Gaming review: James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Published on Tuesday 14 December 2010 16:08

James Bond 007: Blood Stone £39.99, PC/PS3/Xbox 360

In the absence of a new Bond feature film, Daniel Craig steps back into his tuxedo in game form. Blood Stone is a cover-shooter most comparable with Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Conviction. Bond must track a mysterious trail of clues linked to producers of alloys used to make jewellery, who are now turning their efforts to biological warfare and terrorism. It's a decent plot, with plenty of thrills along the way. The shooting mechanic is solid, although taking enemies down with a single melee hit makes unarmed combat the weapon of choice. Taking down someone with melee attacks rewards players with a Focus Aim attack, which gives them an instant headshot when used. It's possible to chain three of these together for stylish takedown, or to get out of a tight spot.

There are also driving sections, although because you are always in chase of an adversary, the slightest mistake will leave you trailing behind and cause you to fail. As such, these sections descend into frustrating memory tests, as you try to remember where the next obstacle is coming from.

It's a shame that the driving sections happen to be the weakest element. But overall, Blood Stone is a game that feels at home in the Bond canon; with a superb soundtrack, Daniel Craig's Bond back on ruthless form, as well as tons of gadgets and espionage.

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on January 15, 2011