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  News > Ign: Gc 2008: Quantum Of Solace Hands-on

Activision has the next James Bond game, Quantum of Solace, out on the German Games Convention show floor for the public to get its first taste of the digital Daniel Craig. Before heading out there to see how it handled, we sat down with a few of the game's makers for a demo that went through the public area and a bit more that most people won't see.

For the Games Convention, Activision and Treyarch showed us two previously unseen areas. The first took place at the airport from Casino Royale. If that seems a bit odd, remember that this game covers both the last and the next James Bond flicks. You'll play through the entirety of Casino Royale before moving on to its sequel, Quantum of Solace. We didn't get to see the airport chase outside (one of my favorite parts of the movie), but we did get a look at some of the stealth action you can perform indoors.

The indoor area didn't feature much combat. The sprinklers had all been activated, causing water to spill out across the floor and add a cool bit of atmosphere. We watched as Bond avoided being seen by cameras and then hacked into a few. If you hack into the entire camera system, you can cycle through the views to get a look at the rest of the level. This can provide simple intel, such as the locations of enemies. If you look closely in some of the camera angles, you can spot secrets. One pointed out to us was a bonus weapon, barely visible around a corner from one of the cameras.

The next area shown was the one we got to play. This one was titled Siena and is a sequence from Quantum of Solace. Naturally, the cutscenes were removed to take out any spoilers. Without the context, all we know is that Bond has to take somebody alive and that somebody is trying to get away. Sounds simple enough.

The level opens with Bond leaning against a wet cement wall. After a few gunshots go off, he rushes down into a basement area. From there on, it's a furious gunfight mixed with running. The ceiling keeps crumbling while explosions go off regularly, causing cave-ins and the floor to occasionally give way. The chase continues through sewers and then, after a blacked out cutscene, onto some rooftops. This level is full of action and it's clear that Treyarch intends for the environment to be part of the chaos. Every level we've seen so far has had something crazy going on. This one had a crumbling underground passage to add some spice. Others have been things like sinking buildings (from the end of Casino Royale) or extravagant hotels that turn from decorated in chandeliers and fine furniture to piles of glass and wood.

Actually, playing the underground area felt like second nature, likely due to the fact that Quantum of Solace is running off of a modified Call of Duty 4 engine. The game looks great and the only change in controls is that you can now use the A button (on Xbox 360) to move into cover. From there, tapping A and a direction allows you to quickly scoot from one section of cover to the next. Pull back on the analog stick and you'll go back into a first person perspective, or you can hold down the left trigger to lean out and aim. Personally, I prefer to blind fire like a maniac. The aiming works, both in and out of cover, well enough that you hardly even notice the switch between perspectives.

The folks from Treyarch also spoke about their plans for the multiplayer game. Though another game that uses the Call of Duty 4 engine also made by Treyarch, Call of Duty: World at War, shares experience between the campaign and multiplayer games, Quantum of Solace will keep the two games distinct. The multiplayer game will have a system of unlocking and leveling in multiplayer, but nothing you do in the campaign will affect it. The usual modes, Conflict and Domination, will be included as well as several unique modes that Treyarch isn't quite ready to talk about. Whatever they may be, Treyarch has confirmed that the multiplayer game will support up to 12 players per match.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/900/900628p1.html