The first thing 007 fans will notice is that EA has given itself some liberty to make the game fit better in the body of a mainstream videogame. Unfortunately, the EA's writers are less telented that Ian Fleming. The result are some weak, and in my opinion not always necessary, additions to make the game last longer than the two hour movie. Especially the last part will fall bad with Bond lovers who rather see a correct port of their favorite hero and his exotic adventures.

From Russia shares a lot in common with predecessor Everything or Nothing but doesn't offer the same gameplay. The first thing noticed is the simplicity and really low difficulty level. Amongst other things the automatic aiming, the many tips and the linear maps will bring little challenge for the hardened gamer. Everything is extremely clear and at some times it even looks like the game is playing by itself. A filmic experience without a doubt, partially due to the third person view, but in the end we want to do more than just watch. As Bond-wannabe we like to take matters in our own hands and have a decent challenge!

The game's structure is the opposite of James' lovelife: simple. You've got to complete a couple of missions in the order that's given, weapons and puzzles are very simple, there are no alternative ways, and enemies show little to no intelligence. You'll walk over any resistance faster than Moneypenny can say "no".

The same thing happens during the missions where you can handle a car, speedboat or jetpack. The controls of the car however are extremely bad and on top of it all, the content of those missions is most of the time a lot less inspiring than those on foot. A missed opportunity as it are those scenes from the movies that are remembered most. What did make us a bit happy were the missions with the boat chase and the one in the gipsy camp though.

The only thing that will urge you to replay certain levels (you'll finish in less than 10 hours) are the bonuses. These are more than present and vary from weapons adjustments and gadgets to new outfits and additional missions. Now we're talking about fun stuff: Bond wouldn't be Bond without his allie Q. He has a whole new set of gadgets ready for you (the Q-Copter!) that bring some variation in the gameplay and submerge everything in a typical 007-atmosphere.

Where EA didn't drop the ball is the visual finishing. Both the movies and the overall graphics are sublime and will drag you through the adventure. Sean Connery, Q and M are all very recogniseable and the surroundings look very well. Some more detail would have been a plus, but the presentation is one of the strongest point of the game already.

The sound is also quite good, only Sean himself couldn't really convince me. Although it's fun to hear the original actor's voice, it's less fun to hear how uninterested he brings his sentences. Too bad!