George Lazenby Joins 007 Legends

Activision’s new Bond game will feature a mission based on the classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

I can’t quite figure out what Activision is up to with 007 Legends. The game is intended to honor 50 years of James Bond films by tying together six “classic” movies with an “original, overarching storyline” concluding with Skyfall, the new movie that comes out later this year. It’s actually a really good idea – but then Activision revealed that the first of those six films would be Moonraker. Moonraker! That’s like telling your dinner guests that the first course will be a punch in the throat.

And now the second movie-inspired mission has been announced, and it’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a much-maligned film, noteworthy only for the fact that Bond gets married at the end – totally serious here – and of course for George Lazenby’s easily forgotten, one-time-only appearance in the franchise. It’s pretty much universally derided, and it’s joining Moonraker in 007 Legends.

It’s interesting that Activision has picked two of the most famously crappy Bond films of all time for its tribute game, but I have to admit that I’m looking forward to seeing how 007 Legends handles the famously sappy/sad denouement of OHMSS. The press release describes the mission as pretty much identical to the film, concluding, “With the help of Tracy’s father, players must infiltrate Blofeld’s private research facility in the Swiss Alps, thwart the release of the virus and save Tracy before it’s too late.”

Yeah, and then she dies on their honeymoon! I have a feeling the game may gloss over that plot point just a bit.

So we’ve got Moonraker and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. What’s next? Moore’s already covered, so my money is on either Never Say Never Again or The World is Not Enough. Oh boy, can’t wait. 007 Legends – which, if it actually works out, might just be the most brilliant movie-based videogame of all time – comes out on October 16 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. To find out more, hit up 007legends.com.