 3.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, and two 4/5 scores for sound and control.

Related Research Articles

<i>GoldenEye 007</i> (1997 video game) 1997 first-person shooter video game

GoldenEye 007 is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Based on the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, the player controls the secret agent James Bond to prevent a criminal syndicate from using a satellite weapon. They navigate a series of levels to complete objectives, such as recovering or destroying objects, while shooting enemies. In a multiplayer mode, up to four players compete in several deathmatch scenarios via split-screen.

<i>Skies of Arcadia</i> 2000 video game

Skies of Arcadia is a 2000 Dreamcast role-playing video game developed by Overworks and published by Sega. Players control Vyse, a young air pirate, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with the potential to destroy the world.

<i>Tomorrow Never Dies</i> (video game) PlayStation video game

Tomorrow Never Dies is a 1999 third-person shooter stealth video game based on the 1997 James Bond film of the same name. It was developed by Black Ops Entertainment and co-published by Electronic Arts and MGM Interactive for the PlayStation.

<i>James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire</i> 2001 video game

James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire is a 2001 first-person shooter video game based on the James Bond franchise. Developed and published by Electronic Arts, it was released for PlayStation 2 (PS2), GameCube and Xbox. It originally began development as a PS2 and PC game based on the 1999 Bond film The World Is Not Enough. However, the game was delayed and eventually reworked into Agent Under Fire, featuring an original storyline that is unrelated to the Bond films. Playing as James Bond, the player must thwart an attempt to replace world leaders with clones.

The James Bond video game franchise is a series centering on Ian Fleming's fictional British MI6 agent, James Bond. Games of the series have been predominantly shooter games, with some games of other genres including role-playing and adventure games. Several games are based upon the James Bond films and developed and published by a variety of companies, The intellectual property is owned by Danjaq.

<i>Midnight Club: Street Racing</i> 2000 video game

Midnight Club: Street Racing is a 2000 racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games. The game focuses on competitive street racing and the import scene. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance platforms, the former being a launch title for the platform. It is the first game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club II.

<i>GT Advance Championship Racing</i> 2001 video game

GT Advance Championship Racing, known in Japan as Advance GTA, is a racing game developed by MTO and published by THQ. It was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. The game's sequel, GT Advance 2: Rally Racing, was released on June 30, 2002 in North America.

<i>Rumble Racing</i> 2001 racing video game

Rumble Racing is a 2001 racing video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2 console. It was heavily influenced by NASCAR Rumble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eutechnyx</span> Video game development studio

Eutechnyx Limited is a British video game developer based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Since 1997, the company has focused on racing games. They are known for their largely panned video game Ride to Hell: Retribution, work with the NASCAR The Game franchise, and as a developer on various other racing titles and games.

<i>Test Drive 6</i> 1999 video game

Test Drive 6 is a racing video game developed by Pitbull Syndicate for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast. In the United States the game was published by Infogrames North America, while in Europe the game was published by Cryo Interactive. The game featured 37 licensed cars, plus four police car variants. As a first for the series, cars from General Motors are not playable in this game, instead they appear as traffic cars. The soundtrack featured industrial rock and techno music from artists such as Fear Factory, Lunatic Calm and Cirrus.

<i>The Grinch</i> (video game) 2000 video game

The Grinch is a 2000 platform video game loosely based on the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Developed by Artificial Mind & Movement and published by Konami, the game was released in North America one week prior to the film's theatrical release—November 10, 2000. George Lowe does uncredited work as the narrator of the game. The Game Boy Color version was released that same month, which was ported for a release in Japan on November 22, 2000.

<i>Driving Emotion Type-S</i> 2000 racing video game developed by Escape

Driving Emotion Type-S is a racing game developed by Escape, a subsidiary of Square. It was published in Japan on March 30, 2000 and was Square's first release for the PlayStation 2 console. After criticisms of the game's handling, the international versions feature revised controls and additional contents, and were released in January 2001.

<i>Knockout Kings 2001</i> EA Sports video game

Knockout Kings 2001 is a boxing video game developed by EA Sports. The third installment in the Knockout Kings series, the game was released for PlayStation in 2000, and later for PlayStation 2 in 2001. Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley appear on the North American cover, while the European cover features Lennox Lewis.

<i>Top Gear: Dare Devil</i> 2000 video game

Top Gear: Dare Devil is a racing video game for the PlayStation 2. It was developed by Papaya Studio and published by Kemco in 2000.

