Cold Call...

Bond visits the Surface level (in Severnaya, Northern Siberia) twice during the game...
In "Surface 1" one of the main objectives is to power down the dish via the computer terminal.

As a clever twist to thwart the player, when Bond returns to Severnaya in "Surface 2" activating the console will fail the mission.

Russians typically speak English among themselves...
As we learned from watching Boris and Natalya in the GoldenEye movie.

The objective this time round is to destroy the equipment.
Activating the console (by pressing "B") on "Surface 2" results in an officer appearing on screen and alerting the guards.

Why you disturb me while I eat my cereal?

It could even be considered an Easter egg because it's actually David Doak that portrays the Russian on the screen (or at least a couple frames of him repeated over and over).

"Boring conversation anyway..."

Now Bond is suddenly pondering if Doak assisted in the "fake death" of Alec Trevelyan at the Chemical Facility all those years ago.

Cloak and dagger state of mind indeed...

Boom Boom's Room...

With the Invincibility Cheat, was deliberately trying to spark the conversation with the guy on the computer screen in Surface 2 (which would subsequently fail the mission - See Blog Post: "Cold Call").

Bond's objective is to actually destroy the equipment in the Comms Room.

A guard comes up from behind and shoots the equipment, resulting in the "communications link damaged" message.

How many technicians does it take to repair a damaged communications link?

Decided to wait it out and see if I could get him to destroy the rest of it...
(Thus completing the objective)

More guards arrived, one of them pulling a grenade...

Getting past the firewall...

OBJECTIVE COMPLETED.

The guards have finally made themselves useful!

Cardio Caverns...

We catch a couple glimpses of Trevelyan during the Caverns mission, and he takes off running - All the way to the end of the level. Normally, he's so fast that you can't catch him...

Alec Trevelyan ducks behind his goons and runs away...

By being even quicker (strafing and/or using Cheat codes like Turbo Mode and Slow Animation), it's possible to keep pace with the former MI6 Agent.

Doors in the Caverns are open by default, only closing shut after Trevelyan passes through them.

Pursuing Trevelyan... All the way to the lift.

Racing him is pointless - Except its a fun thing to do.
Before the game was finished, there was a somewhat redundant "beta" objective to "Pursue Trevelyan".

Speedrun For Invincible...

(00 Agent Facility 2:05)

Earning Invincibility in GoldenEye 007 takes a bit of luck - And a lot of skill.

Managed to unlock the Cheat using the Silenced PP7 while encountering Dr. Doak in one of the upstairs labs (instead of the hallway).

Generally opt to cruise my way through the level with the PP7, only switching to the KF7 Soviet to eliminate four specific guards: The two guards outside the Laboratory area (the patroller and the stationary guard), plus the two guards immediately before the bottling room (both have their backs turned, if you've been stealthy).

After a couple of failed attempts, felt the frustration setting in.

In sports, you can channel your anger to become stronger - Doesn't work the same way in video games.
Also remember that Michael Jordan's philosophy is to practice as hard as he plays.

Almost ready for a break - But opted for another spirited practice run.
Giving it my all, without expecting the payoff...

Compilation of screenshots from a few other good runs:

Darting in and out of the little death room to activate the security door.

Strafing sideways gives you speed. Can sometimes even make it to one of the brown doors inside this long hallway without even being shot...

Sacrificing a Remote Mine to eliminate three guards in the long hallway.

Sliding into the problem area, and chucking a mine into the distance - And then ducking behind one of the protective walls while detonating.

Quickly strafing through immediately when it's safe (attempting) to collect a couple KF7s while dodging the gunfire and racing for the door(s)...

Clearly posted above the door: No Bonds Allowed.

Strafing side to side makes it difficult for guards to lock their fire on you.
Activate the door, strafe to the side, strafe inside, close the door, and repeat...
Closing the sliding doors behind you will slow down the guards, and stop a few bullets from hitting you in the back.

