Diary of a Sound Recordist: Top 5 Video Games - 3. GOLDENEYE 007

Back in 1997, an era-defining video game was released for the Nintendo 64 console, based on the 1995 James Bond film, GoldenEye. GoldenEye 007 was an immediate success and changed the landscape for first-person shooters and multiplayer. It’s attention to detail, innovative gameplay, exhilarating single player campaign and incredibly fun multiplayer modes made it a must-play back in the late 90s! For the longest time, GoldenEye 007 was my all-time favourite video game and although it may not have aged that well as first-person shooters evolved with the ever evolving modern technology, it’s still so damn fun to play and still hits hard with nostalgia whenever you see, hear or play anything related to the game. To show just how much I loved this game, I even directed a film based around playing it back in 2021! (Read all about that here!) Join me as I take a look at what makes GoldenEye 007 so great and why it’s one of my favourite video games of all time.

GoldenEye 007 – Plot Summary

Players take on the role of British secret agent James Bond as he attempts to stop a criminal syndicate from using a stolen Soviet satellite weapon called "GoldenEye" to cause a global financial meltdown.

The game closely follows the movie’s storyline, starting with Bond infiltrating a Soviet chemical weapons facility, and progressing through various missions across Russia, Cuba, and beyond. Along the way, Bond uncovers a betrayal by his former ally, Alec Trevelyan (Agent 006), who plans to use the GoldenEye satellite for revenge against Britain.

What Makes it So Great?

There are so many reasons that make it great (just do a quick search on YouTube about the game and you will find lots of very cool breakdowns about it), but here’s a quick tour of the key points;

🎮 1. Revolutionary Multiplayer Mode

The split-screen four-player deathmatch was a game-changer. It turned living rooms into battle arenas and introduced a whole generation to the joy of competitive local multiplayer. For many, this was their first real taste of FPS combat with friends—and it was glorious.

🕵️ 2. Innovative Mission Structure

Unlike the more linear shooters of its time, GoldenEye 007 offered multiple objectives per mission, non-linear level design, and different tasks depending on the difficulty setting. It encouraged experimentation, replayability, and smart gameplay.

🔫 3. Tactical Gunplay and Stealth

It wasn’t all about running and gunning. Players had to think like a spy—using silenced weapons, sneaking past guards, and disabling security cameras. Headshots mattered, and enemy AI responded to noise and movement, making stealth a real option.

🎬 4. A Faithful Bond Experience

While rooted in the plot of the GoldenEye film, the game expanded the story with new missions and deeper lore. It delivered a truly immersive James Bond experience, complete with iconic gadgets, locations, and that unmistakable 007 flair.

🎮 5. Console FPS Pioneer

At a time when first-person shooters were mostly confined to PCs, GoldenEye 007 showed that a console FPS could work—and work well. Its control scheme and gameplay mechanics became the blueprint for future console shooters.

🧠 6. Surprisingly Smart AI

Guards in GoldenEye weren’t your typical dumb video game enemies. They’d react to gunfire, chase after you, or raise alarms. It added an unexpected layer of realism and tension that kept players on their toes.

🌍 7. Iconic Locations and Gadgets

From the snowy Severnaya Complex to the jungle of Cuba, each mission felt unique. Add in Bond’s classic watch interface, remote mines, and silenced PP7s, and you’ve got all the ingredients for spy fantasy fulfilled.

Music

Grant Kirkhope, Music Composer

One of GoldenEye 007’s most enduring elements is its incredible soundtrack, composed by Grant Kirkhope (alongside Graeme Norgate and Robin Beanland). Kirkhope’s work blended the iconic James Bond theme with gritty, atmospheric tracks that perfectly matched each mission’s tone—from stealthy infiltrations to explosive shootouts. The music elevated the tension and drama, creating a cinematic feel that was rare for games of the era. His compositions didn’t just complement the gameplay—they became part of the experience, and are still celebrated by fans and game music lovers to this day.

I then had the absolute privilege to work with Grant myself on my feature film, Bringing Back GoldenEye! That was an absolutely surreal experience and you can read more about that here.

What It Means to Me

a still from my film, Bringing Back GoldenEye (2021)

I think what will always be so special about this game is how much of an impact it had during my childhood. I was only around 8 or 9 years old when I first started playing this game and I still have vivid memories of being sat hunched around a small television set in my bedroom with at least 3 other friends battling it out in the legendary multiplayer modes. Whether it was mucking around with proximity mines or playing around with some of the goofy cheat modes, there was just endless fun to be had.

The fact that those memories still stick with me today is a testament to how impactful this game was. Just simply hearing a beat of some of the iconic music or sound effects today, or just seeing some of character or level design immediately takes me back to that time as a child. The nostalgia hit is something special and that is what I will cherish the most about GoldenEye 007.

Dan Guest

Sound Recordist