GoldenEye 007 is a first-person shooter where the player takes the role of Secret Intelligence Service agent James Bond through a series of levels.[2] In each level, the player must complete a set of objectives while computer-controlled opponents try to hinder the player's progress.[3] Objectives range from recovering items to destroying objects, defeating enemies, or rescuing hostages. Some objectives may also require the player to use high-tech gadgets. For example, in one level, the player must use Bond's electromagnetic watch to acquire a jail cell key.[4] Although the player begins each level with a limited amount of supplies, additional weapons and ammunition can be acquired from defeated enemies.[5] There are no health-recovery items, but body armour can be acquired to provide a secondary health bar.[4]
The game features more than 20 weapons, including pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, a sniper rifle, grenades, and throwing knives.[5] Most weapons have a finite magazine and must be reloaded after a certain number of shots.[6] Although each weapon has its own characteristics, ammunition is interchangeable between some weapon types. For example, pistols and submachine guns share the same ammunition.[5] Weapons inflict different levels of damage depending on which body part they hit. Head shots cause the most damage, while arm and leg shots inflict the least damage.[6] The Klobb, a submachine gun with a folding stock, possesses a high rate of fire and a wide bullet spread compared to other weapons, but is severely underpowered with a heavy recoil.[7] The Klobb can be dual-wielded for additional firepower.[8] Stealth is often encouraged, as frequent gunfire can alert distant guards and alarms can spawn enemies.[3] Certain weapons incorporate a suppressor or a telescopic sight to aid the player in killing enemies discreetly.[5]
Each level can be played on three difficulty settings: Agent, Secret Agent, and 00 Agent.[9] These affect aspects such as the damage enemies can withstand and inflict, the amount of ammunition available,[6] and the number of objectives that must be completed.[10] Two bonus levels can be unlocked by completing the game on Special Agent and then on 00 Agent.[9] The player may also replay previously completed levels within target times to unlock bonus cheat options such as infinite ammunition or invincibility.[11] Upon completing the game on the three difficulty settings, an additional mode is unlocked, allowing the player to customise the difficulty of a level by manually adjusting enemies' health, reaction times, aiming accuracy, and the damage they inflict.[9]
Multiplayer[edit]
GoldenEye 007 features a multiplayer mode where up to four players can compete in several deathmatch scenarios via split-screen.[3] These include Normal, You Only Live Twice, The Living Daylights, The Man With the Golden Gun, and Licence to Kill.[12] Normal is a standard mode where players score points by killing opponents. Players can be grouped in teams or compete individually.[12] You Only Live Twice gives players two lives before they are eliminated from the game, resulting in the last surviving player winning the match.[3] In Licence to Kill, players die from a single hit with any weapon.[13] Due to its high rate of fire and wide bullet spread, the Klobb is highly advantageous in this scenario.[8]
In The Man With the Golden Gun, a single Golden Gun, which is capable of killing opponents with one shot, is placed in a fixed location in the level. Once the Golden Gun is picked up, the only way to re-acquire it is by killing the player holding it.[13] In The Living Daylights, a flag is placed in a fixed location in the level, and the player who holds it the longest wins. The flag carrier cannot use weapons but can collect them to keep opponents from stocking ammunition.[12] Options such as the chosen level, characters to play as, weapons available, and game length can be customised for each scenario. Additional levels and characters can be unlocked as the player progresses through the single-player game.