Skipping the level intro scenes is also important...

Guards patrol during the opening cinematic, directly impacting WHERE you encounter these guys - And which way they'll be facing.

As the guard in the main hallway walks away from the bathroom, Bond could be sneaking behind his back. Some guards are pacing back and forth in a small area, while others have a longer route.
Part of the challenge is that each soldier is marching to a different drum.

(Try exploring with the Bond Invisible turned on...
Can't unlock new Cheats, but may gain valuable insight on what guards are doing)

Back to the speedrun: Through the "double doors" and the "T" intersection...

Become in tune with the rhythm of patrolling guards. Some of them can be avoided completely, simply by disappearing around a corner. They'll continue their patrol, none the wiser.

The above guard is exactly where I want him. Walking towards the Laboratory Area with his back turned.
Licking my chops like a Velociraptor ready to feed...

A few bursts of KF7 fire before entering the laboratory area.

Eliminating the patroller and the stationary guard - With just enough noise to get the other guard to open the door...
Too much noise and ALL the guards will be flooding down the stairs, jamming the path.

"Beg your pardon. Forgot to knock."

Guard just inside the lab can do anything to make or break the run...
He can crouch, roll, or even jump to the side....

These Soldiers will also duck, run, roll, jump and do any number of unpredictable things.

Coming off the stairs, the aim can be messed up.
And sometimes the guards just stare as if they're blind drunk...
(Other times they charge at you in a Vodka-fueled act of reckless bravado)



Fingers crossed that Doak is up here somewhere with that Door Decoder.
Three spots upstairs where he can be...

Upstairs patrolling guard is oblivious.

Shooting at the two guards behind this pillar before they can react...
Although on the previous run, one of them eagerly charged forward with his gun.

If Dr. Doak is in this ideal spot, the conversation text might appear before you actually see him...

No need to stick around.
The very instant text appears on the screen, you're all set to race for the Bottling Room.

Dr. Doak, hiding in the corner of the hallway.

Hauling ass down the hallway immediately as the conversation with Dr. Doak begins.
(He's a competent double-agent, and can complete the hand-off even if you're a hundred feet away)

Duncan Botwood was determined to stop me from finishing the level within the target time...
(He also performed one of his spectacular death scenes)

A quick burst of KF7 fire to eliminate the guards on the corner just before Bottling Room door -
Too many shots will rouse the guards stationed in other rooms.





Done the damned Facility so many times now that I could complete it in my sleep...

"I almost killed myself getting here..."

Really only need three mines to destroy the ten tanks...
But practicing this several times was key, so that muscle memory takes over.
Bond seems to chuck the mines with his right hand, so be just slightly offset (to your left).

With OBJECTIVE C: COMPLETED and OBJECTIVE D: COMPLETED appearing on the screen, strafe out of the Facility doors and hold my breath...

"I am Invincible!"

What a rush! Expecting to just barely hit the 2.05.
Couple of seconds to spare.
Also happy with my accuracy and kill count.

Normally score 15-17 kills on a speedrun like this.
Racked up 20. (Must have been in a particularly nasty mood)


Back in the  '90s, the thing to do was to try and attain the best time possible.
Managed to pull it off in 1:35. Even captured a video of 1:43.

Some of those tactics were pretty suicidal - A much more streamlined approach these days.
Stealthy, smooth and calculating - But stay alive more often.

Experiment. Improvise. Always have a game plan in my head - But things go awry in a hurry, and quick thinking on the fly can sometimes save your run.

More often then not, it's Abort Mission and try again.
(Seems to save on morale)

Know when to push through and learn new things...
Find more efficient ways to deal with certain guards and navigate corners.



It's a two minute thrill-ride where you can only imagine what it's like to be Bond...
James Bond.

004 (It's Only a Number...)

Q Branch Briefing for Silo Mission
(Game's Sixth Level)

Neat tidbit where Q mentions (former) MI6 Agent 004, alluding to his presumed death in Beirut.

