PixlBit

No One Lives Forever is a FPS that was developed by Monolith and released in 2000. Originally put out as a PC game,it was later released for PS2. It follows the exploits of a former catburglar named Cate Archer. She is recruited into an organization called UNITY by her mentor,Bruno Lawrie[an agent with UNITY]and is trying to prove herself a worthy agent. Her skills involve stealth,weaponry,and lockpicking. A clever young Scottish lass,she will prove to be invaluable to the cause of UNITY.  However,Bruno is killed early in the game. Leaving Cate to fend for herself within the organization. Sink or swim time for her. Her bosses are none too impressed with her. Kind of a male dominated world she lives in. The game is set in the 60's and the look,music and vibe of it reflects that well. The clothing Cate wears reminds me of outfits worn by Emma Peel on The Avengers TV show. Always loved that series,which explains the appeal of this game to myself.

      Cate's first solo assignment is to help a Dr. Otto Schenker defect from East Germany to the west. She succeeds at this,but the doctor is soon captured by H.A.R.M. agents. They are the main foes of UNITY and a formidable terrorist organization. Cate begins to suspect a traitor within UNITY. Agents are killed all over the world,leaving Cate as one of the last operatives available to stop H.A.R.M. from carrying out their plans. Her missions take her all over the globe,much like James Bond. She is a rookie agent and her skills are put to the test. The graphics in the PS2 version are not quite as good as the PC. But the overall gameplay remains the same. What I liked was the speed of the action. It is a tremedously fast and fluid shooter. It was compared to the first Half Life game at the time. I own that one for PS2 and I would agree. They are very similar in that regard. Cate has many kinds of weaponry at her disposal. And spy gadgets that help her gain access and blow things up. From time to time she returns to headquarters for briefings and training. New gadgets come into use as the story progresses.

    The shooting is very accurate and you move quickly through the areas. Even tight corners will not slow you down. It's funny to hear the silly conversations by guards while you sneak up on them. Stealth is advised,but you can go in all guns blazing as well. Sometimes that method is more fun! You pick up intelligence items as you go. And items that will help you on the mission.

       A sequel came out in 2002. It was only released for PC this time. I should have grabbed it and played it when I had the chance. It had vastly superior grahics from what I've read of it. And the gameplay remained the same. They did not mess with the formula too much.

   I think what I liked the most about the first game was story. Cate doesn't take crap from anyone and always speaks her mind. Gets her into trouble,but that's how she rolls. You are able to choose your responses to questions. So you can try to be polite or just piss everyone off. At times it pays to be nice,though. To get Dr. Schenker to cooperate and follow you it is needed. But with enemies I chose to be snarky. They are going to try to kill you whatever you say. So why not enrage them a bit? The environments are varied. You find yourself fighting in the air with no parachute,underwater with a bowgun in a sunken wreck,and inside a huge nightclub. Keeps it interesting and makes it a challenge.

   The weapons that you have available are mainly guns. But I want this! Love crossbows....

     Did I mention that Cate is a real sassy pants? Her dialog is reason enough to enjoy the game. I thought her dialog was hysterical at times. She likes to tell rude men where to go.

    Which brings us to this guy. Magnus Armstrong is the muscle of H.A.R.M. and a funny guy. He has a soft spot for Cate because she is a fellow Scot. Respects her abilities in the field,too. But he's a tough customer. He reminds me of Fat Bastard without all the blubber! He tells off everyone he comes in contact with. But he's pretty smart and wily so people tend to overlook it.If you like the old spy movies and TV shows you'll probably like this game. I loved the Austin Powers movies,and this shares a bit of that sort of humor. The action does get intense in parts.But for most people who like first person shooters this is a fairly easy game to beat.

What I'm listening to today.......