Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 was an awesome game, there’s no denying that. Now however, Rare has an exclusive partnership with Microsoft, and have produced a sequel to the original game. It’s safe to say, that overall, this new game is much better then the original.
In Perfect Dark Zero, you assume the role of Joanna Dark, daughter of Jack Dark. You are part of a bounty hunter business. The story moves across 13 single-player missions. It must be said though, that the plot is paper-thin. Don’t expect long drawn out cut scenes, you’ll be in huge gunfights for most of the game’s missions. The lackluster plot is acceptable, because the action is intense. You’ll have to be on your guard constantly on the Dark Agent difficulty. Along with playing the campaign solo, you and a friend can either hook up through Xbox LIVE or play on split-screen cooperatively through the campaign. I prefer the co-op, simply because you have a friend to back you up.
Now, what would a Perfect Dark game be without outstanding multiplayer? Perfect Dark Zero has two different multiplayer modes, Death match and Dark-Ops. Each of these categories has 4 different types of multiplayer game play. Death match includes Kill count, Team Kill count, Capture the Flag and Territorial Gains, four classic multiplayer types. DarkOps is a more modern type of combat, and the types of gameplay include Eradication, Infection, Sabotage and Onslaught. Eradication has to be my favorite, because the game play is much like Counter-Strike, in where you buy weapons with credits before a round and eliminate the other team. The multiplayer aspect of this game is what saves the game from being average. Along with these multiplayer types, vehicles are also included. The Jetpak is a single-pilot mini-mech, that look like the mechs from Matrix Revolutions. The Hovercraft can hold 2, a pilot and a gunner. These vehicles are vital in combat and can sometimes decide victory or defeat.
The graphics are, as expected, incredible. The environments and attention to detail in the reloading and weapons is incredible. The only problem graphics wise are the character models, which at times seem to be a bit too glossy. Other then that, this is one sweet package. There’s almost no difference when switching from SDTV to HDTV however. This is good for people without HDTV. All you SDTV users, your not missing out on much here. Rare focused on making this game look awesome on both SDTV and HDTV. With either setup, your getting a high-quality game.
The audio is PDZ is just slightly above average. The guns sound great, but the music is pretty boring and “meh”, except for the one track “Limelight”, this game’s music is hardly anything special. Good thing for custom soundtracks on the 360!
There’s a LARGE selection of guns in the game, ranging from Pistols, SMGs, Rifles, Heavy Weapons and Explosives. There’s also a sword, but don’t worry, it’s definitely not as cheap as the one in Halo 2. with this sword, you can’t lunge about 20 feet and get a one hit kill. My favorite weapon at the moment is the DW-P5, an SMG that has a flashlight and scope. The guns in this game are very unique and all have secondary functions, and some even have a third. The gun selection is great, and should please any FPS fan.
The controls, while still not as smooth as the Mouse/Keyboard combo, are decent. It’s fairly easy to move around and aim, and of course you can always adjust your control settings. Here’s where I have the one problem with PDZ’s controls. The players move incredible slow unless they have their fists out. Sometimes if feels as if your crouched because your moving so slow, and this isn’t because of lag or frame-rate trouble. PDZ has a weight system, so, for example, if your holding a heavy machine gun, your going to walk REALLY slow, while a pistol will only slow you down a tiny bit. It gets really annoying sometimes when your trying to chase someone and they’re much faster because they aren’t wielding a heavy machine gun.
Overall, I think Perfect Dark Zero is a great game. The somewhat average single player campaign is overshadowed by the awesome multiplayer and co-op modes. It’s not as good as say, Call Of Duty 2, but it’s definitely a winner.
Original Rating: 4 Stars
