GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is a prettied-up version of a Wii game, but at first glance, it might be a bit difficult to tell. It's no stunner, but it holds its own among other shooters quite easily. It goes without saying that this game doesn't look at all like Rare's N64 game, but if you didn't play the Wii game, you might be surprised to know that it's not a remake of the N64 original. This game follows major set-piece moments of the 1995 film starring Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean, but those moments are completely reconstructed with different environments and different actors. Of course, you'll visit places like Arkhangelsk and Severnaya, but level design has evolved dramatically since the original game. It's also out with the old, in with the new; Daniel Craig is the Bond of the decade, and Elliot Cowan takes Bean's place as Alec Trevelyan (006). The game itself looks great; the action is intense (though bloodless), animations are believable (though canned), the actors' likenesses are accurate, and hand-to-hand takedowns are nice and brutal.
To my knowledge, there is only one "original" original player in Goldeneye 007: Reloaded, and it's a notable one: Dame Judi Dench, whose voice I shall never tire of hearing. To be fair, the game is all the better for not sticking too firmly to its roots; for example, Daniel Craig still makes a fantastic Bond. The voice acting in general is universally superb. The soundtrack may find itself stuck in a loop more often than I'd like, but the music itself is great. Not only is it identifiable and exciting, but it is very much aware of your actions. Things remain low-key, soft, and bass heavy as long as you're operating like a true 00 Agent. If you fail to stay out of sight, the music kicks into high gear and encourages you to let loose with all guns blazing. One mission towards the midpoint of the campaign has you making your way through a dance party. The trance music is catchy to begin with, but it thankfully doesn't turn off once things go south. This, in turn, really sells the cinematic part of the experience.