Perfect Dark Zero

"Mediocrity done right."

Perfect Dark. The name itself is synonymous with achievement. Quite possibly the best N64 game returns to the Xbox 360 full of hype, but it doesn't come close to matching the original.

Sound: 6

Whether it's the terrible voice acting, the lame music (what happened Rare? This has always been your strong point!), the multiplayer announcer...the overall sound of the game is sub par. Hearing Joanna grunt like a pig when shot isn't exactly mood-fitting, either. The only saving grace is the sound of the gunfire. I suppose that's enough to warrant this category a 6.

Graphics: 8

Okay. Am I the only person that feels that this game is confused? The environments look GORGEOUS. The character models themselves are a joke. Rare: Please decide if you're going cartoony or realistic. Mixing them hurts my soul. Up close, the models look able to be done on the original Xbox. The levels though are stunning. The motion blur as you turn is a nice addition, too. I love the normal mapping on rocks.

Story: 2

Single player has NO story. You get a 30sec. intel before a level, and a cutscene before you begin that has nothing to do with anything. To wrap a level up, another generic cutscene sends you out as confused as you came in. It's so random and jumpy I was confused what was going on for EVERY BIT of the game. Terrible.

Gameplay: 7

The ONLY reason I'm giving gameplay a 7 is because of multiplayer. Single player feels so linear. Bots are stiff and are completely stupid. Difficulty really doesn't matter here, because the same tactics: let them know you're there, then take cover around a corner and wait on them to come, work EVERY time.

Multiplayer has a few decent options, with some new twists on "Zombies" from Halo 2. Infection is the name, and it's actually pretty fun to play when you aren't on the same server as team killing 12 year olds. Another decent feature of multiplayer is the sound-oriented radar. If you're silent, you won't show up. Therefore, secondary functions such as silencers and weapons that affect the radar are actually useful. Rare has also promised downloadable content, which will at least make up for the map shortcomings. They're too generic and there's not enough of them. What happened to the maps that were "MILES" in length? Empty promises.

Rare had also promised "fully destructible" environments. Let me tell you something, Rare. Blowing up a car or a conveniently placed explosive barrel DOES NOT mean fully destructible. Stop making promises if you can't back them up. Whatever happened to the motorcycle, too?

Overall: 7

It's decent and worth a rental only if you're into multiplayer. Don't look for anything new though. There's not a single thing in PD:Z that hasn't been done before and better in other shooters. Without multiplayer, this is a 5. This is a love it or hate it game. For me, I feel I'm being VERY giving by allowing this a 7. Try it for yourself before you listen to anyone, whether it be about buying, or steering clear.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/06