James Bond 007: Nightfire (v5.99)

A globe-trotting spy thriller fuels this early-2000s shooter, pairing tuxedo glamour with explosive assaults, casino infiltration, snowy fortresses, and high-tech villainy. Playing as James Bond, you investigate industrialist Raphael Drake and his plan to turn a space-based weapon into a tool of global blackmail. The campaign carries the breezy, gadget-heavy tone of the Pierce Brosnan era, complete with flirtatious allies, absurd supervillain technology, and plenty of opportunities to leave a trail of wrecked enemy bases behind. It feels more like an interactive Bond film than a grounded military FPS, and that is its greatest strength.

Missions mix traditional first-person firefights with stealthy objectives, keycard hunting, sniping, surveillance, and occasional vehicle-focused set pieces. Bond can rely on familiar pistols, assault rifles, sniper weapons, explosives, mounted guns, and a selection of Q Branch tools that help uncover cameras, bypass security, or handle objectives without simply blasting every guard. Combat is straightforward but satisfying, favoring quick movement, large enemy groups, and generous ammunition over tactical realism. The PC release also offers local-style multiplayer options with bots and a varied collection of arenas, letting players set up classic deathmatches, team battles, and objective modes long after the campaign ends.

What makes Nightfire memorable is its variety: one mission plays like a covert break-in, another becomes a loud assault through a fortress, while others lean into Bond’s love of extravagant locations and impossible gadgets. Its visuals and controls show their age, and some levels have the stiff enemy behavior typical of the period, but the pacing rarely stays in one mode long enough to become dull. Multiplayer has an old-school arena-shooter flavor, especially enjoyable for players who miss bot matches and split-second weapon pickups rather than modern progression systems. Fans of GoldenEye 007, Agent Under Fire, and uncomplicated console-era action games find a lot to enjoy here, while newcomers should come expecting a charming, slightly rough classic rather than a modern stealth simulation.