Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace is a first-person shooter video game based on the films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. The game was released on October 31, 2008 in Europe and November 4, 2008 in North America. The game was the first James Bond title published by Activision; the company acquired the video game license to the James Bond franchise in 2006. The game will be released on multiple platforms and, was developed by four different companies: Treyarch, Eurocom, Beenox, and Vicarious Visions. The game is powered by the Call of Duty 4 game engine. This is also the first James Bond video game to be released on a current generation console as well as the first to feature Daniel Craig's voice and likeness, as well as those of Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Olga Kurylenko and Mathieu Amalric. For reasons unknown, the game features a different theme song from that of the film, "When Nobody Loves You" written by Richard Fortus and performed by Kerli.

Gameplay
The core gameplay in Quantum of Solace is that of a first-person shooter. Throughout the game, however, the view will switch to a third-person view to emphasize that the player is playing as James Bond. This third-person view will be used with a cover system and quick time events, among other scenarios. An example is using quick time events to chase Mollaka during a level that is a recreation of the construction site chase at the beginning of the Casino Royale film.

Multiplayer
The Treyarch and Beenox-developped editions of Quantum of Solace have been confirmed with multiplayer modes for up to 12 players that include unique Bond modes. Multiplayer is an online feature only.

Examples of Multiplayer Modes:


 * Bond Versus: A lone James Bond plays against six other members of 'The Organization'. The player as Bond will win if they diffuse 2 of the 3 bombs or eliminate every member of the organization. To make the game fairer, Bond has 2 lives, he can see all enemies, and can use any weapon-set (whereas the members of The Organization have only 3 very basic ones). The Organization wins if Bond dies twice or if he cannot defuse two bombs in the time limit.


 * Golden Gun: This is a standard free-for-all conflict, which the main aim is to score 100 points. One point is scored for a kill with normal weapons or for picking up the Golden Gun, while kills while holding the Golden Gun (or killing the person with it) scores 6. Although the position of the Golden Gun can always be seen, the Golden Gun is arguably the most powerful weapon in the game. The winner is the first to score 100 points, or the highest amount in the allotted time limit.


 * Bond Evasion: There are two teams, MI6 and The Organization. One player of MI6 is randomly designated as 007, and therefore the VIP. MI6 wins the round if 007 can get to the escape point, or if all of the Organization are eliminated. The Organization wins if 007 is prevented from escaping in the time limit, or if 007 dies.

When playing in Multiplayer, credits are earned based on points scored, these can be spent on unlocking new weapons, explosives, gadgets (such as increased health, or better accuracy), and attachments for weapons.

Development
In May 2008 an official site for the game went live. Currently the site features video, pictures, weapons, story, concept art, and news regarding Quantum of Solace movie and game and more will be added as development continues and the release date nears. Treyarch has said that multiplayer will be a big part of the game and will reveal the multiplayer for the new Bond game later in the year. Leaked screenshots surfaced in early July. The official trailer appeared online July 15. A single-player demo was released exclusively for the PC on October 6, 2008, sponsored by Coke Zero, which is also featured in the game's pre-awareness online marketing campaign.

Music
The music to the Quantum of Solace video game was written by composer Christopher Lennertz, who recorded the strings for his score overseas, but then recorded brass, percussion and guitar with members of the Hollywood Studio Symphony in Los Angeles at the Capitol Records Studios.

Nintendo DS
The DS version of the game is drastically different from its console counterparts. The game is played with the DS sideways and as such is not a first person shooter. Actions (such as firing a weapon) are done by pressing icons on the touchscreen, while the DS's buttons are relegated to primarily initiating hand-to-hand combat. Bond's movements are controlled in a similar fashion to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, where the player drags the stylus around the touchscreen.

Wii
The Wii version of the game is developed by Beenox and features up to 4 players in a split screen offline multiplayer. Online mode allows for a maximum of 4 players in a choice of 4 modes: Conflict, Rush, Team Conflict and Team Rush. These have different ratings for each individual mode based on Mario Kart Wii's rating system. The Wii version also uses Friend Codes which allow players to create games just for themselves and friends. The online mode uses Miis in a manner similar to Mario Kart Wii as well.

Playstation 2
The Playstation 2 version of the game is a third person shooter, much like Everything or Nothing. There is no multiplayer.

Collector's Edition
The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions have also been released as a Collectors Edition. Both are enclosed in a metallic case, and contain behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Reception
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions have received mixed reviews, ranging from average to favorable, the Wii edition has been criticized for frame rate issues and sluggish IR. The DS version has received average reviews, but has been praised for the unique perspective in which the game is presented.