<i>Total Drivin</i> 1997 video game

Total Drivin, known as Car & Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98 in North America, Gekisou!!! Grand Racing in Japan and as M6 Turbo Racing in France, is a racing video game developed by Eutechnyx exclusively for PlayStation. The game saw highly mixed reactions from critics due to its broad stylistic approach and unusual steering controls.

<i>F1 Championship Season 2000</i> 2000 video game

F1 Championship Season 2000 is a racing video game based on the 2000 Formula One season, and was released by EA Sports for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Color, and Mac OS X.

<i>WRC FIA World Rally Championship</i> 2010 video game

WRC FIA World Rally Championship is a car racing video game based on the 2010 season of the World Rally Championship (WRC). It is the first game to be officially licensed by the WRC since 2005's WRC: Rally Evolved, and is the seventh game to bear the WRC licence. The game was developed by Milestone srl and published by Black Bean Games. The developer had also created Superstars V8 Racing and Alfa Romeo Racing Italiano.

<i>NASCAR The Game: 2011</i> 2011 racing video game

NASCAR The Game: 2011, also known as NASCAR 2011: The Game, is a 2011 racing video game, developed by Eutechnyx and published by Activision. It is the first edition of the NASCAR The Game racing simulator series. Developed by Eutechnyx and published by Activision, it was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 29, 2011, then for Wii on May 24. It is the first NASCAR game since the contract between EA Sports and NASCAR expired, and the first by Activision Blizzard since NASCAR Racing 2003 Season.

<i>Le Mans 24 Hours</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Le Mans 24 Hours is a video game released for the PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. The Dreamcast version was ported and published by Sega in Japan on 15 March 2001, while the PlayStation 2 version was ported and published by the same company on 13 June. Based on the famous 24 hours of Le Mans race in France, the player is invited to race the entire 24-hour endurance course or take part in a simpler arcade mode. The game also featured tracks such as Bugatti Circuit, Brno Circuit, Road Atlanta, Suzuka Circuit, Donington Park and Circuit de Catalunya, as well as a weather and night system.

<i>The World Is Not Enough</i> (PlayStation video game) PlayStation video game

The World Is Not Enough is a first-person shooter video game developed by Black Ops Entertainment and based on the 1999 James Bond film of the same name. It was published by Electronic Arts and released for the PlayStation on November 7, 2000, shortly after the release of its Nintendo 64 counterpart. The World Is Not Enough is the successor to Black Ops Entertainment's 1999 title Tomorrow Never Dies and uses an improved version of its engine. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who criticised its short length and lack of multiplayer mode.

References

  1. 1 2 IGN staff (17 November 2000). "007 Racing Ships". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Stahl, Ben (28 July 2000). "007 Racing Q&A". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on 29 November 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Williams, Owen (8 September 2021). "Shaken & Stirred: The ingredients of a great James Bond game". WhyNow Gaming. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  4. 1 2 Thompson, Jon. "007 Racing - Review". AllGame . All Media Group. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 Lafferty, Michael (15 January 2001). "007 Racing Review - PlayStation". GameZone. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  6. ↑ IGN staff (11 December 2000). "Bond Races to PlayStation 2 Again". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  7. 1 2 "007 Racing". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "007 Racing" (PDF). Edge . No. 93. Future Publishing. January 2001. p. 110. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Mielke, James "Milkman"; Zuniga, Todd; Lockhart, Ryan (February 2001). "007 Racing" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 139. Ziff Davis. p. 136. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Brooks, Mark (25 January 2001). "007 Racing". The Electric Playground . Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 July 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  11. 1 2 Anderson, Paul (January 2001). "007 Racing". Game Informer . No. 93. FuncoLand. p. 102. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "REVIEW for 007 Racing". GameFan . BPA International. 2000.
  13. ↑ Sparks, Shawn (November 2000). "007 Racing Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  14. 1 2 Gerstmann, Jeff (22 November 2000). "007 Racing Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  15. 1 2 Perry, Douglass C. (21 November 2000). "007 Racing". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  16. 1 2 Chen, David (April 2001). "007 Racing". NextGen . No. 76. Imagine Media. p. 85. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  17. ↑ Zuniga, Todd (February 2001). "007 Racing". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . No. 41. p. 92. Archived from the original on 20 February 2001. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  18. ↑ Boyce, Ryan (25 November 2000). "007 Racing". Maxim . Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  19. ↑ Jones, Darran (11 November 2010). "007 Racing". Retro Gamer . No. 83. Imagine Publishing. p. 57.
  20. ↑ Jake The Snake (January 2001). "007 Racing" (PDF). GamePro . No. 148. IDG. p. 85. Archived from the original on 11 August 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.