The Operative: No One Lives Forever | |
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No One Lives Forever box art, portraying protagonist Cate Archer
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Developer(s) | Monolith Productions |
Publisher(s) |
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Designer(s) | Craig Hubbard |
Composer(s) |
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Engine | Lithtech 2.2 |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Mac OS X |
Release | |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter, Stealth |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer (Windows, Mac) |
Aggregate scores | |
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Aggregator | Score |
GameRankings | (PC) 88.34% (PS2) 70.12% |
Metacritic | (PC) 91/100 (PS2) 67/100 |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
CGW | (PC) |
Eurogamer | (PC) 8/10 |
GameSpot | (PC) 9.3/10 (PS2) 4.6/10 |
IGN | (PC) 9.1/10 (PS2) 6.9/10 (Mac) 9.1/10 |
Computer Games Magazine | (PC) |
Awards | |
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Publication | Award |
Game Developers Choice Awards | Game Spotlight Award for innovation (2001) |
Computer Games Magazine | Game of the Year; Action Game of the Year |
Computer Gaming World | Action Game of the Year |
PC Gamer | Action Game of the Year |
The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a first-person shooter video game with stealth gameplay elements, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive, released for Microsoft Windows in 2000. The game was ported later to the PlayStation 2 and Mac OS X.
A story-driven game set in the 1960s, No One Lives Forever has been critically acclaimed for, among other things, its stylistic representation of the era in the spirit of many spy films and television series of that decade, as well as for its humor. Players control female protagonist Cate Archer, who works for a secret organization that watches over world peace. In addition to a range of firearms, the game contains several gadgets, which are disguised as ordinary female fashion items.
At the time of its release, many reviewers felt that No One Lives Forever was the best first-person shooter since 1998's critically acclaimed Half-Life. After receiving several Game of the Year awards in the press, a special Game of the Year Edition was released in 2001, which included an additional mission. The Operative: No One Lives Forever was followed by a sequel entitled No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way released in 2002, and a spin-off that takes place during the time between the first two games entitled Contract J.A.C.K. released in 2003, both developed by Monolith.
A re-release of the game has been hampered by the complicated state of the series' intellectual property (IP) rights, with even parties assumed to be in possession of the IP having publicly admitted not knowing the precise legal situation of the series.