Earlier in 2021, we got a glimpse of how we might have been able to play Rare's seminal first-person shooter for the Nintendo 64, GoldenEye 007, had it come out for the Xbox 360. This remaster was in production for a 2008 release via Xbox Live Arcade, but fell apart due to licensing issues. Seeing the game in glorious HD was intoxicating - but, it turns out, this now-leaked 360 prototype isn't the only way to blast your way through . Depot, Facility and Bunker in better definition.
Until we receive an actual remake of the 1997 classic - and it's not like its original makers aren't keen on the idea - a new fan-made version of GoldenEye 007 might be our best option. YouTuber Krollywood has slowly but steadily been building their own version of the Pierce Brosnan-starring spy romp using the level editor from Ubisoft's 2018 open-world game, Far Cry 5. And the results are very special.
But are they as special as this GoldenEye vs Super Mario 64 mod? Only you can know, for sure...
As brought to our attention by Kotaku (thanks!), Krollywood's self-made models of GoldenEye 007's missions have been some three years in the making (makes sense, since Far Cry 5 was released in March 2018) and they told the games site that "roughly 1,400 hours" have gone into this project. Every level from the 1997 shooter is intact, except for a pair of bonus stages.
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A side-by-side comparison gallery is available at Kotaku, should you want to see how Krollywood's remake using Far Cry 5 (and also assets from Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs) looks next to the N64 original. Ubisoft's Dunia Engine is, clearly, rather more capable of rendering lifelike environments than anything developers had to use in the 1990s - but I have to say that there's still something special about the sharp edges of GoldenEye 007 that always feels lost in remakes like this. It's not that either is better - more that they're different, and I sort of prefer the original.
Have a peek at Krollywood's work yourself, in the video below showcasing all of their GoldenEye 007 levels.
Featured Image Credit: United International Pictures, MGM/UA, Ubisoft
Topics: Far Cry, Ubisoft, PC, Mods, Retro Gaming