Perfect Dark Zero Review

Rumoured as far back as 2000 on the GameCube when Nintendo and Rare were still closest of allies, Microsoftâ??s acquisition certainly panned the situation out a lot differently then it could have. Jumping past the heavily criticised anime styling on the Xbox, Joanna Dark finds herself labelled as the â??newâ? Master Chief with the weight of a legion of frenzied, first 360 adopters to support. However despite the instant comparisons to Bungieâ??s Xbox trend-setter Perfect Dark Zero is quite honestly everything that Halo is not â?“ in some ways some could have cause for concern, however by large Rare have worked wonders to rekindle that classic balance of frustration and addiction in equal measures.

Perfect Dark Zero takes the action back to before Joannaâ??s first critically acclaimed adventure on the Nintendo64 - its ties as the spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007 need little going over. The adventure closely follows Joannaâ??s journey to becoming a Perfect Agent in a sci-fi thriller centred on espionage, conspiracy and a mysterious global conflict naturally involving DataDyne. Naturally set as a prequel Perfect Dark Zero fills in a lot of details behind the establishment of the Dark Bail Bonds bounty-hunting outfit and also includes noticeable appearances such as Joannaâ??s father Jack Dark. In all fairness the storyline falls flat and rarely provides the main impetus to progress through the game, but thankfully the actual game hits the right spot on more then enough occasions and engages the player when the story doesnâ??t.

A lot of the game manages to retain a very close feel to that of GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. Those looking for a run-and-gun with the emphasis on action could be in for some disappointment, as Perfect Dark Zero maintains its predecessors focus on stealth, thought and to a certain degree puzzles â?“ however thatâ??s not to say the game doesnâ??t have its fair share of explosive moments. Many of the level designs retain that â??trial-and-errorâ? gameplay, whereby the focus forces the player to progress through the levels as the game designers see fit. This is most noticeable during an early stage where Joanna has to protect her father (who seems to have an absolutely atrocious shot) from a vantage point above; it can prove to be a frustrating experience at times but it does ensure the core gameplay provides plenty of variety in the many objectives that the developers have come up with. Thereâ??s little doubt the game is designed to keep players coming back to levels in order to perfect them, with a wide range of criteria tallying up an overall score for each level and online leaderboards to show exactly who the best is.

Much like GoldenEye and Perfect Dark before it Perfect Dark Zero does place emphasis on stealth mechanics, however unlike the likes of Splinter Cell it doesnâ??t provide the player with many tools to do this effectively. To their credit Rare have incorporated a Cover and Roll system, which swoops the camera from first to third-person on both occasions and allows Joanna to duck behind objects and make herself harder to hit in combat, however both techniques are fundamental at best, they certainly go no further then what weâ??ve seen in numerous other titles and we definitely could and should have had more. Hiding behind the cover of objects often brings as many problems as benefits, with unseen enemies often having a free shot at Joanna and the ability to peer around the object not being flexible enough.

Sadly the blend of action and stealth can feel a little awkward at times with the game either being one or the other with very little in between; as an example, a mistake during one of the gameâ??s more tense stages led to all hell being let loose. Typically we bemoan the state of AI however in Perfect Dark Zero the enemies intelligence borders on telepathic; an accidental fall to the lower levels should have provided a few seconds to hide away from the enemy, however barely enough time had passed for Joanna to rise to her knees before the soldiers came rushing down the stairs and around the corner, homing in on Joannaâ??s position with pinpoint accuracy and in the process helping to destroy any sense of immersion created by the believability of the game.

The trial-and-error gameplay is perhaps most noticeable by the need for players to be guided throughout the levels during the first couple of attempts by directional arrows. Often during the first encounter with a new stage youâ??ll have no indication where the next objective lies, so youâ??ll often just have to wait a set amount of time before the blue arrows pop up and highlight the correct direction. Again these exemplify the linear nature of the game and it can be frustrating to sit around and wait for the arrows; however Perfect Dark Zero is very much a game best played again and again until youâ??ve memorised every movement rather then first time through.

