Agent 64: Spies Never Die - Review (Steam)

Agent 64: Spies Never Die is the closest I’ve ever come to recapturing the exact sensation of booting up GoldenEye on a CRT in the late ’90s. It’s not just inspired by that era, it lives in it. From the moment the first mission loads, the chunky geometry, stark lighting, and stiff‑shouldered enemy animations feel like they’ve been ripped straight from a cartridge. But what surprised me most is how confidently the game modernises that nostalgia without breaking the spell.

You play as John Walter, a tuxedoed operative dragged back into the field to stop his nemesis, Dominic Pulp. The setup is pure retro spy fiction, shadowy conspiracies, stolen intel, and heavily armed goons lurking behind suspiciously angular corners. Missions unfold across skyscrapers, nightclubs, catacombs, and snow bases, each built with that unmistakable ’90s shooter rhythm: objectives to tick off, doors to unlock, terminals to hack, and guards to drop with a satisfying thud.

What really nails the GoldenEye feeling is the pacing. Levels encourage exploration rather than funneling you down a corridor. Objectives expand on higher difficulties, revealing new rooms and alternate paths. It’s the same magic that made replaying Facility or Surface endlessly fun, except now it’s wrapped in sharper controls and smoother performance.

Gunplay is deliberately simple but immensely satisfying. Hip‑firing feels fast and loose, while aiming down sights adds just enough precision without slowing the game’s momentum. Enemies behave with that charmingly “1997‑advanced” AI, alert, aggressive, but never frustrating. It’s exactly the kind of slightly goofy intensity that made old-school shooters so fun.

The arsenal is a nostalgic buffet: pistols, SMGs, chunky rifles, proximity mines, and more. Weapons have punch without being overly flashy, and firefights often devolve into frantic, close‑quarters chaos that feels wonderfully familiar.

Then there’s Paradox Mode, a modern twist that adds over 70 modifiers including big heads, slow bullets, no reload, random weapons, and dozens more. It’s the kind of chaotic experimentation I wish GoldenEye had back in the day, and it massively boosts replayability.

Split‑screen multiplayer is back, and it’s glorious. Whether you’re playing deathmatch, holding the briefcase, or fighting for control zones, the game captures that classic couch‑competition energy. Online multiplayer expands the chaos to eight players (plus bots), with fully customisable lobbies and rule sets. It’s simple, fast, and endlessly entertaining, exactly what an N64‑style shooter should be. Agent 64’s devotion to retro aesthetics means some elements feel intentionally dated, but occasionally they feel too dated. Environmental detail can be sparse, enemy variety is limited, and mission storytelling is minimal. These aren’t deal-breakers, but they do remind you that the game is laser‑focused on a specific era’s feel, even when that era had its limitations. Still, the charm outweighs the roughness. This is a game built with love, and it shows.

Pros

• Captures the exact feel of GoldenEye and ’90s shooters

• Satisfying, fast-paced gunplay with great retro weapon design

• Varied missions with expanding objectives on higher difficulties

• Paradox Mode adds huge replayability

• Excellent split-screen and online multiplayer

• Nostalgic visuals and sound without feeling cheap or gimmicky

Cons

• Story is thin and mostly functional

• Some environments feel visually sparse

• Enemy variety is limited

• Retro stiffness may feel dated to players without nostalgia

Agent 64: Spies Never Die is the rare nostalgia project that understands why the classics worked. It doesn’t just imitate GoldenEye, it resurrects it, refines it, and celebrates it. If you grew up sneaking through blocky corridors with a silenced pistol and a license to kill, this is the closest you’ll get to reliving that magic without digging your N64 out of the attic.

A must-play for anyone who still remembers the thrill of watching that iconic gun-barrel intro fade in.

XPN Rating: 4 out of 5 (GOLD)

Agent 64: Spies Never Die is available now!