Licensed to Thrill: Agent 64: Spies Never Die Captures GoldenEye's '90s Magic

Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die

There was a time when video games were all about the best, latest technology. Back when truly 3D games were new, and developers were trying to figure things out. PCs already had first-person shooters, and the term “doom clone” started to give way to the more generic contemporary “first-person shooter” moniker. 

Consoles had their own first-person shooters, but it wasn’t until the fifth console generation that they started to get their own important shooters. And one of the most influential shooters of all time (ironically, a film tie-in) was GoldenEye 007. It was both a solid single-player game and a fun game you could play to spend some time shooting at your friends.

But if you’re reading a review of Agent 64: Spies Never Die then I’m sure you already know most of this. Agent 64's solo developer spent the last five-plus years creating a deliberate homage to not just this early era of video games, but to this very specific type of first-person shooter. In so doing,Developer Replicant D6 made a perfect throwback to GoldenEye 007 (with a little bit of Perfect Dark thrown in).

Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die

Agent 64: Spies Never Die replicates that 90s console shooter feel not just from the gunplay, but also the gameplay: missions are about more than just fighting enemies. You have to figure out how to complete the stated objectives without waypoints pointing you where to go. Not only that, enemies even act like they’re from the 90s, with AI made to have them react to bullet hits and path towards players like they were from an earlier time. And if you die in the middle of the level, that means you have to play the entire level over from scratch–something that was much more common with console shooters than not. 

But does it succeed at what it sets out to do? I would say yes. Agent 64: Spies Never Die would have gotten lots of playtime if it was released in the era it emulates. And as such, it really should be a game that’s judged within the confines of its own trappings. Which is really what you should be doing if you choose to play a throwback/spiritual successor to one of the most important first-person shooters of all time. Even if I do say that with gritted teeth. Because I was never a fan of GoldenEye 007. Sure, I spent hours and hours playing against my friends in split-screen PvP sections in both GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. But I would have rather been fragging people in Quake 2 at the time.

And I ended up playing Agent 64 a lot of the same way: with friends, but this time with co-op as well as PvP. In single-player, Agent 64 can be a tense game of positioning, managing enemies and memorizing their placement for when you inevitably fail and start back from the start of the level. Co-op eases this a bit by allowing respawns (at the expense of team members’ health.) Just having friends around isn’t only more fun, it also makes the experience a whole lot easier. I spent a few hours getting through the first couple of acts of Agent 64 and less than 30 minutes blowing through those same levels with my friends.

Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die

There aren’t as many guns in Agent 64 as there are in GoldenEye 007, but it does away with quantity in favor of quality. Each of the guns in Agent 64 feels like it has its place–for the most part. Sadly, I didn’t find a tank–and the amount of explosives is lacking. But there are a decent variety of guns that feel both fun to shoot and appropriate for the throwback theme.

Visually, Agent 64: Spies Never Die really does a good job of recreating the low-poly visuals of GoldenEye. I can’t imagine this is as easy as making low-poly models. Weapons sway, and enemies react in much the same way they would in GoldenEye 007. There are even the strange face textures that overlay photorealistic faces onto low-poly models, creating a look that is uniquely 90s–unsettling, but nostalgic. Especially since the faces are unanimated, and heads bob while delivering their lines. Sadly (or, accurately) there are no voice-overs.

While Agent 64 couldn’t steal the James Bond theme, it does a good job of making a throwback soundtrack. There are some anachronisms (like dubstep) and other songs that sound like rip-offs of other 90s electronic hits–like a song that sounds suspiciously close to “Clubbed to Death” from The Matrix soundtrack.

Screenshot: Agent 64: Spies Never Die

While everything comes together in a nostalgic sense, it’s possible to get through Agent 64 pretty quickly. Like I said, when I played with friends we got through the entire game (and a few PvP matches) in less than 2 hours. Of course, there are challenge modes and other incentives to keep playing for those who like to chase digital trophies with throwback rewards. I mean, Big Head mode isn’t going to unlock itself. Some of these mods even change how the game is played.

If you thought that First Light was this year’s most anticipated spy game, you’d be wrong. I’ve seen people clamoring for Agent 64 for the last few years. Not only that, but N64 nostalgia is having a moment. It makes sense: a lot of the people who grew up playing are now old enough to have kids of their own, and are buying up nostalgia products like the ModRetro M64 and the Analogue 3D. 

Agent 64: Spies Never Die gave me a hit of nostalgia that throwback hardware and old games can’t. For one fleeting moment, it actually felt like I was a kid again, showing my friends a brand-new N64 cartridge. It’s a rare feeling to chase, but with Agent 64, Replicant D6 managed to catch it.