But while each hero is a leader in his respective category, neither have been able to cross over into another realm of entertainment. Despite the confirmation of a Metal Gear movie, we've yet to see proof of its existence. Jack Bauer had just 24 hours to save the day on PlayStation 2, but most gamers found it was better to let the day die. Now Bourne wants to make the leap to video games. Can he do it successfully? Or is this the one mission he can't win?

Action Right Out of the Box

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy (the full title of this video game adaptation of the hit movie series) is not what most gamers will expect – it's actually good. Very good in many respects, with gameplay that mirrors the film's events with unprecedented accuracy and inspiration.

As Jason Bourne, players become the man they idolized on the big screen. You'll fight one-on-one with familiar assassins, everyday thugs, and a few shipyard workers who would’ve rather spent the day gutting fish. Additional, never-before-seen story elements are interspersed with game-exclusive missions, including the one that caused Bourne to lose his identity.

Fans will no doubt be intrigued by these additions, but it's the scene-by-scene re-creations that are most impressive. Everything from car chases and fistfights to deadly escapes and the offshore recovery scene have been remade in CG or real-time form, complete with the same shaky-but-guided camera work and a gritty graphic style that stays with the game from start to finish. It's enough to put gamers on the edge of their seats – even if they haven't experienced Bourne on the big screen.

Though there is a lengthy startup period (when loading the game for the first time, expect a five-minute wait while content is saved to your hard drive), The Bourne Conspiracy doesn't waste any time in building excitement. The first mission is launched with a brief look at the power of the Unreal Engine and the beauty talented artists can derive from it. It isn't quite on GTA's level, but the immense building detail and light camera shake, which sways the picture as you run to the next destination marker, is extremely effective at bringing the Bourne experience to life.

 
“Bourne Instincts” – Jason Bourne’s only magical power – highlight enemies and indicate your next destination.

A New Identity

Bourne himself is without the familiar Matt Damon appearance, but unless you're a die-hard Damon fan, this change isn't too hard to swallow. The new Bourne may have come from the Chris Redfield Cloning Center of America, but his combat moves are a polygonal match for the film's cool battle sequences. With every punch, kick, block and evasion move, you'll feel like you're controlling a part of the movie. Bourne's animations were directly based on those of Damon's portrayal of Bourne, giving players the chance to re-live many classic moments. Most of them are enjoyed semi-automatically. After a few successful attacks, one of Bourne's three finisher meters will become available. Tap the circle button and Bourne will automatically unleash one of his best attacks (smash an enemy into a wall, window or shelving unit; beat him with a book; use his own weapon against him; etc.).

Hardcore gamers used to Tekken, Mortal Kombat or even the Def Jam series will note the combat's repetitions. With only two attack buttons (square and triangle), the combo variety isn't too impressive. When coupled with the dozens of enemies you'll have to eliminate by hand, there won't be time to forget that this game was based on a movie.

But don't think the developers didn't achieve something great. Most of Bourne's charm comes from the visuals that follow your simple button executions. While your average thug is met with average moves, there are special finishing animations laid out for each boss (enemies with a hefty life meter). Furthermore, the game is littered with several tap-the-right-button-at-the-right-moment sequences that were no doubt inspired by the success of Resident Evil 4. They’re less interactive than I would have liked (games can’t survive on these alone), but are an excellent addition to movie sequences that, in most games, wouldn’t have been interactive at all.

 
Accomplishment points are awarded whenever you finish a mission,
defeat a boss or learn a new move. You know, like Xbox Live Achievements…

Weapons combat is marinated with the flavors of GTA and Splinter Cell, minus the simplistic auto-targeting of the former game. You can creep around walls, peak around and fire, and steal weapons and ammo from fallen foes. The controls aren’t perfect but work well; these battles are a thousand times more exciting than the combat of other movie games.

However, expect to be frustrated by the lack of headshot precision. While ducking for cover, enemies are rarely completely shielded from danger. The top or sides of their heads are usually visible, allowing any smart gamer to take ‘em out from afar. That’s the theory, at least. If this were GTA or any solid FPS (or Metal Gear or Splinter Cell, for that matter), you could shoot any part of the enemy and reap the benefits of doing so. But not in this game.

If headshots were entirely prohibited, the complaint would be geared in that direction. But you can shoot enemies’ heads – you just can’t do it while they’re partially guarded. Likewise, when Bourne is crouching behind an object, a part of his body is almost always exposed. But can he be hurt? Nope. This is a strange development choice that will surely bother most gamers.

 
Among The Bourne Conspiracy’s gameplay types, the car chase controls
 are the least impressive, especially when coupled
with a lengthy game time (the road seems to last forever).

As a video game, The Bourne Conspiracy needs a lot more work (and content variety) to compete with the big players of the industry. But as a game that’s based on a movie, The Bourne Conspiracy is a great – albeit flawed – action-shooter that delivers most of what Bourne fans have been craving.