Agent 64: Spies Never Die PC Review 8.5/10 "A ‘Rare’ crack at a true classic"

Agent 64: Spies Never Die – A Spiritual Successor That Truly Gets GoldenEye

The impact of GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 back in the ‘90s was profound, with it occasionally being the only game people really needed for that system. Whilst it was one of the most beloved multiplayer titles of its day, the single-player campaign was also no slouch, with memorable unlockable cheats, challenges, and modes keeping players coming back for more 007 action. 

Agent 64: Spies Never Die aims to recapture that magic - an unenviable task bearing in mind the stature of Goldeneye - but one that the developer tackles with true passion and a keen eye for the details of the past. Everything is here; from the campaign mode that takes its mechanics from Goldeneye – such as ‘par times’ to unlock bonuses and extra modes through to the frenetic four-player action. Good.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die casts you in the role of John Walter, an ageing yet devilishly handsome, sexy grandad spy who has discovered that Dominic Pulp – his nemesis – has seemingly returned from the dead after twenty years to wreak havoc on the world. Naturally, only you (and the other players) can stop him. 

Running at a solid rate, I spent most of my time with Agent 64: Spies Never Die in the split-screen co-op mode and deathmatch modes, and the nostalgia was strong with everything being a nod to the classic Bond title. 

The music was a blend of genres, from teasing drums and marimba through to more ambient pieces, resulting in an overall gorgeous mix of cheeky spy musical action that ramps up whenever a firefight kicks off – which is often. 

The blank, stretched faces of the character models perfectly recaptured Rare’s game, as did the overall environmental design and vibe. The controls were also harking back, with the aim assist being perhaps a little too helpful, snapping as it does to enemies so far away that you’d need a taxi to feasibly get near them within ten minutes, although this – along with myriad other settings – can be toggled to perfection in the options, as well as various others that you unlock as you make your way through the gloriously kitschy campaign.

The level design is very much locked in the ‘90s, and I can imagine modern players unfamiliar with Goldeneye’s ancient ways finding everything a little blank and un-interactive. That said...that’s kind of why we are here, isn’t it? 

In Agent mode (the easiest difficulty setting, others need to be unlocked through completion) you’ll have a few simple tasks, ranging from hacking a computer and finding a helipad through to things such as finding a certain service elevator, although things quickly ramp up in other modes, adding to that replayability that kept players coming back for more, I mean who doesn’t remember squeezing your (awful) N64 trident controller in frustration as you failed a 007 mission by mere seconds? All of those emotions will return here, believe me!

Agent 64: Spies Never Die recaptures not only the look, sound and feel of Goldeneye on the N64, but the flow, fundamentals and mechanics behind it. It feels not only complete but also moves beyond reverence to feel like a spiritual sequel of sorts that I hope spins off into its own franchise, as so few games capture the sense of the past as accurately as this game does.

I’ve played many similar games in various forms over the years – including official remakes and the like – but Agent 64: Spies Never Die very much stands above them all with its tongue-in-cheek charm. 

SUMMARY

Very much a title that will be installed on my PC for a while to come, and I really hope that this makes its way to consoles, as the love and passion that has been poured in definitely needs to be rewarded and shared across other platforms so that all players can recapture the joys of Agent 64: Spies Never Die. I mean, come on – get it on Switch 2 as fast as possible!

8.5/10

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