GoldenEye is finally coming back to consoles. But that good news has been quickly overshadowed by the fact that his next release is anything but simple. There are two versions of the re-release, with different versions for Nintendo Switch and Xbox, and neither is the long-awaited remaster that was leaked last year. It’s a strangely complicated situation.
As part of the recent Nintendo Direct, the classic N64 shooter GoldenEye was announced for Nintendo Switch Online. As with other games in the online collection, this is an emulated version of the N64 original, not a remake or remaster. However, it has a new feature: online multiplayer.
Around the same time, Rare, the Microsoft-owned studio that created the original version of GoldenEye, announced on Twitter that a new version of GoldenEye will also be coming to Xbox via Game Pass and will be available for free to Rare owners. Playback collection. However, the studio’s description of the game made it instantly clear that the Switch and Xbox versions are not the same. The Xbox version “includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother frame rate, even in local split-screen multiplayer.” No mention was made of online multiplayer.
The official Bond 007.com website later confirmed that the online multiplayer is exclusive to the Switch version. He also noted that the Xbox version is different from the Switch version, calling it a “4K remaster” rather than a new version.
25 years after its original release, experience GoldenEye 007 faithfully recreated for Xbox consoles. Includes achievements, 4K resolution and a smoother frame rate, even in local split-screen multiplayer! Coming soon to @XboxGamePass. pic.twitter.com/kpBlJKqFR9
— Rare Ltd. (@RareLtd) September 13, 2022
However, this GoldenEye remaster is not the remaster that has been almost an open secret among the gaming industry for years. During the Xbox 360 era, Rare created a complete remaster of GoldenEye with updated graphics and a feature that allowed players to instantly switch between the original and updated visuals, much like the Halo 1 and 2 remasters.
This version was leaked on the Internet in 2021. After the leak, members of the development team revealed that work on the GoldenEye remaster was almost complete and that the game was almost ready for release, but Nintendo stepped in and canceled it. Supposedly, Nintendo didn’t like the idea of an N64 game being released on a Microsoft console.
Over the past year, a number of leaks have revealed Xbox achievements for GoldenEye. This may have given some people hope that Rare’s full remaster was finally on its way. News of the game being in limbo due to the war in Ukraine would have only fueled that hope. But instead, the version that will be released is just a high definition version of the original Nintendo 64 version. You have the same graphics from the 90s, just cleaned up. Looks like the updated visual remaster is (officially) for Rare’s eyes only.
So there are two versions of GoldenEye: one with online multiplayer on a console that is often used on the go, and one without on a platform known for its world-leading online infrastructure. And neither is the much-desired Rare remaster from the Xbox 360 era. Given the long hiatus to re-releasing GoldenEye (due to licensing disputes on multiple fronts), perhaps we should celebrate the fact that we’re getting it all , but this seems like an odd celebration.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK news and features editor.