It's particularly interesting because in Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), part of the backstory is that Agent 002 was (coincidentally) killed in Beirut, Lebanon (allegedly by Francisco Scaramanga himself).

An adorable exchange between James Bond (Roger Moore) and Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell):

James Bond: Where was 002 when it happened?
Moneypenny: Beirut. '69. In a cabaret with a lady called Saida.
James Bond: Moneypenny, you are better than a computer.
Moneypenny: In all sorts of ways! But, you never take advantage of them.

(At least he died happy...)


Decades of James Bond history, beginning with books, movies (and subsequently video games). As with any series that's endured this long and spanned various media, some of the details become obscured.

It's also understood that 00 Agent codenames are "re-used" following the death or retirement of a former operative.

James Bond films have featured (at least) two known MI6 Agents with codename 004.
The first was in Thunderball (1965), the next 004 appearance was in The Living Daylights (1987).

The aforementioned 004 in the GoldenEye 007 Silo briefing could feasibly have been the Agent 004 that appeared in Thunderball (portrayed by Frederick Warder ) - Simply because the fate of that character was never revealed.

In The Living Daylights, the story begins with 007 on a mission with 004 and 002.
The other two Agents are killed, with Bond as the sole survivor.

Invisible Armor...

On Agent difficulty is a completely unseen suit of body armor on the Frigate mission.
Hidden in a room full of boxes and metal crates.
Get close enough to the wooden box on the metal crate, and Bond will collect the item.
It's also one of the rooms that can be seen briefly during one of the intro camera shots.
As far as I know, it's the only item hidden like this...

Chaos in the Caverns...

Just bombin' around in the Water Caverns mission - While Jack Wade is undoubtedly pressing buttons in the car that I specifically told him not to.

Worst case scenario, just gonna tell MI6 that someone stole the car - If I survive long enough to put a bullet in Trevelyan's head, de-brief Natalya, and find someplace that serves martinis...
(Shaken, Stirred - At this point, I really don't give a damn!).

Slap Attack...

Bond karate chops the guard patrolling the jail cell in Bunker 2.

Affectionately known as a "Slapper" by fans.

Penny For Your Thoughts...

She's being playfully jealous here.

Getting extremely jealous now.
Ladies gotta learn to share - Plenty of Bond to go around.

Awaiting Execution in the Archives...

The Archives mission begins in the Interrogation Room....
Wait long enough, and a Guard will come along to execute James Bond.

Programmed to attack with a random animation, the Soldier elects to pull a grenade - indoors, with other guards in the room.

Thinking quickly, Bond dashes to the other side of the room...
He survives the blast (without even messing up his hair).

This is why I love GoldenEye 007.
It's different every time.

From Dusk 'Till Dawn...

Another funny by Moneypenny...
She makes reference to James Bond being "in the arms of some dusky maiden".
I swear, I didn't actually read through all these things 25 years ago...

Just Like The Movie...

Added a line for Alec here, from the film itself

Cool Under Fire...

x
x

Voodoo Magic...

Baron Samedi fires a pair of handguns that spew fire like Automatic weapons...

Bond must defeat the evil Voodoo Sorcerer three times in the Egyptian Temple.
After every defeat, the mystic rises from the dead, slightly more powerful than he was before...

In Bond's first encounter with Samedi, Baron Samedi is armed with a pair of pistols.

Baron Samedi actually uses three different weapons:
DD44 Dostovei
ZMG (9mm)
Moonraker Laser


When the Baron respawns, the function of his weapons change...
But the actual image model remains the same as the DD44 Dostovei.

Could be sorcery...
Probably just an oversight.



Second time round, automatic gunfire spews from the barrel of Samedi's gun...
Exact same as the ZMG (9mm) the rest of the guards are brandishing.


By the third encounter, Baron Samedi is shooting Laser beams!
Of course, it's dark and dangerous so one might never get close enough to notice.

