Can you believe it's finally here? For the first time ever since its Nintendo 64 release back in 1997, GoldenEye 007 has officially arrived on Xbox consoles, and we're still pinching ourselves that it's the real deal.
The question is, though, what's this version like? In a nutshell, we're looking at a slightly spruced up version of the original game with some additional features that are very much appreciated, along with a couple of absentees that we're a bit disappointed about. Make no mistake though, GoldenEye is still great fun to play in 2023.
Let's start with the best stuff. First of all, we've got native 16:9 widescreen resolution at up to 4K Ultra HD, and it looks great — or at least, as great as a 25-year-old game can — on Xbox Series X. Another huge bonus is the new control scheme, which feels much more intuitive and aligned with modern day FPS titles. The Nintendo Switch version surprisingly didn't get this overhauled control scheme, so we're extremely glad to have it here.
Everything you remember about the Nintendo 64 original is still intact, and that includes the single-player campaign along with split-screen multiplayer for up to four players. The performance seems pretty much identical in both, running at 30 frames per-second albeit with some occasional hiccups. Various people have been pointing out some of these "glitches" on social media, which has prompted the developer of the port to respond:
Despite these "glitches", we're having an excellent time revisiting GoldenEye 007 on Xbox Game Pass so far. It obviously feels a bit dated at this point, but even so, it's now a much more accessible experience due to the new improvements in the Xbox version. Even newcomers shouldn't feel too overwhelmed by it!
The problem is, when we're revisiting this classic Nintendo 64 title on Xbox for the first time, it immediately reminds us that the cancelled Xbox 360 remaster could have been even more special. The visuals in that game looked so good, and it also had online multiplayer capabilities, but instead we're having to settle for a near-straight port. That's OK and everything, but we really wish GoldenEye 007 had received the Quake remaster treatment here.
So yeah, there are a few things missing from this version that could have made it an essential play on Xbox, but even as it stands, we still definitely recommend giving it a try for yourself as part of the January 2023 Xbox Game Pass lineup.
What do you think of GoldenEye 007 on Xbox so far? Tell us down in the comments below.