Agent 64: Spies Never Die
Image: Replicant D6

It's easy to think of games as constantly evolving forward, but sometimes we leave good ideas behind. Goldeneye 64, Perfect Dark and the Timesplitters series had a unique vision of FPS design that hasn't really survived into the modern day. Enter Agent 64: Spies Never Die from tiny indie outfit Replicant D6. After years of development, a successful multiplayer playtest, and an updated demo, this retro N64-styled spy FPS now has a release date and will be infiltrating Steam on August 11th.

Agent 64 might run at slick modern framerates and resolutions, but those chunky N64-inspired character models aren't just for show. Spies Never Die's combat is fully built around Goldeneye's old concept, borne of an era where the most you got was one slightly wonky analogue stick on your controller. Unless you're specifically in Aiming Mode (which gives you a floating reticule), your character will automatically aim at the center mass of whichever enemy is closest to the center of your screen. On top of being a nice way of simulating reflexive hip-firing, it lets players focus on smart maneuvering instead of clicking heads.

Even if you're not an FPS god, it's hard not to feel very cool, especially with enemies reacting dramatically to every hit with old-school animations instead of floppy ragdolls. It really doesn't feel like any other modern-day shooter, and that's great. Another element the game is borrowing from Goldeneye and Perfect Dark is missions that grow increasingly complex as you work your way up the difficulty settings. From a straight shot to the objective on the easiest mode to a complex series of goals that demand clever use of spy-gadgets on the higher settings. This time, all fully playable in co-op, and with unlockable remixed missions promised.

While I feel there's definitely room for more games like Agent 64, I'm curious how long its multiplayer will endure. Goldeneye-style combat always felt geared towards single-player to me; the studio has gone to great lengths to offer all the N64 multiplayer features, and then some. 4-way split-screen across multiple play modes, bot matches, and now online multiplayer are present and correct here, but will they keep people coming back? That's to be seen on launch day and beyond, I suppose.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die launches August 11th, and you can wishlist it now. You can play the demo up until August 9th, but Replicant D6 has confirmed that they'll be delisting it after that date. And if you're still not convinced to give it a shot, check out the trailer below.