10 Utter Trash Video Games You Love Anyway
5. Mission Impossible (N64)
No one's going to argue that GoldenEye wasn't the defining game based on a popular spy franchise of its generation.
However, it did always seem a little strange that James Bond was solving most of his problems by running through hallways and shooting everything in sight with dual-wielded AK-47s like a maniac. While there are slightly more complex objectives, it was still first and foremost about shooting EVERYONE (except Natalia, who I'm convinced was trying to die).
The Mission Impossible game for the Nintendo 64 sought to address exactly that. It was less GoldenEye and more Hitman before Hitman even existed. Levels were large, open spaces and completing a mission felt more like solving a puzzle.
Progression was mostly non-linear, requiring you to make the most out of your arsenal of neat spy gadgets to take out specific, individual targets. Completing a mission felt like a real accomplishment.
Of course, the game did still have its fair share of shooting, and it was dreadful. It was ugly, controlled poorly, and progress was often based on trial and error. But the fact that there was really nothing else like it was enough to make it engaging and rewarding.