March 18th, 2008 by Banjo-Conker

Joanna Dark returns in this prequel to one of the Nintendo 64′s most popular games. But does this Xbox 360 launch title provide the same appeal as the original? Hmm, let’s find out!

General Info/Story: Perfect Dark Zero takes place years before the events of the Nintendo 64 version. After a relatively brief training mission, the game features Joanna going on her first live assignment with her pappy, Jack Dark. Eventually, this leads to her joining the Carrington Institute. Y’know, those folks she worked for in the first game. When first hearing that Perfect Dark Zero was going to be a prequel, I had hopes of a deep, engaging storyline. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Instead, the game provides lackluster voice acting, and a script that I found laughably dull. So, perhaps it’s not the story itself I found so boring, but rather the way it was delivered. That said, I wasn’t really sure as to what was going on throughout the plot. I never understood what I was doing, or specifically why I was doing it. Of course, I knew what my general goal was, but there’s very little to no character development in this game.

Gameplay/Replay Value: Zero is saved primarily by its gameplay, as that is obviously what is most important. The controls are intuitive, and the mission objectives become more complicated as you crank up the difficulty settings. This adds a bit more depth and replayability to the singleplayer campaign.

As you complete missions with individual weapons, you’ll be able to start levels with what’s been added to your arsenal. The majority of the weapons from the original game have returned in Perfect Dark Zero. Ontop of that, the singleplayer mode is Co-Operatively playable-in its entirety-via Xbox LIVE or Splitscreen.

Incase you get bored of the Campaign Mode, however, the game also has an in-depth multiplayer component, which features a relatively basic set of game modes. These include (Team)Killcount, Capture the Flog, and Territories. Interestingly enough, the game features the ability to add bots, regardless of whether or not you’re playin’ with buddies.

The Dark Ops games, while they don’t allow bots, are what I find to be the better half of Perfect Dark Zero’s multiplayer mode. My favorite of these would have to be Infection, in which a couple of skeletons (which spawn with nothing more than a pistol) are sent out to eliminate the rest of the party. If ever you’re killed by one of the “Infected”, you become one of them. When you’re one of the only poor saps left, it can get pretty intense fairly quickly.

Graphics: Though not quite up to the standards of, say, Gears of War or Halo 3, Perfect Dark Zero remains one of the better looking titles on the Xbox 360, which is pretty impressive considering it’s a launch game. The lighting is crisp and beautiful, although some may find the enviornments to be a little too shiny.

The same cannot be said for the cinematics in the singleplayer mode, however. Specifically, the character animations are really awkward. Even in-game, the corpses of your enemies will sometimes flutter up and down the ceiling.

The level designs are, to say the least, extremely diverse. You’ll fight your way through snow-covered mountains, city streets, underwater bases, night clubs, temples, jungles, you name it! Infact, the only enviornment you’ll play through twice throughout the entire experience is the underwater base.

Pros and Cons
+Diverse level designs
+Addictive Multiplayer
-Weak Plot
-Awkward Character Animations

Scores
Story 5.0: While it did give a clever premise, the story fails to provide any twists or character development throughout. If you’re searching for an engrossing plot during Perfect Dark Zero’s singleplayer campaign, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Gameplay/Replay Value 9.5: The game plays fairly similar to the original Perfect Dark. Tack on the ability to play Campaign mode co-opeveratively, along with the vast erray of multiplayer modes, and you’ve got the makings of a smash hit.

Sound 7.0: The gun sound effects are impressive, and the sounds heard throughout the jungle/forest-based enviornments give the game a greater sense of immersion. The voice acting and music, however, is pretty disappointing.

Graphics 8.5: Coupled with crisp textures and sweet gun design, Perfect Dark Zero is arguably one of the prettiest titles on Microsoft’s two-year-old console. It may not be as gorgeous as some of the more recent titles to hit the Xbox 360, though it’s atleast worth checking out for its visuals.

Overall Score: 7.5 (C)