Third encounter with Samedi, and he's armed with 2X Lasers.
His accuracy is also doubled, twice as fast, and stronger armor.

Laser Vision Correction...
Just for fun, modified the image model to the Moonraker Laser.

Live And Let Die

Admiring the Baron's fancy new weapons is a good way to wind up dead...

More game modifications, this time Baron Samedi sports a pair of Golden Guns!
Going up against him is a death wish...

Mad Science...

Scientists - The comic relief of GoldenEye's Facility level.
With a little provoking, one will get mad enough to pull a grenade.

The Mad Scientist decides to chuck a grenade that bounces off the wall...

And the hilarity ensues.
It's like the Roadrunner watching Wile E. Coyote blow himself up...

Cold Reception...

Never return to the scene of the crime...

(Caught by the enemy upon finishing the Surface 2 mission)
If you had a dollar for every time that James Bond has been captured, you could probably buy the entire 007 collection on DVD...

The subsequent Moneypenny for the next level's briefing (Bunker 2).
Not sure how she managed to slip this note to Bond while he's locked in the jail cell, but it's still good for a laugh.

Minor Text "Glitch"...

Quickly exiting the Surface 2 mission (and into the Bunker) immediately after completing the objective of destroying the Spetnaz helicopter.
This text appears at the top of the screen in lieu of the classic line "Welcome to Severnaya, Comrade".

Earning Invincible - It's Infuriating!

A very delicate mission that requires precision and dexterity...
Putting together a "Golden Run" of the Facility in 2:05 (or less).
An assignment for 00 Agents only.

How the hell did I ever manage to do this back then? It was an insane dash that got me killed most of the time.

Feel that my movement is much smoother now... Can make it upstairs in perfect health with Dr. Doak nowhere to be found. Abort mission at 1:14. Three times in a row... At least I've developed consistency.

A compilation of attempts that didn't go so well...

Guard with the keycard decides to duck, dodge and do a little dance...
Emptied an entire clip at head level, and couldn't tag him once.

Room with the Security Activated door... The guards love shooting at the computer so it blows up.
Just wish I'd have gotten there a second sooner to press the button BEFORE they destroyed it.

Bond gets bounced around like a ping-pong ball...
Not only losing serious health, but finding it insanely difficult to keep running towards that door.
Sometimes the guards will hit the explosive crates (of potatoes and bananas) and everybody dies.

Chucking a Remote Mine down this hallway to dispose of these three guards...
Threw it WAY too far this time, with these guys nowhere near the explosion.

Down For The Count...

And because I absolutely want to re-watch my own death THREE times,
here are three of my favorites....

Bond sticks his neck into an upstairs laboratory looking to find Dr. Doak.
Definitely not where you want him to be - The ideal spot is out in the hallway.

On one attempt, actually found Doak in the very first room near the beginning of the level.
(Only went in there because I was practically dead anyway, and considered it a wasted run)
Grabbed the decoder and tore through the upstairs and subsequent bottling room as a practice.
Finished at 2:18.

"Close the door Alec, there's a draft... Alec?"

Shot to death on the stairs inside the bottling room... Never had that happen before.
With a mission time of 1:29, still plenty of time left to work with.


Closer still...

While I was destroying the tanks, the least Alec could have done was put a bullet in that guy's head...
Who's side is he on, anyway?

Still getting better. Put together another relatively smooth run shortly thereafter - But getting held up by guards in a few spots cost me valuable seconds. Performed other tasks efficiently and professionally, stepping out just as the conversation with Trevelyan wrapped up - Already knowing I just missed it.


Two separate attempts, finished at 2:09.

"Better luck next time, Mr. Bond."

Four seconds...



Would finally hit the target a few days later.
Blog Post: Speedrun For Invincible


An alternate strategy for gaining access to the Bottling Room...
Blog Post: Open Sesame!


Another miraculous moment like something out of The Matrix...
Blog Post: 00 Agent Facility in 1:54 - ZERO DAMAGE!