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Preview: No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s WayReviewed By: Kirk Hiner Review Computer: 867MHz G4, 640MB RAM, ATI RADEON 8500, Mac OS X v10.2.6 Review Date: July 23, 2003
I guess I missed something. See, I was under the impression that the prequel to No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way was actually called The Operative: No One Lives Forever. No One Lives Forever was the subtitle. Therefore, shouldn't this game be called The Operative: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way? I mean, using the logic applied here, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, would've been called A New Hope: The Empire Strikes Back, until The Phantom Menace became the first in the series, in which case Star Wars would've become The Phantom Menace: A New Hope, so The Empire Strikes Back would be The Phantom Menace: The Empire Strikes Back, which makes only slightly less sense than George Lucas' ridiculous explanation of the Force in The Phantom Menace. Of course, NOLF 2 is more fun to say than The Operative 2, so I'll let it slide.
In the original No One Lives Forever, Cate had to not only expose and eliminate H.A.R.M.'s evil plot for world domination, but she also had to prove herself to "the man" at UNITY. A woman in the 60s, you know...it was probably a pretty tough gig. In NOLF 2, at least, Cate's already proven herself and can concentrate fully on the task at hand, which is...well...to expose and eliminate H.A.R.M.'s evil plot for world domination. This time, the Soviets are involved, and the stakes are nothing short of World War III. Ah, the good old days, when all we had to fear was nuclear holocaust. NOLF 2 plays pretty much the same as predecessor, although the emphasis is now on the action and subterfuge as opposed to the story. Whereas the original NOLF had you pausing for long periods of time listening to dialogue and watching movies, NOLF 2 has you pausing for long periods of time waiting for the right moment to dash across the field or hallway for better cover. The NOLF games tend to be more of the thinking man's (or woman's...sorry, Cate) first-person shooter. It's very rare that killing groups of people in this game will benefit you more than just finding a way to slip past them.
Now, how about those gadgets? Unlike in many other games where weapon diversity extends as far as the power of the gun, NOLF 2 actually exhibits some creativity. Sure, you've got your (nail clipper) lock pick, your (keychain) light, your (mascara) stun gun, etc. New to the mix this time are items such as bear traps and bananas, both of which incapacitate an enemy just long enough for you to make a quick kill or getaway. Things can get even more fun with the angry kitty, which is a robot cat that draws the attention of enemies (it's good to know that even ninja assassins find cats to be adorable). Once an enemy gets close enough, the cat will charge and explode. There are guns of various types, of course: machine guns, pistols, sniper rifles, crossbows, etc., many of which can be outfitted with silencers and the like. You know the routine. Some of the guns can be outfitted with different types of bullets, as well. There are also various grenades at your disposal for mass killage or stunnage, and some levels even provide a katana and shurikens, which I always thought were just called ninja star flippy things. Perhaps the most interesting weapon, however, is the utility launcher. This gun can fire tranquilizers, tracking devices, and those things that confuse security cameras (which, until I recall the actual name, I'll also refer to as ninja star flippy things, just because I like to say it).
Enemy bodies can now be searched after they're killed or stunned. The weapon the enemy was using will be picked up right away, but other items will take a bit longer to find. Luckily, bodies can be picked up and dropped in the aforementioned hiding zones where they can be searched without fear of detection. If there are no hiding zones nearby, a quick search and some (perfume) body removal spray will usually do the trick just as well (don't want to leave bodies lying around, after all). NOLF 2 has another element of enemy behavior I'm not sure was in the first: respawning. Quite a few of the enemies get replaced after being killed. This makes sneaking much more important, as simply killing enemies will take forever if there's always a back-up waiting to assume the role. This didn't happen with all enemies, but it did seem to at the most inopportune times. And finally, Cate herself gets an upgrade. Many of them, actually. As Cate completes her missions, she gets skill points that can be spread out amongst her many talents. The higher her skills at elements such as stealth, marksmanship, and searching, the more effective she'll be at related tasks. Skill points are acquired by completing mission objectives and acquiring intelligence. Again, this rewards the player for exploring and sneaking about. Many rooms aren't necessary for the completion of your primary objective, but they often produce intelligence items (a lot of which are quite humorous) that can be required for the completion of secondary objectives (all of which are optional).
The graphics have advanced since the first NOLF, especially in the way the characters are rendered. Before, they swayed and moved pretty much like real people. Now, their facial expressions have caught up. This may be the first time characters in a first-person shooter have been able to convey thoughts without actually saying anything. They're acting, which is perhaps why the developers chose to introduce the game much like a movie; after the initial level, a 60s style introduction takes place in which the voice actors are actually given credit for their roles. How far we've come since the days when credit to these individuals was buried in the back of the manual or displayed at the end of the game in a movie no one ever watched. Fitting that this game should do this, too, since the voice acting is so good and merits recognition. The version of NOLF I previewed was only a beta, and it had it your typical beta bugs. Enemies would sometimes get stuck in doorways (which was actually quite convenient for me), the sound would occasionally start popping, and, during some music loops, the frame rate would drop considerably. The game warned me upon launch that the current ATI drivers on my system could cause performance problems, but I have the latest drivers currently available. A representative at United Developers informed me that ATI has completed work on updated drivers, and they're just waiting for Apple's approval to release them. Chances are, they'll be available before NOLF 2 sees its official release. Fans of the original The Operative: No One Lives Forever will probably want to get their No One Lives Forever: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way preorders in as soon as possible. Most of what made the first one great is here as well, with enough new elements thrown in to keep things interesting. Also, if you were turned off by the number (and length) of the cut scenes, those have been minimized here. The game still has plenty of style, though, and it still has plenty of class, and who thought we'd be able to make such a claim about a first-person shooter? Who thought we'd ever want to? Of course, who also thought we'd need or want some sort of bizarre, scientific explanation of what gave Yoda the power to lift an X-Wing out of a swamp, and we still got that. [an error occurred while processing this directive]
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In NOLF 2, you reprise the role of super spy Cate Archer (
Of course, what's a spy without gadgets, and what's a 60s spy spoof with ridiculously goofy gadgets? NOLF 2 adds plenty to the mix, but I first want to talk about how they're presented. in NOLF, a gentleman known only as Santa would give you new devices before the next level, teaching you how to use them in the training area. Here, Santa is a bird. Well, a robot bird through which Santa communicates, and which can't be destroyed by running over with a snowmobile now matter how hard you try. He shows up in certain levels to offer tips, and his devices are usually left for you in the form of meticulously wrapped packages placed within the levels. This does a good job of keeping the game moving, but you loose the practice time.
NOLF 2 sees more than just accessory upgrades; the game play has been enhanced as well. My favorite is Cate's newfound ability to hide. When she's in a particularly dark or hidden area, an eye will appear on the screen along with a timer bar. When the bar fills, Cate will be completely hidden from detection. Only a sudden movement (such as standing, running, or reloading or firing a weapon) will make her detectable again. Of course, if an enemy should come really close to Cate, she will be seen even if she's hiding. Cate won't be able to hide if an enemy watches her run into a hiding place, but slipping into these areas when no one iw looking is a good way to avoid the hordes of enemies who swoop down upon her after an alarm has been set off.
The NOLF games aren't all about Cate, however. You can rest assured her supporting cast will be populated by some of the most over-the-top characters you could hope you see in a computer game. Familiar names such as Bruno, Magnus Armstrong, and Dmitri Volkov are back, along with some new characters such as the mysterious and somewhat tragic Isako. Most appear only in the cut scenes, of which there appears to be fewer than in the original game. Interaction with all of these characters is important and, most often, quite humorous.