The game does something very popular these days -- banal, even -- it tries to blend film-like story and cinematics with engaging FPS gameplay. But it does a reasonable job. The basics are all set. Though the character models are on the faux-looking side, they're passable, the acting is believable, and the environments are gritty and realistic enough to pass muster. The story sets up a good international super-spy potboiler and puts you in the shoes of a mature secret agent with a steely temperament, competent associates, and a satisfying arsenal. It's not exactly Shakespeare, but as of its initial moments it's well on the road to competence, and depending on how the story progresses, providing a compelling companion to the gameplay.
And, thankfully, the gameplay brings some wrinkles and twists to the usual formula. For one, the developers are admittedly more inspired by the complexity of PC first-person shooters than the often run-and-gun thugs 'n' exploding-barrel-shooting shenanigans that have marked many attempts in the console version of the genre. What is perhaps the most important facet of this in terms of implementation is the game's robust physics engine. You can interact with the environment how you see fit; pushing around, picking up, and throwing items -- improvising weapons or cover as necessary.
Another neat trick is the ability to find and combine items to create things. You need a lockpick to complete some of the optional objectives in the first level, and you'll have to make it yourself -- first by seeking out the component parts (wire cutters, wire scraps), and then combining them in a separate menu to create your item. Later in the game you can grab bottles, rags, and gasoline to devise Molotov cocktails.
But as much attention as has been paid to the single-player campaign is also crammed into the multiplayer. The developers, again, seem to want to mine the PC for inspiration. Games like the Quake series, which offer no-nonsense FPS action are the inspiration here. But you have so much control over the options -- you can easily modify your weapon loadouts, the way damage works, time limits, and other such choices -- that you can quickly change the rules and create something with more of a Counter-Strike feel, or something else entirely. At the event where Sierra representatives showed off the game, someone called out for a duplicate of a Quake-style rocket arena. Limiting the weaponry to RPGs and rocket launchers led to massive carnage. Unfortunately, the multiplayer can be a bit slow-paced; the pacing of the respawning and running around is just right, but the actual character motion can get a bit bogged down.
