License To Kill
License to Kill (or LTK) is a difficulty created by adjusting the settings on the unlockable 007 Mode on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark Mode on Perfect Dark so that both players and enemies can be killed by a single shot. Therefore, Enemy Health is minimized and Enemy Damage is maximized. Enemy Accuracy and Enemy Reaction Time (on GoldenEye 007) are also maximized, meaning that a single shot fired from an enemy will kill the player. This makes LTK much more difficult to survive than 00 Agent on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Agent on Perfect Dark.
License To Kill is named after the corresponding one-hit-kills mode that appears in GoldenEye 007 multiplayer. The name has stuck since it's plainly much more catchy than "one-hit-kills".
LTK mode is relatively easy compared to Dark LTK mode.
Settings
GoldenEye 007
- Enemy Health: 0%
- Enemy Damage: 1000%
- Enemy Accuracy: 100%
- Enemy Reaction Time: 100%
Perfect Dark
- Enemy Health: 10%
- Enemy Damage: 1000%
- Enemy Accuracy: 1000%
General Guidance
Given guards only require one hit anywhere, even on the gun, it is possible to play fairly aggressively. However, necessarily the strategies differ to their Normal mode 00 Agent counterpart with compromises made to routes and pace in numerous places. The following is a list of some key strategies employed in Goldeneye:
- AI Manipulation - Fundamental to LTK is manipulating guard behaviour. Across and within levels, different guards have a range of behaviour, so understanding and abusing this is a key skill.
- Noise - Both minimising and maximising noise is a useful tactic. Minimising noise can be beneficial, e.g. avoiding alerting multiple guards when dealing with one. Similarly noise can be maximised to lure multiple guards into a particular area for easy elimination by explosion or into an avoidable part of the level. See also, Tracking Bond
- False Walls - These are barriers in the game, which you can shoot over/through, but guards cannot. For example: railings, low walls, over-hanging boxes. These can be manipulated to provide safe shots at guards
- Door Opening - Similar to the False Walls, many doors which open vertically provide protection, since enemies cannot shot Bond until the door is fully open. Toggling such doors open and shut can provide safe shooting opportunities.
- Quick leaning - Similar to an R-Lean, a quick sidestep whilst aiming (i.e. crosshairs visible) can provide a number of benefits. If done suitably fast, it allows you see and shoot around corners safely. It can be used to trigger a guards shooting animation allowing a subsequent safe window when the guard stops shooting. Likewise, it can be used to interrupt a guards running animation, so they stay further from you.
- Close Proximity - In many situations, it is possible to allay danger by standing immediately next to a guard. If proximity is suitably close, the odds of taking damage are significantly reduced (albeit not 0).
Tutorials
Annotated tutorials are available for all LTK levels in Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, courtesy of Icy and Adam Bozon. These provide possible solutions for their respective level, typically focussed on completions rather than fast times.
