Sometimes I yearn for the simple times in games. Of course, the N64 falls right into that feeling of nostalgia, and like many, the memories of playing games like Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark, and some other shooters on PlayStation come to the forefront.
Under the wing of an ambitious solo developer who goes by Replicant D6, Agent 64: Spies Never Die does a whole lot right, feeling like a retro FPS experience with many updated mechanics, visuals, and sound. Some tweaks could improve the overall experience, but none of the issues I had with the game detract from this impressive first-person shooter.
Agent 64: Spies Never Die Goes Undercover
John is Agent 64. As the grizzled spy and Bond-esque veteran, you’ll take control of his skills in hacking, disguise, and, of course, shooting.
Just like any classic James Bond adventure, there’s some espionage, an evil doer wreaking havoc, and a threat to our world. With your wits and tactics, you’ll infiltrate enemy strongholds and eliminate whoever is in your path. All the while, toss on a disguise or two to sneak behind enemy lines. There’s some fun, corny intrigue throughout the Story mode that I really enjoyed.
The whole package that Agent 64: Spies Never Die is purposely reminiscent of the classic Rare Ltd. N64 titles I mentioned earlier: Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark. First and foremost, the gameplay is nearly nailed across the board. The core shooting mechanic feels just like those older games, but with twin-stick aiming on any modern controller. I played mostly on Steam Deck and added a couple of hours on PC with an Xbox controller, and everything felt great.
Aiming and shooting your way through missions is handled with a pretty forgiving auto-aim. Maybe that approach doesn’t work for everyone, but for someone like me who was looking for a retro feel during this adventure, that’s exactly what I got. You can switch it off in the options menu, and some challenges require you to play without it.
Mission structure is also familiar but interesting, with several tasks ranging from just getting to the exit to placing trackers on helicopters and escorting your captured daughter, who actually does a great job with her own weaponry. Most of the objectives are easy enough to understand, but a few are more difficult and took me a few tries to figure out.
And while I do appreciate adding some challenge, Agent 64: Spies Never Die ingests a Cypher system into the main Story mode, which was very hit-and-miss for me. They act as rewards for completing a mission or as an added challenge stage. Across the three difficulties, you’ll earn one Cypher for completing a stage on the lowest Agent difficulty and a few more when you jump to higher ones. The issue arose for me when I completed each Act but didn’t earn enough to move on to the next. Instead, I was forced to go back and play several levels of greater difficulty or complete some very challenging versions of each.
In comparison, I have lots of fond memories of replaying dozens of Goldeneye 007 stages on the greatest difficulty. But that was just for fun; it wasn’t a requirement to move on in the story. I perfected my approach to hoards of enemies through repetition, not because I had to. Again, I do see what the goal was here, but I don’t think this forced structure worked well for me.
Thankfully, mission variety and level design still shine no matter how many times you’re playing any particular mission. Whether it’s the debut Penthouse, a Museum stealth mission, or going in guns-blazing on several others, nothing feels the same. There are lots of small corridors and wide-open spaces, each offering opportunities to take out enemy attackers in various ways. If you have any experience with the N64 shooters I’ve already mentioned, you’ll feel right at home here but with even more to see and do.
The 90’s in the Modern Era
Agent 64: Spies Never Die really does do a great job across the board, feeling like the games I grew up with. In addition to the controls and core mechanics, the game looks fantastic. There are still lots of chunky, retro styles and polygons to enjoy, but each piece is fine-tuned and improved with great lighting and updated textures.
I had a similar feeling when I recently reviewed Halo: Campaign Evolved, sitting there thinking, “oh, this is what this always looked like.” And while I still do love the look of games like Perfect Dark, this game improves on what that team was going for while also maintaining a wonderful retro aesthetic. Your mind plays tricks on you over time, but I think it’s no mistake that what Replicant D6 did with Agent 64: Spies Never Die is excellent.
Adding to all that is some really great music that brings things together. It is once again a perfect balance of90ss action tones with a modern twist. My headphones were rocking in every mission, whether I was trying to be quiet and stealthy or going in for the kill and taking down each enemy with whatever weapon I could find.
There are also some nice retro touches veterans of the N64 era will recognize: some guns look and sound familiar, camera angles and some locations are reminiscent of a certain Bond title, and even some enemies yelp or scream when getting shot, just like guards in Bond’s 1997 FPS classic.
And the retro take on the genre doesn’t end there. Despite the latest Halo entry missing a key multiplayer component, Agent 64: Spies Never Die has it in spades. While some tweaks were being made during the review period, most of my time playing with others was a lot of fun. A major component will likely be jumping into multiplayer areas, but co-op is available online and via couch co-op, just like in the early days.
I will also note that throughout the review period, the developer has been very vocal and has made some changes to the game, addressing issues with debugging, connection issues, glitches, and the like. Many, if not most, of them have been addressed, and it sure sounds like whatever may pop up upon release will be as well. It’s great to see this commitment and open communication.
Verdict
This is a game that does not shy away from its inspirations and shows all its cards (and guns) on the table. I love it for that, and I love the ambition behind the whole package. It really is great to see developers working on games like this as it mixes new and old design approaches.
Agent 64: Spies Never Die is an impressive retro shooter with plenty of modern touches across the visuals, music, level design, and gameplay. It’ll be a great time for anyone who grew up playing late 90s shooters.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PC/Steam Deck
