Perfect Dark Zero

"Perfect Dark Zero- Why I bought a 360."

Ah yes, Perfect Dark Zero. The sequel, or prequel I guess, to the smash hit that was Perfect Dark. That was a bit obvious, but oh well. Anyway, this game has undergone some harsh remarks because of how great the first one was. I, having never played the first one, will give you an unbiased review.

Graphics:

Ok, this game is for the Xbox 360, the most powerful machine on the market. So it's going to look good. No, great actually. This game has superb frame-rate. I didn't have any issues with it. No stutters or anything. That just makes a game 2 times more enjoyable. It lets you really immerse yourself in the experience. And the actual graphics are top-notch. The lighting effects are done perfectly. The light even reflects off of the guns. I literally said “Wow” when I first saw that happen. It is just so well done. The level designs though, they are just so bland. Well, not bland as in bad looking, but bland as in repetitive. It's not as bad as Halo, but it still is pretty boring. There aren't many ways you can make an underground laboratory, but you get my point.

The character models aren't that good. They are rendered well, but their actions are so horrible. Like the lip-syncing for example, not good. And you face the same few models of enemies in each level. Now to what I mentioned before, their actions. Enemies are pretty stupid in terms of AI, but that is not my gripe. My problem is that when you kill them, they become lifeless dolls. Their bodies fall so unrealistically, and they get caught on walls all of the time. It doesn't take away from enjoying the game, but it's annoying to look at. But all in all, this game looks great, most likely the best I've ever seen in a game. So it earns a high score.

9/10

Sound:

This is a tough section to review, but I'll manage.

Ok, I'll start with the voice-overs. One phrase can describe them; Over-the-top. Everyone's voice is taken from one stereotype or another. Like “Asian villain” or “Foreigner.” But these aren't necessarily bad. The game has a whole cartoony look and feel to it. Not cartoony like Wind Waker, but cartoony like Timesplitters. So those kind of voices fit with the game, and are good in my book. Now for the music. When you have music, it's great. Many adventurous or stealthy scores in this game that set the mood great. But that is just when you have music. In the multiplayer modes, and some parts of single player missions, there is no music at all, just the sounds of the environment and your opponents. And I really hate that. I want some catchy music, not birds chirping. But this is pretty rare in single player, which is what you'll be playing the most. So it's a minor inconvenience. Otherwise, the sound is nothing special.

7/10

Game play:

Now this is where this puppy shines. It is just so much damn fun to play this, even when you lose. They added some new things to the FPS genre that really kick ass. And by some new things, I mean 2. But they still kick ass. One is being able to dodge. May not sound like much, but rolling out of the way is very effective when dodging enemy fire. The other is taking cover. All you do is press the A button the hide against a wall or under a ledge. You then enter a 3rd person mode where you look over the edge using cross hairs. You can then duck out, fire and return safely. Really does a wonder in multiplayer. But for right now, I'll describe the single player for you.

Ok, let me just say that this game is hard! Very, very hard. And I'm only playing on normal. But the thing is, I can play this game all day, win or lose. It's always fun. And you get such a sense of accomplishment with every level beaten. And in addition to this game being hard, the levels are very long. And you only get about 1 or 2 check points throughout one level, so you really want to avoid dieing. But there is a plethora of side missions in each level so that you'll be finding out how to do them with each replay. Another aspect of the single player is the single-multi-player. It basically is playing the multiplayer games against bots. Not really that fun, but it'll keep you entertained if need be.

Now getting to the multiplayer, it is a freaking blast. Most of it comes from the experience of playing with your friends, though. You know, screaming at each other and boasting with each kill. I haven't had a chance to play on Live though, because I don't have an Internet connection to the 360. So I can't tell you about that. I also couldn't try out the co-op, but I've heard that it is a blast. So I'm keeping my hopes high for it.

The game play in this game is really solid, and it'll keep you coming back for a long time. (Mainly because of the difficulty) So I'll give it the great score of…

9/10

Replayability:

There is something you should know about all 360 games, they have little challenges for you to do that are worth gamer points. I don't know what these points do officially, but they make you look good at games. Anyway, PDZ has about 50 challenges for you to complete for points. Whether they be 10 kills, 10 flag captures or beating the game on hard, they will give you something to strive for. So with a set goal that'll earn you something, it's a great way to get more bang for your buck. And like I said, the multiplayer is great with friends. Not everyone will want to do all of the challenges though, but I'll give this the benefit of the doubt…

7/10

Story:

I can tell that Rare didn't really strive to make a great story, so I won't grade them on something that wasn't important to them. Or to me, for that matter.

N/A

Rent or Buy:

Buy this game. It is the greatest 360 game available, edging out Call of Duty 2 by a hair. You'll have much fun for a long time with this, and you won't regret the purchase.

Closing comments:

I love this game, plain and simple. It is almost required to own this if you buy a 360. I like to think of it as, Halo's stepbrother. And if you're skeptical, the least you can do is rent it, and just try it out. You'll thank yourself in the end.

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/06