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PERFECT DARK ZERO (X360)
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Publisher: Microsoft.
Developer: Rare. Released: December 2005. Genre: FPS. Posted 20th March 2021. By Shane Battams © 2021 |
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A leading launch title for a new system and a follow-up to one of the great console shooters. A long-in-development project from a British studio synonymous with quality. Perfect Dark Zero had big shoes to fill. Rare’s FPS came with excessive hype and would fit within the Xbox 360’s launch window, with many hoping it’d be the killer app that would show what the new generation of hardware was capable of. In the 15 years since, Zero has instead become something of a punchbag: a warning against over-expectation, a magnet to derision from many players. But is there more to it than we remember?
In 2000, Perfect Dark was lauded for its qualities and some of these did transition to Zero five years later. The assortment of weaponry proves a great selling point, with a wide range of armaments ranging from the more traditional to the extraordinary. Jo can dual-wield pistols, plant Laptop assault rifles as turrets and wipe out enemies with the Plasma Rifle. Weapons come with secondary firing modes, encouraging experimentation, though in a bit of a backwards step, you’re limited in the number of guns you can carry. This means you can often wield only two pistols and an SMG, one rifle and a shotgun or a singular heavy weapon. Shooting, on the whole, feels weighty and smooth, benefiting from a better frame rate than its N64 counterpart, though some aspects like the awkward cover system, unbalanced roll mechanic and A.I. deficiencies leave you feeling a touch short-changed.
Perfect Dark Zero disappoints with its lacklustre story and patchy campaign, but does feature excellent multiplayer options
A narrative prequel to Perfect Dark, Zero follows the earlier exploits of Miss Joanna Dark, in the not too distant future of 2020. Working as a bounty hunter with her father and a hacker called Chandra, the team begin to search for a researcher captured by the Hong Kong triad, only to find their exploits spread to a global scale. The story is pretty weak, with hammy dialogue and corny characters that feel disconnected from the N64 original. Lame twists aren’t explored fully, and it mostly serves as an excuse to move Joanna between distinct looking locales. It’s a disappointing prelude to a story that while far from Oscar-worthy, was still a lot of fun.
The campaign itself is a strange beast, meshing elements of the previous game with a lot of straightforward objectives, at least compared to shooters of this ilk. While optional objectives appear, and more become mandatory once you up the difficulty, they feel like something of an afterthought. Worse, though, is the confusing level design which had to be patched to include directions, because navigating through a level sometimes felt like a chore without guidance. It lacks replay value due to this, as most players may tire of slogging through these after a single go. The difficulty, though, retains the sharp edge of the previous game, with tough shootouts punctuated by – often – a singular mid-mission checkpoint, depending on the difficulty. Dark Agent is the stuff of nightmares. Co-op returns too though, allowing you to play through the entire game with a friend, and it’s quite inventively implemented for its time, seeing the partner take the role of A.I. companions you’d have to defend solo. It works well and adds incentive to come back for more.
The campaign itself is a strange beast, meshing elements of the previous game with a lot of straightforward objectives, at least compared to shooters of this ilk. While optional objectives appear, and more become mandatory once you up the difficulty, they feel like something of an afterthought. Worse, though, is the confusing level design which had to be patched to include directions, because navigating through a level sometimes felt like a chore without guidance. It lacks replay value due to this, as most players may tire of slogging through these after a single go. The difficulty, though, retains the sharp edge of the previous game, with tough shootouts punctuated by – often – a singular mid-mission checkpoint, depending on the difficulty. Dark Agent is the stuff of nightmares. Co-op returns too though, allowing you to play through the entire game with a friend, and it’s quite inventively implemented for its time, seeing the partner take the role of A.I. companions you’d have to defend solo. It works well and adds incentive to come back for more.
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But really, the highlight of Zero is its multiplayer suite. Divided into Deathmatch and Dark Ops, with some modes allowing up to 16 players to join, there’s a lot of settings and tweaks which give it longevity. For starters, you can add in bots to substitute for real players, and you can tweak their difficulty, behavioural patterns and team placement, proving a lot of fun. The options are great, with more traditional modes mixing with outlandish types such as Infection, with those starting infected tasked with killing and infecting any others remaining, turning it into a tense game of cat-and-mouse. The map design is often smart, with small touches such as Tower’s snow-caked landscape proving ideal for snipers. It proves a lot of fun, whether you’re duking it out with artificial intelligence or real-life players, or any mix of the above.
As a showcase for the Xbox 360, Perfect Dark Zero does levy quite a bit of power against its early competitors, though not all is glamorous. The environments are dense, with intricate detail and interactive objects galore, but texture surfaces are uncannily shiny, taking you out of the game a bit. Characters are mixed, with the main cast looking detailed and natural while enemies look flat and a touch strange, especially up close. Cut-scenes, utilising a touch of motion blur, disguise this somewhat, but it’s still noticeable. The frame rate, though infinitely smoother than Perfect Dark, does have a tendency to slow down frequently, especially with big explosions and taxing split-screen moments. But for its time, it did represent a step above the previous gen. The sound fares well, especially the potent gunfire which ricochets off the environment. Voice-work is fairly middling, not helped by a hammy script, and the music isn’t quite as memorable as Rare’s previous work, though some tracks do stand out as catchy.
As a showcase for the Xbox 360, Perfect Dark Zero does levy quite a bit of power against its early competitors, though not all is glamorous. The environments are dense, with intricate detail and interactive objects galore, but texture surfaces are uncannily shiny, taking you out of the game a bit. Characters are mixed, with the main cast looking detailed and natural while enemies look flat and a touch strange, especially up close. Cut-scenes, utilising a touch of motion blur, disguise this somewhat, but it’s still noticeable. The frame rate, though infinitely smoother than Perfect Dark, does have a tendency to slow down frequently, especially with big explosions and taxing split-screen moments. But for its time, it did represent a step above the previous gen. The sound fares well, especially the potent gunfire which ricochets off the environment. Voice-work is fairly middling, not helped by a hammy script, and the music isn’t quite as memorable as Rare’s previous work, though some tracks do stand out as catchy.
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Perfect Dark Zero can certainly be viewed as disappointing, not quite living up to the expectations set by its developer and falling short to some shooters from the same year, most notably TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. But on its own merits, proficient shooting and engaging weaponry keep combat satisfying, even if the haphazardly-designed campaign and weak story do not. The multiplayer proves a huge selling point, with immense customisation and a plethora of fun modes kept alive by bots. While it’s not quite the giant leap some were expecting from this launch title, going in with an open mind may leave you pleasantly surprised.
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VERDICT
"Perfect Dark Zero keeps you satisfied with proficient shooting and engaging weaponry. It’s let down by a disappointing story and haphazard level design, though the multiplayer is an immense amount of fun.” OVERALL: 6/10 |