James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Did You Know?

• Activision's remake of GoldenEye 007 was released on the same day as Blood Stone in each region.
• A sequel codenamed 007: Risico, developed by Raven Software, was planned but cancelled due to low sales of Blood Stone and financial problems at MGM.
• Blood Stone was delisted from digital platforms in 2013 along with other Activision-published James Bond games due to licensing issues.

Gameplay

Blood Stone is a third-person shooter incorporating hand-to-hand combat and stealth elements, with a Focus Aim system unlocked through melee takedowns. Driving sequences appear throughout the game. Multiplayer supports up to 16 players in spies-versus-mercenaries matches, including team deathmatch and objective-based battles. Players pilot various vehicle types.

Plot

In 2010, MI6 learns of terrorist Greco's plan for a suicide attack on G-20 leaders in Athens. James Bond prevents the attack, letting Greco live to disable an explosive SUV. Bond then recovers researcher Malcolm Tedworth in Istanbul, but Tedworth is killed by courier Bernin, who takes a USB drive. Bond kills Bernin and learns he works for businessman Stefan Pomerov. In Monaco, Bond and MI6 agent Nicole Hunter find evidence at Pomerov's casino, then discover a bio-weapon factory in Siberia. Bond destroys the factory, kills Pomerov on an ekranoplan, and secures the weapons. Suspicious of the tip-off, Bond traces a call from Bernin's phone to Chinese intelligence officer General Ping, who arranges a meeting in Bangkok.

Development

Bizarre Creations developed Blood Stone with n-Space handling the Nintendo DS version. The game was hinted at in April 2010 when HMV listed it, and Activision registered a domain name. Announced on 16 July, the story was written by James Bond film writer Bruce Feirstein. Built on Bizarre's Bespoke engine, the game used motion capture choreography by Daniel Craig's stunt double Ben Cooke. Activision, holding the Bond license, allowed Bizarre creative control to fill the gap between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. Driving sequences were placed at chapter ends to avoid feeling disconnected. The soundtrack was composed by Richard Jacques, with Joss Stone contributing the original track "I'll Take It All".

Reception

Blood Stone received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic. Critics praised its production values, characterization, soundtrack, and visuals, but had mixed opinions on the story, mission design, and length. The Escapist called it a satisfying action game with enough wow moments, lasting 8–10 hours. Joystiq gave 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a fun, action-packed Bond adventure. IGN found it painfully average but polished. The Telegraph noted its five-hour length and straightforward shoot-anything gameplay as enjoyable.