Perfect Dark Zero

"Perfect Dark Zero: You get what you put into it."

First off, let me just say that I have NEVER played the original Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64. I know, I know. I missed out on one of the greatest console multi-player experiences of all time. However, it should be dually noted that I DID play the heck out of Goldeneye and I still consider it to be one of the finest examples of a console shooter ever concocted. So, it goes without saying (despite me saying it now) that my love for Rare is quite strong, for lack of better words.

Enough about the past though, let's fast-forward to today. Here we are, once again, in the age of the "next generation" of gaming. Microsoft has pulled a proverbial ace out of its sleeve and launched their newest system (the Xbox 360) into the foray well before any of their competitors. While doing so has given them a distinct advantage presently, it remains to be seen how well their technological specifications and such will hold up in comparison to the Sony PS3 and even the Nintendo Revolution, both of which are slated for release in the not-so-distant future.

Thankfully, to hold us over until those systems arrive thus allowing us to make our final judgment, M$ has provided us with a plethora of above average to even GREAT launch titles to help sway those who still have their doubts. Perfect Dark Zero happens to be one in the latter echelon (that means it's GREAT, in my opinion of course). Don't worry, beginning with the next paragraph, I'll be more than happy to elaborate on how I came to this conclusion, so don't stop reading just yet.

The Story - You know... the reason you're actually playing through the game.

Be warned, Rare has never been known for taking their stories or plots too seriously and PDZ (that's an acronym for Perfect Dark Zero :-P) is no exception. I don't want to bore you with the details of the story itself, but I will say that it's nothing you haven't seen before and will see again countless other times in other games, movies, and so on. It's an action game, so expect an action-driven progression with very little substance or mettle if you will. So, to put it lightly, the story isn't god-awful, but I assure you it won't receive any nominations for any awards outside of cheesiest/most dramatic over-acting EVER. Hehe.

The Graphics - Is this game pretty?

To answer the above question, YES! This game really shows what the Xbox 360 is capable of. From the OUTSTANDING gun models, to the lush environments, this game has it "going on". While some of the graphical touches are rather subtle, I challenge anyone to keep their jaw from dropping when they grab the Jackal Sniper Rifle and zoom in across a MASSIVE bridge in one of the later levels and try to pick out which of the tons of baddies to off first, all the while having mortar blasts literally rocking their entire surroundings. It truly is a visceral experience, one of many to be had throughout the game. Honestly. there's not much to find visually unappealing about PDZ. Sure, the animations could be a tad better, the character models a bit more detailed, and there are occasional dips in the frame-rate, but overall, this game simply looks GOOD, really GOOD.

The Sound - What's better than a good looking game? A good looking AND sounding game!

Ok, I'll admit it. I don't pay a lot of attention to sound in a game. Actually, I take that back. The only time I really pay attention to sound and/or sound effects is if it's just horribly horrible. As in, when I shoot a steel beam and it sounds like I'm smacking an empty bucket, then I might take note, otherwise, I'm not really thinking much about it. In PDZ, I didn't pay a lot of attention to the sounds, which from my previous statement, is a good thing. I know that when I shoot various objects or structures the corresponding sounds are reverberated back to me and that's all that matters. The voice-acting, which I alluded to in the Story section isn't all peachy though. I think it's really a matter of context. Given the style of the game and it's lack of all seriousness, I guess you could say the voice-acting fits the bill. Just don't go into the game expecting to be utterly moved by the dialogue that takes place and you'll be fine. What about the music though? The in-game soundtrack does lend itself quite well to the action or lack thereof that takes place throughout the game, but it's really irrelevant considering that you can have anything you'd like to consider music playing in the background thanks to the intuitive custom soundtrack feature present in all Xbox 360 games. There's nothing better than shooting baddies in the grill while a fruity European Pop song is blasting in the background. :-D

The Gameplay - You didn't just buy a next-gen console for the graphics, right?

