When news broke that GoldenEye was coming to Xbox, we hoped the canceled Xbox Live Arcade remaster would finally get an official release. But, unfortunately, it looks like the version coming to Xbox Game Pass and Rare Replay is a relatively straight port.
GoldenEye on Xbox Game Pass isn’t the remaster
Confusingly, the version of GoldenEye releasing on Xbox Game Pass isn’t the remaster that Rare completed over a decade ago. Instead, it’s a barebones port that’s been tweaked to support dual analog sticks and 4K upscaling. Additionally, it has no online multiplayer, which was something the XBLA remaster emphasized.
In the mid-2000s, Rare remastered GoldenEye 007 in preparation for a release on XBLA. It was complete, but Bond licensers Danjaq and Eon allegedly blocked its release. The studio attempted to get permission to include it as part of Rare Replay but was once again stopped.
The GoldenEye XBLA remaster leaked last year, and we finally got a chance to see what we missed out on. It’s a remaster in the vein of Halo 2: Anniversary, with remastered models and textures streamed onto the old code. As such, it has all the charm of the original while looking relatively modern.
The Xbox Wire post announcing the game says more details are coming. So, maybe we’ll get a surprise, and the remaster will be available at some point. Hopefully, this is the case because it doesn’t make much sense otherwise.
