Aztec
Deep in the jungle, Bond faces the serpent's lair.
Aztec is the second mission in the single-player campaign of the 1997 first-person shooter *GoldenEye 007*, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Set within a secret jungle facility, the level tasks James Bond with infiltrating a heavily fortified base to retrieve a stolen GoldenEye satellite control key and uncover the villainous Janus syndicate's plans.
- character
- James Bond (player character)
- role
- Infiltrate the Aztec facility and recover the GoldenEye key
- affiliation
- MI6
- first appears
- GoldenEye 007 (1997)
- status
- Completed in canon campaign
Lore & Background
The Aztec level is set in a sprawling ancient temple complex repurposed by the Janus crime syndicate as a high-tech base. Its name evokes the Mesoamerican ruins that inspired its design, blending weathered stone carvings and stepped pyramids with humming security systems, gleaming laboratories, and crowded armories. The facility serves as a key stronghold for Janus, housing stolen military technology and the critical GoldenEye satellite control key.
In Their Own Story
The humid jungle air clung to Bond's tuxedo as he crept past crumbling stone altars. A guard's radio crackled with chatter about 'the package'—the GoldenEye key. Bond silenced the sentry and slipped through a hidden door, the temple's ancient walls now lined with steel and blinking electronics. Somewhere below, the key waited, guarded by men who thought their fortress impenetrable.
Reader's Guide
In Aztec, Bond must navigate from the jungle entrance through the temple's interior, facing guards, security cameras, and automated turrets. The mission's primary objective is to retrieve the GoldenEye satellite control key from a secure room. Secondary objectives include disabling the facility's security systems and eliminating key Janus personnel. The level features multiple paths, including a hidden underwater entrance and a ventilation shaft, rewarding exploration. Its significance lies in advancing the plot: without the key, Bond cannot stop Janus from using the GoldenEye satellite to target London. The mission ends with Bond escaping the facility as it self-destructs, setting up the climactic confrontation in the final level.
Did You Know?
- The Aztec level's design was inspired by the real-world Aztec ruins of Mexico, though no specific site is directly replicated.
- It is one of the most complex levels in *GoldenEye 007*, with multiple routes and hidden areas that affect mission completion time.
- The level's music, composed by Graeme Norgate, uses a distinctive tribal-inspired theme that contrasts with the facility's high-tech setting.
More in Story & Campaigns
Elsewhere in the GoldenEye universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record