The Disastrous James Bond Video Game That Remade Classic Missions With Daniel Craig

With Amazon now in full control of the rights to James Bond, it's only a matter of time until the company franchises the world of Ian Fleming's secret agent into the ground. But while the future doesn't look too bright with real-life Bond villain Jeff Bezos in charge, it wasn't always like this. There was, in fact, a point where the announcement of new developments with the 007-sphere actually conjured some excitement, like when the property's 50th anniversary was on the horizon in 2012.

Four years after 2008's dreadful "Quantum of Solace," it appeared Daniel Craig was going to get back in the MI6 saddle and deliver something special with "Skyfall." When that particular James Bond movie finally came out, it felt almost as fresh as "Casino Royale" had six years prior. The visually riveting spy adventure not only remains one of my favorite entries in the entire franchise, but it was also the perfect film to celebrate the historic milestone set in place by 1962's "Dr. No" — to mention nothing of the spectacular Adele opening number I simply couldn't get enough of.

It wasn't only the movies that were throwing the beloved MI6 agent a birthday bash; the world of video games was also joining in on the fun, as Activision's "007 Legends" was released prior to "Skyfall" on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U. The game was a first-person shooter that paid homage to every era of Bond film history, complete with missions based on scenes from "Goldfinger," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," "Moonraker," "License to Kill," "Die Another Day," and "Skyfall." Alas, the actual execution left a lot to be desired.

The catch, you see, was that you had to play Craig's 007 regardless of the mission and, in turn, the era of Bond being homaged. It sounds like an interesting idea on paper but Activision and Eurocom's video game, sadly, wasn't up to the task. While it certainly has its fans, as does every maligned Bond adventure, it quickly became clear that "007 Legends" wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as "Skyfall" was upon its theatrical rollout.

Most reviews from critics fell somewhere in the mixed to negative range, with many dismissing "007 Legends" as an inferior "Call of Duty" clone. The James Bond game may've presented itself as being a new and exciting way to honor the franchise's legacy, but mostly found itself dipping into uninspired waters when it came to its design and game mechanics.

Compare that to the much-celebrated "Goldeneye" video game. Part of what's made that title such an enduring Bond adventure across multiple consoles is its accessibility to hardcore Bond fans and newcomers alike. You don't really need to have watched the "Goldeneye" film, nor any of the other Bond movies, to enjoy the video gam adaptation. "007 Legends," on the other hand, is almost dependent on players having seen the Bond films being homaged to fill in the story blanks. Indeed, when you enter the "Goldfinger" mission in the game, you're thrown right into the action with little time to take in your surroundings, understand what's going on, or even figure out the controls.

The idea of one Bond taking over for another is nothing new, as seen in Eurocom's lauded remake of "Goldeneye 007." However, where that game reimagines the "Goldeneye" movie from top to bottom with Craig rather than Pierce Brosnan, that same kind of consistency is hard to find in "007 Legends."

The game begins with the opening train sequence from "Skyfall," in which Craig's Bond gets shot by Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). As Agent 007 falls in and out of consciousness, the missions of previous Bonds are repurposed as memories that took place after "Quantum of Solace." The whole thing might've worked as an alternative history mixtape, but the game never weaves them together in an interesting manner. One minute, you've defeated Goldfinger; the next thing you know, you're in the Swiss Alps taking on Blofeld (with no narrative ties between them).

It's also pretty strange that a game celebrating 50 years of James Bond movie actors would only allow you to play as one of them. I like Craig, but his Bond feels wildly out of place in the driver's seat of the sillier missions from "Moonraker" and "Die Another Day." Then there's the matter of Craig losing both Vesper and Tracy, which feels redundant given the ending of "Casino Royale" is modeled after the bummer conclusion to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Even worse? The negative response to "007 Legends" has since led to the longest gap between video games in 007 history — with no clear answer as to when (or if) the next one is going to be released.