*Single-player/Co-op*: As far as the campaign or "missions" are concerned, this game is pretty standard fair for a first person shooter. You'll complete various objectives like infiltrating facilities, eavesdropping on conversations had by the bad guys, providing cover fire for allies and generally just shooting stuff up (it is a "shooter" after all). That's not all though. Not only will you be trading gunfire with henchmen and even "bosses" on some stages, but you'll be doing so while employing a variety of cool and useful moves at your disposal. With the implementation of the roll and cover maneuvers, a new layer of strategy has been added to the tried and tested shoot and strafe battles that we've grown so accustomed to. Imagine capping a thug in the head with the last few rounds in your FAC-16 Assault Rifle and then realizing there are two other punks creeping up behind you. Instinctively, you hit the Left Bumper (LB) and roll behind a dumpster and switch to your DEF-12 Shotgun. You press 'A' to go into cover mode while crouched behind the dumpster and calmly watch and wait as your foes approach. Once they're within range, you press the Right Trigger (RT) and pop out from your concealed position and greet them both with a chest full of buckshot. Thanks to the power and impact of the aforementioned buckshot, one guy goes flying backwards to land against a rail and slumps into a lifeless heap while the other guy grabs his abdomen and falls forward in agony. Sounds like fun, right? Take that fun, multiply it by two and the product is the very well integrated co-op mode. Not only can you overcome all of the regular enemy encounters with a partner, but in some stages, you'll actually take different paths, which intertwine throughout the stage, to get to the same ultimate objective. Needless to say, this provides for a very immersive and immensely enjoyable experience.

*Multi-player*: Perhaps the most scrutinized aspect of PDZ is its multi-player. A majority of this scrutiny comes from the fact that the original PD set the bar so high that it would be a slap in the face of the fans if Rare didn't live up to the expectations set forth by their previous venture. Fortunately, for those with an open-mind and some patience, Rare did slap us, with another great installment of their classic series. The reason I mention the open-mindedness and patience is simply because the learning curve for this game is so steep that most people will be turned off by that alone. Also, factor in that for the past 4 years everyone who has played console shooters has undoubtedly put a significant amount of time into Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, and it's easy to see why PDZ might not seem that entertaining at first. I, one of the biggest Halo fanboys of all time, was even a bit taken aback when I first started playing PDZ's multi-player. It felt sluggish and unintuitive in comparison to the Halo series and I didn't like it. However, I kept an open mind and quickly shook the notion of drawing any comparisons between the two franchises (outside of them both being "shooters") out of my head and continued playing. Almost instantaneously, I began to enjoy the game more and more. Not long after my epiphany I decided that playing with Bots, despite providing quite a challenge yet seeming somewhat cheap in knowing where you're at at all times, wouldn't cut it any longer and I decided to jump on Xbox LIVE. This is where I fell in LOVE. Although I can't be 100% sure, if I could pinpoint the moment that I realized that this was THE next big game for me, I think it would have to be when I played my third or fourth game of Team Killcount on the map Urban and my team set up camp in the parking garage to the right of our spawn base and proceeded to annihilate any and all visitors that came our way. There were sentry guns (secondary function of the Laptop Gun) on the pillars directly in front of the only access route to the garage, two guys on the upper level peppering the other team as they scrambled out of their spawn base to rush us, all the while I was hunkered down next to the ramp with the shottie waiting for anyone who managed to withstand the barrage of sentry fire. It truly was a beautiful thing. After that game, just the thought of all the tactical possibilities was making me a little more excited than a video game should make a fellow and I eagerly jumped into my next game knowing that a new addiction had taken over.

Replay Value - Rent or Buy?

This is a no-brainer for me at least. Take the above-average single-player experience, add the incredibly fun and rewarding co-op experience, then add the insanely addictive multi-player and the option to add bots to fill in when you can't round up a full crew for a game, and top it off with the music of your choice, and you've got a MUST BUY title. I would recommend this game to anyone who is even considering getting an Xbox 360. Some would say that this isn't the "Killer App" for the next generation, but I beg to disagree. If you go into this game without any preconceived notions or unfounded expectations, you WILL enjoy this game. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of doing this. So, if you're looking for the next "Halo" or you've not got the patience to truly get into this game and appreciate it for what it is, I think a rental would be your best bet and you can go from there.

~I sincerely hope you've enjoyed my review. Feel free to let me know what you thought of it.

-PeRf3cTi0n

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/05