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No One Lives Forever (NOLF) comes courtesy of MacPlay in a "Game of the Year Edition" which essentially adds four all-new levels to the original game, and adds a disc of all the music heard in the game (one might feel the music disc is an easy throw-away, but it's not- the music is very cool and appreciated in the extra audio CD). As to be expected, installation was easy. (One note, my older iBook was just 4MB short in the graphics card department and unfortunately the game just wouldn't hunt on that machine.) Not to worry though, much to my surprise NOLF's performance was very lithe and ample on a four year old iMac, something I didn't expect and am very happy to report in an age where many games seem built only to the highest specifications of home machines. Gameplay is supple and smooth, largely due to the Lithtech engine purring underneath. That said, I did have occasional frame-rate issues, but turning off Fog helped and I have to take into account the less-than-steller setup I was using. Audio MUST be complimented here, as everything from the in-game sound effects, to the enemy one-liners, to the spectacular music are all in-step and in-form. The garnish on NOLF's gameplay comes in the variety of gadgets, locales, and situations, any one of such areas usually distinguishes one FPS from another; NOLF uniquely provides great experiences in all three areas, and successfuly sets itself apart from the FPS army of games that have stormed home computers and consoles since Doom (which is no small feat). You're unlikely to experience a game that includes a shark as an enemy, ride a snowmobile, and the help of a robo-poodle. For all the broad-stroke features we look for, it's the little things that make a classic game. This game may be a parody of sorts, in-step (not behind) the Austin Powers franchise, and in fact far more along the paths of Get Smart, but it takes the realism very seriously. Said realism is evident not only in lavish or accurately depicted destinations, but also in the detail of the character models, the way even the blinds on a window might be skewed and raised at a slant in an office window, the work done in the dialogue writing, and more... This is why NOLF falls into the "classic" category, even without counting the addition of fun multi-player options and very repeatable single-player modes. The tradition of great spy games runs long (from Elevator Action to Golgo 13 to Goldeneye) and the best of them often arise in the most unlikely places. An FPS was not where I thought I'd look for the next one, but it's where I found it. First Impressions: Lasting Impressions: FINAL
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