"This is the second reason you bought an N64"

If you've got an N64, chances are, you've got GoldenEye 007. If you haven't you've more than likely played It, and the reason is because it is one of the greatest First Person Shooters ever, not to mention one of the A list games on the N64. GoldenEye broke new boundaries as the first real first person shooter born from a console that actually was better than the majority of the PC offerings of the mid nineties, and one that didn't feature a futuristic or ancient backdrop to the storyline. Added top this, it was James Bond; probably the most underused and unfulfilled licenses up until 1997, and the stunning multiplayer modes. 3 Years on, the vastly talented developers, Rare, following from the loss of the 007 license have completed their own take on the first person shooter, Perfect Dark, the sort of sequel to GoldenEye.

Set far into the future, mankind's main enemy is not from within but from beyond our own solar system as a war between rival alien factions battle each other for dominance. Somehow, the datadyne corporation are involved in a shady conspiracy and the carrington institute, a spy school, are keeping taps on their corporate dealings. When a distress signal is released by their inside man in the corporation, the Carrington institute send in their top agent, Joanna 'Perfect' Dark, AKA You to investigate their corporate HQ. The first level which follows on from this sets the high standards and trends for what the game is known. Stealth is key here as you infilitrate the building silently killing enemy guards, but its not useful always, other missions rely on brute force and aggression and its pleasing that there are subtle differences in each level but also that you can pick the pace at which you want to play the game.

You'll be quite at home when playing Perfect Dark if you've been experienced at GoldnEye. Although the graphics are far more detailed, realistic and advanced than those in GoldenEye, Perfect Dark impresses with the game running at a very smooth frame rate and it does a great deal to showcase the power of the Nintendo 64. You'll recognize the controls, too, as they have been lifted by Rare from GoldenEye; they were impressive and versatile and were designed to get the very best feel when playing a first person shooter and that is definitely retained here. You'll be able to strafe with the C button; the Z button once more is used as the trigger, while aiming is achieve with the L and R shoulder buttons. The only problem you'll encounter with the controls is if you are left handed, and even then there are several alternate methods to help you out.

Graphically, the game is accomplished, stylish and has great attention to detail about it. Explosions roar and impress, the weapons are loud and have their own unique gunfire sounds. The varied locations Joanna visits on her adventure are a pleasure to shoot to pieces with a high powered rifle, are detailed and even better to explore all the hidden points and Easter eggs that rare have painstakingly placed at locations. The muzzle flares from weapons look great and add to the realism, while the characters themselves look realistic, especially in their faces and once more are very detailed. Although the enemy AI is far from perfect, the physics are much to be admired. Enemies will perform multiple animations when killed, some gruesome, others basic. Its not rag doll physics, but I felt the animations featured in Perfect Dark were of a high standard. Its also quite violent and a far cry from the timid bloodstains featured in GoldenEye. The blood is darker and stains enemies when shot as well as splattering on their surroundings, and I think the 18 (R) certificate is entirely justified.

Due to the games powerful engine and stunning visuals, it all comes at a price and that price is in Nintendo's expansion pak which is required to play 65% of the game, including the main single player missions; frankly, if you're getting Perfect Dark it is absolutely essential the Expansion Pak comes with your purchase otherwise you'll miss the most important part of the game. Even so, the 35% does offer multiplayer mode with sims so even if you don't/can't/won't get an expansion pak, there's actually much fun to be had in the game without the main game. And that's one of the reasons why Perfect Dark is such a special game – in effect you get two games, Solo missions and the multiplayer.

The Nintendo's obvious lack of online modes here is more than compensated with the addition of AI sims which you can battle in the games multiplayer arenas. They come in all forms, from the meat (Easy) sim; this is the guy you'll find struggling to walk through a door until you pop a bullet in his cranium, to the freakishly difficult Dark Sims; all you'll see of this guy is the fleeting flash of the muzzle flare from his gun, and then you press start to reopen. Aside from the sims, you can battle with sims and 3 other opponents. I've never played a multiplayer mode on a console first person shooter that has entranced and immersed and taken so many hours from my life me since Perfect Dark, its truly good honest fun. There are a wealth of modes which you can unlock and play ,capture the bag and one shot kills; the words that spring to mind when describing the experience of playing Perfect Dark are ‘terrific attention to detail and depth'; when you peer at the myriad of options in just multiplayer alone, any gamer ought to be impressed. Although it's a lot of fun, you can expect to suffer for four players on a screen and especially when there are explosions littering a stage; the frame rate drops considerably and suddenly.

If you thought GoldenEye had a lot of guns, Perfect Dark goes one better. The Sci Fi storyline has given rare license to create their own funky futuristic weapons. There is still a Revolver which can punch slugs through metal doors, an automatic shotgun and an Uzi style sub machine gun. But the more impressive weapons are a lot of fun to test drive. You'll wonder what the farsight Xr-20 does; well it's a heat seeking sniper rifle that can shoot laser beams through a level and hit people 3-4 corridors back; then there is the reaper which can best be described as an alien gatling gun. When you run out of ammo, the blades which churned out bullets turn in a fearsome lawnmower effect to attack your helpless foe. My only gripe with the weapons were that they were perhaps a little too sci fi and over the top, and once more, we don't get a decent Sniper Rifle as the in game cross hair is too restrictive and slow to be of much use for hitting distant opponents, expect when it is in stealth.

Aside from the combat simulator (Multiplayer) and single player modes, you are treated with many more options than you can count in Perfect Dark; there is so much depth to the game that you will wonder how they could ever fit everything onto the cartridge. There are multiplayer challenges to sink your teeth into which are used to unlock further features in multiplayer, as well as a co-op mode in single player which although suffers poor slowdown at times is good fun, as is the ingenious and interesting counter op feature – 2nd player takes on persona of multiple guards and works with the enemies to hunt and kill Joanna Dark. You'll also be able to have sim buddies to help you out with the aid of cheats. And the cheats form a large part of the game's replay value, as, like Goldeneye, there are PAR cheats to be obtained on each level. There are some old favorites from Goldeneye to be found such as big heads and paintball, as well as the standard invincibility, invisibility and all weapons. Playing through the game with, and tinkering with these cheats add a whole new dimension to the game and keep the fun factor going for months. Added to this replay value is the opportunity to increase your multiplayer rank over a time, and there are 3 difficulty levels to test your skill on, each one unlocking new objectives the harder difficulty you play so effectively each level makes the game different and you'll want to play them all to get the best out of the game.

Despite the game being a great experience and highly enjoyable and with a wealth of options, the main fault I found was with its unfulfilling storyline. I just didn't like the sci fi elements and found that a large part of the story very cheesy and as a result a lot of the levels and the single player experience suffered; for instance, later in the game some of the levels are dull and uninspiring and I felt the game deserved better – they didn't live up to the standards of quality established earlier in the game nor did they do it justice. Also, I was dismayed at the lack of boss battles in the game. Rare didn't really feature any in GoldenEye either. Not only that, but there is an astonishing lack of named bad guys that you can fight in a level; more often than not it is simply a case of battling 30-40 normal guards, a few more powerful ones and nothing more than that.

If Goldeneye was the reason you bought your N64, Perfect Dark ought to be the second reason. Perfect Dark is a better game than Goldeneye, and has added greatly to every conceivable area to make this the fine experience that it is, and that is no mean feat. Perfect Dark is instantly playable, terrific fun to play in all its game modes, looks exceptional and has a stunning amount of depth which will keep most players coming back for many, many months to come. Simply put, Perfect Dark is a terrific game, one of the best on the N64 and certainly will take pride of place in the hall of fame as one of the best first person shooters of all time.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/07/06