It is always a treat when a really great PC game is transferred to another platform such as the PS2 and No One Lives Forever--having been a successful first-person shooter title for the PC--is a game that rightfully deserves attention from other platforms.  Yet unlike Half-Life, which also made the jump from the PC to the PS2, this conversion isn’t as smooth as it should have been.

Gamers assume the role of UNITY spy Cate Archer, the organizations first female operative. Set in the late sixties, Cate’s mission is to stop an evil organization called HARM who is killing off UNITY spies like there’s no tomorrow. Yet what sets this game apart from Agent Under Fire, another recent spy game, is that No One Lives Forever doesn’t take itself seriously.  In fact, the game relies on a healthy dose of comedic elements as well as dramatic ones.

Controlling Cate is the first obstacle gamers will face. The default controls are frustratingly complex and easy to forget.  Often times, and this happens when the action intensifies, it is easy to forget which button switches weapons and which one whips it out.  The Option menu does have four other default settings but the result is pretty much the same.

However once gamers get past the annoyance of learning the controls, jumping into the action becomes easy.  Gamers will quickly learn that blasting everything in sight is not necessarily the most logical solution.  There are times when Cate must use stealth or conversation skills (in several situations, you can choose different replies or questions). And what spy isn’t complete without the neat gadgets such as exploding lipstick or a barrette that you can use as a lock pick or a poisonous dagger.

Gamers will also notice that the enemy AI is actually quite responsive to their surroundings.  Walking too quickly, your high heels click on concrete, catches a guard’s attention.  It results in a guard calling out “Who is there?” Shooting off a gun without a silencer alerts the guards but instead of blindly running to find you, they slowly go looking for you with their guns out. You can also toss a coin in the opposite direction and distract them long enough to sneak past them.

There are fifteen missions in total, each one unique and interesting (there‘s a mission where you sky dive or run enemies over with your motorcycle).  Each mission, though, is separated into scenes and this extends the mission length.  However when you die, you are returned to the beginning of the last scene you played.  This could be annoying, but not as annoying as the fact that saving your place takes you back to the beginning of the scene you started in rather than starting off in the exact position you saved the game in.

The graphics, although pretty well done during cut scenes and in character design, are not so good.  Characters, especially Cate herself, are just as good as the PC version, however not much attention was put on the surroundings.  Things such as buildings look flat and have a cardboard cutout effect to them.

Fortunately the game’s saving grace is the sound.  With over-the-top voice acting and humorous dialogue, the game takes on a spy spoof quality that’s immensely entertaining (think Austin Powers).  Often gamers will walk in on funny conversations between enemy thugs or civilians or hear them shout things out to you when they spot you (“Don’t be apprehensive about this apprehension!” or “Look out! A hard rain is going to fall!”).

The game’s music pays homage to early James Bond films with its quirky opening theme to the mellow groove played during the action.  Often times the score doesn’t fit the particular action sequence and it seems so out of place.  Still, the more noticeable sound defects come from the gunfire effects.  Each gun has its own distinct sound but it’s hardly a realistic sound (the effect sounds more like balloons popping).

Absent from the usual FPS features are the multiplayer games.  However with fifteen missions with more than sixty levels and four exclusive prequel missions, no one will be complaining.  The four new levels involve a young Cate Archer and it extends the story quite nicely.  And those that want a good challenge could change the difficulty setting (Easy, Normal, Hard and Superspy) to fit their experience.

No One Lives Forever has a lot to offer to action fans and despite its weaknesses the game’s charming humor and unique missions provide enough thrills to keep everyone entertained.  Half-Life and Red Faction fans should note that this title is for those looking for something a little fresher and less serious.

Gameplay: 7.5
All the basic elements of a first-person shooter are present in No One Lives Forever, however not much thought was put into the simplification of the game’s confusing controls.  In fact, there are five different control settings but all five aren’t much different from the other.  After figuring out the controls, though, the game’s action takes off.

Aside from the control problem, gamers quickly learn to cycle through Cate Archer’s arsenal and list of interesting spy equipment (sunglasses that can zoom in on a subject and photograph it, for instance).  Gamers will also find out that the game requires more than just shoot-anything-that-moves tactics but also a healthy dose of sneaking around.

Graphics: 7.6
The visuals are a disappointment . . . but not a major one, though.  While still holding true to the PC version graphics-wise, textures in the PS2 version seem rather flat (especially when it comes to buildings or walls). 

Although the characters in the game are neatly rendered during cut scenes and during gameplay, backgrounds look painted on and is low in detail.  Sadly backgrounds take on a PSOne quality that is very hard to ignore.

Sound: 8.9
The sound quality in No One Lives Forever is actually quite brilliant.  It’s wonderfully scripted dialogue in cut scenes and during the action is funny and well acted.  From walking in on conversations about purchasing a fine monkey to listening to embarrassing secret passwords (“Would you like to play naked Twister?” being among them), comedy is definitely the game’s strongpoint.  The fact that the voice acting is good also helps propel things further.

The game’s music is also wonderfully done, giving the game that sixties Bond flick feel that’s evident throughout the game--especially the opening credit sequence.  Its “Goldfinger” theme even flows into the action, which sometimes seems out of place.  In fact, there are several instances where the action is intense and the music oddly mellow.  About the only thing in the sound that doesn’t make the grade is the gun effects.  Most of the guns sound like champagne bottles being popped open.

Difficulty: Medium
The five difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard and Superspy) offer enough challenge--provided gamers get past the irritating controls--to keep even the most experienced gamer occupied.  Yet no matter what setting you choose, the outcome is always the same: the enemy often never misses. 

Of course it’s wiser to start with the Normal setting and work your way towards Hard or Superspy (where the enemy easily picks up on your location and your hits have to be aimed more towards the head).

Concept: 8.1
Unlike “Agent Under Fire” which is also a spy themed first-person shooter, the game mixes comedic elements with its sixties spy movie action.  This is the element that made the game a hit in the first place, not to mention the strange assortment of enemy bosses Kate Archer encounters.  Also, like “Agent,” Cate takes control of vehicles such as a Triumph motorcycle and even a snowmobile.

Yet what sets this version apart from the PC version is that there are four new levels exclusive to the PS2 such as sequences where gamers take control of a young Cate Archer. These new levels do extend the game’s length nicely and it even--believe it or not--makes up for the lack of multiplayer games.

Overall: 7.8
No One Lives Forever doesn’t fully capture the experience of the excellent PC version, yet that doesn’t mean gamers won’t have a blast playing through the game’s fun missions.  As far as third person shooters go--”Half-Life” and “Red Faction” are still the best titles in this particular genre the PS2 possesses--those looking for action-packed fun with a freshly comic twist will get their money’s worth with this one.