Perfect Dark Zero – XBox 360
It’s been quite a long time since we have heard about the 3D version of Perfect Dark. That is because the N64 was the last system to show us this magnificant game. Rare did develop a Game Boy version of the game, which is kind of similar to the one being released for the XBox 360. Ever since Rare developed the hit Goldeneye for the N64, gamers have been awaiting the arrival of Perfect Dark Zero. Perfect Dark for the N64 was in fact very similar to Goldeneye, so a sequel wasn’t in Rare’s thoughts. Rare thought a prequel would be more suitable for this type of game, so they place Joanna Dark three years before her debut on the N64. Even though it has been many years since Perfect Dark Zero has yet to be developed for a system, we will have to wait a little bit longer, since the XBox 360 hasn’t even been released yet.
The single player wasn’t really shown that much, but the multiplayer was shown a lot. Normally at demo’s, the framerate is a little choppy, and they don’t usually use the system itself. As good as I have seen Rare’s Perfect Dark Zero, I can tell you this game will be true to it’s name. In Perfect Dark Zero, the multiplayer will be fully customizable. You can change the bot count, bot difficulty, points limit, weapon types, and much more. When you are playing on XBox Live, hosts can allow people to join or leave the game without any problem. Many Live owners will love that feature of this game. Another feature Rare explained to many gamers was how many people will be allowed to join a game at once. This wasn’t for sure yet, but Rare would like to go over 50 if they can. If that happens, this would be such a great way to get to know other people, and blast your enemies… Literally!
Vehicles include motorcycles, hovercraft, and jetpacks. The jetpack will function as both a flying vehicle and a bipedal machine armed with a cannon. The motorcycle will function as a motorcycle, two wheels of course, and a nice detail to it. The hovercraft will be a waterbased vehicle, with weapons attached to it. You will be allowed to shoot from the vehicles. The jetpack was probably the nicest detailed model in the game. The way the jetpack landed, and took off was very nicely done.
Maps in the game are very massive. I got to see a few of the maps, and they look to be three times bigger than the N64 version. Bigger maps equal a bigger userbase, so if you plan on playing online, you can add many more users to the level making it a huge slugfest. When a person dies, you will be spawned into a safe room, where you can reload any weapons you wish. Rare decided they wanted to go this way, because people were complaining how they would die and spawn up in a hotzone. Also on Live there will be warp points for each team, and they will be color coordinated on the mini map. Teams must capture them first before they can use them.
Gamers that enjoyed the N64 version of Perfect Dark will love this function. The weapons in Perfect Dark Zero will probably be one of the best features of the game. Many of the N64’s weapons return in this game, along side the Laptop Gun, which can be attached to a wall, etc, and shoot anyone coming in range of it. The cloak which also makes a return is an item that makes you invisible for a short period of time, and the X-Ray gun, which turns the screen multicolored, and allows you to see through walls and shoot enemies. I remember when I played Perfect Dark for the N64, my friends used to shoot through walls all the time, so I know it is the more frustrating weapon in the game. Another neat feature is Rare adding extra weapons that are so much nicer than the original weapons.
Though demo’s are normally very choppy, Rare is shooting for a 30 frames per second boost for the game. Although that is very fast, the way the characters and models are made will help a lot. Perfect Dark is a first person shooter, and using a 30 frames per second rate is not easy. Not only is Rare going for 30 frames per second on Solo mode, but also on Multiplayer mode, even with as much as 3 people on the screen. Now that will be tough, but if any developer can do it, Rare can.
Overall Perfect Dark Zero looks like a winner. After reading this, many people will get hyped over the game, so I hope everyone enjoys the preview article on this game. Again remembering the older version of the game, this one will be before the original one. Three years before to be exact. The release date is still TBA, but expect it to be released sometime close to when the XBox 360 launches.