Itâ??s quite easy to look at the weaknesses of Perfect Dark Zero however thatâ??s not to say the game doesnâ??t manage to excite and entertain. Some of the boss encounters provide the visceral action needed from a shooter, whilst perseverance and practise are really rewarded in the game and youâ??ll find yourself enjoying the game the more you play. Thereâ??s a neat Taunt system which allows Joanna to issue quick retorts to the main characters she comes across, along with engaging in brief conversations with non-hostile characters. Bluffing, threatening or charming your way through the game actually has more influence on gameplay then the gimmicky nature suggests, opening up opportunities to deal extra damage or providing additional assistance during a mission.

One area that Perfect Dark Zero excels and remains true to its predecessor is in the weapons and gadgets Joanna manages to get her hands upon. Perfect Dark Zero goes one better then most shooters by offering an arsenal of weapons with many providing effective secondary and tertiary firing functions, whilst fans of the dual-wielding technique favoured in Bungieâ??s seminal sequel will also appreciate the setup in Perfect Dark Zero. Making its own stamp on the weapon setup Perfect Dark Zero allows Joanna a certain amount of weapon slots, with each weapon taking varying amounts of space; again itâ??s hardly revolutionary, but a nice twist on the traditional two-weapon technique introduced by Halo. Getting to know the finer points of the various weapons and the many different firing features actually becomes crucial to success in the game, with such examples as the shotguns helpful radar feature or the hologram of the CMP becoming absolutely essential to progressing through the game without too many stop and starts. Guns are so much more then just something to aim with and shoot in Perfect Dark Zero, it truly is a game for players to master when it comes to the finer details.

Despite looking gorgeous on the whole Perfect Dark Zero does feature a number of visual misgivings that hamper its status as the 360â??s defining launch title. Once again itâ??s a typical case of the game looking vastly superior on a HDTV setup, with the environments in particular featuring a great level of texture detail and overall style. Beyond the highly defined landscapes Perfect Dark Zeroâ??s most noticeable visual trick is a sublime motion blur that tinges the side of the screen during sharp turns and rapid movements; itâ??s wonderfully subtle and hard to notice unless youâ??re deliberately looking for it, however the effect helps to continue blurring the lines between videogame and reality to some extent. Equally thereâ??s some fantastic reload and melee attack animations with the various weapons Joanna gets her hands upon, which help to give Perfect Dark Zero that blockbuster feel. Bizarrely the vast majority of character models beyond the main characters look absolutely primitive, whilst the jerk of rag-doll physics shortly after death does suitably capture the involuntary post-death twitch but Iâ??m not entirely sure thatâ??s the result Rare were after.

Thankfully itâ??s the comprehensive multiplayer features that lift Perfect Dark Zero to being an almost essential launch title. Essentially multiplayer is broken down into two variations, namely Deathmatch and Dark Ops. Deathmatch provides the traditional split of multiplayer modes, ranging from the free-for-all Killcount and team variations, Capture the Flag and Territorial Gains. Dark Ops is in all but name Counter Strike; the slower and more tactical mode offers a variety of types including Eradication, Onslaught, Infection and Sabotage. In true CS tradition players can kit themselves up with new weapons, gadgets and armour in between rounds from the cash earned during the last game.

Perfect Dark Zero provides plenty of scope for multiplayer customisation and whilst the reduction to 32 players from 64 is disappointing, the game still manages to provide intense action and an enjoyable experience. The additions of AI bots is welcome for those wishing to practise, pad out a game or simply have no friends, however the scant vehicle offerings fail to improve in the multiplayer and itâ??s definitely an area that leaves you wanting for more. Most significantly Perfect Dark Zero offers online support in the shape of a fully realised co-op mode; whereas similar modes often provide a carbon copy of the main character, Perfect Dark Zero gets the drop on Epicâ??s Gears of War by putting the second player as a unique character in different circumstances with different objectives.