Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy thriller starring Sean Connery as James Bond, based on the 1961 Ian Fleming book, Thunderball. But this is not to confused with the 1965 spy thriller Thunderball, based on the Ian Fleming book, Thunderball, starring Sean Connery as James Bond. Are you still with me?
I mention this whole convoluted web of licensing chicanery as a shorthand comparison for the upcoming PC title, Agent 64: Spies Never Die, to the 1997 Nintendo 64 classic GoldenEye 007. At first glance, Agent 64 feels like a lost sequel to GoldenEye. From the 64-bit era art style and ironsights-free gunplay to the musical score that just seems like a slightly chopped variant of the classic GoldenEye theme and score, Agent 64 nails the verisimilitude homage to a T.
But upon further examination, although the comparisons run deep and rampant, Agent 64 does at least seem to be aiming for something more than facsimile, as it looks to traffic in an original spy story full of stealth, action, and intrigue.
But emulation is the highest form of flattery, and considering a possible leaked remaster of the original GoldenEye has the gaming community abuzz lately, now is certainly the time to strike while the proverbial iron is hot. It’s hard to say from this trailer exactly how closely Agent 64 adheres to the template of GoldenEye 007, whether or not it (smartly) adds quality-of-life improvements instead of faithfully recreating that admittedly rigid and kind of antiquated design model from the halcyon yet limited 64-bit era.
That being said, Agent 64: Spies Never Die does have a demo on Steam. You should definitely check that out now to see if Agent 64 hits it marks or if it should be disavowed, and add the game to your wishlist to stay up to date on a more precise release date (it is currently slated for a vague 2022 launch window).
You can also check out the trailer from the recent PC Game Show from the Keigh3 Summer Game Fest below.
