Perfect Dark Zero Member Review for the Xbox360

Here is review 2/3 of the 360 reviews. Of the three games I played (Condemned, Tony Hawk, and Perfect Dark), this one was the one I was most excited to do. Memories of Perfect Dark for the N64 were definitly in my head as I played this, and fortunatly and unfortanatly, I found it very similar to the origonal game,along with Halo.

At least the plot makes sense at first, you got to save your dad from random bad guys who want the codes in his head. Better than the aliens who came down from the sky out of nowhere in the first one at least. Mind you I only played the first 2 levels, but after doing that, I noticed a lot of patterns. And after playing the multiplayer, I can see what Rare was trying to do.


Graphics- Once again the X-Box 360 proves that they lead in the graphic department. Joanna herself looks really nice and detailed, although a bit cartoonish since her last outing. Plus the enviorments look great, but are extremely repetitive and kind of boring. It was annoying to keep getting sidetracked and lost in mazes and jungles and corridors which all look the same. Not the best level desgin ever made either. When you FIND your location, it looks like a random generated room which doesn't fit at all. To much style, not enough substance, but it at least get's the job done.

Final Score- B

Gameplay- Simple controls at least, point and shoot style like all shooters. What got me the most was the way your guns have the second functions, like in the origonal game. Loved that, but even that could not make up for the other aspects. The AI is horrible, the game is to linear, and the single player is not really fun to play unless you do it co-op. In all honesty, this works like a Halo game over Perfect Dark, except the enemies are dumb and the corridors are one pathway. The problem is Halo itself was a flawed single-player game, this is an extremely flawed single player game. Not a good start.

Final Score- D+

Sound- Very simple, future-sounding music, and really nice gun effects, but the enemy voices were horrid, and the voice acting was decent. All in all not to bad, but not to good here.

Final Score- C

Satisfaction- I was really upset by the single player campaign. It is almost not worth it with all the problems and simplicity in it. I am, however, impressed by the Multiplayer aspect. The Dark Ops and Infection mode kept me busy for the hour I did it with my friends, and the varied guns were nice to use in that. All in all, Rare is going after the Microsoft audience now, not the whole picture it seems. The game has a ton of problems, and it plays more like a cheaper Halo than anything else. Rare is 0-3 on Microsoft's 2 systems now, which is not a good track record, considering almost all the games they made for the SNES, N64 and Gamecube were really good.

I really wanted to like this, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped to. A decent effort, but the execution was hit and miss and just not working out.

Final Score- C


Final Grade- C-