Perfect Dark (XBLA) – Review – Xbox 360

N64 Classic now Xbox Live Arcade Perfection. These words describe the game Perfect Dark. Perfect Dark is the spiritual successor of the N64 classic 007 Goldeneye. The game runs on the same engine as Goldeneye as well as shares some weapons with it. There were rumors coming out of Microsoft’s purchase of Rare that one day we would see Goldeneye make an appearance on the Xbox Live Arcade. They finished that game and all that stood in their way was a licensing issue, but in the end, that is what killed it. As compensation and atonement to the fans, Microsoft and Rare announced that they were working on bringing Perfect Dark to the XBLA. This upcoming Wednesday is the day fans have been waiting for but has the wait been worth it?

Story: You are Joanna Dark a Secret Agent working for the Carrington Institute. The story is a little on the lame side; you are dragged from level to level and sometimes you don’t know what’s going on. The truth is, you shouldn’t be really concerned about the story but the fun that can be found within the levels themselves. Each level is unique in design and the type of challenges they present. You can boost the challenge of each level by bumping up the difficulty. You can go from the bottom “Agent” difficulty to the top “Perfect Agent” – basically going from a stroll in the park to instant death.

Gameplay: This is a FPS at heart and to some, the best FPS ever made. The controls feel like the original but with dual sticks instead of just one. Aiming can be a bit difficult at times but a sort of auto-aim is included. When playing on the “Agent” difficulty, the AI can seem a bit dumb but bump that up to “Perfect Agent” and you will die if you’re not careful. In fact, on the higher difficulties you should strive for stealth. You find a multitude of weapons throughout the game and can even hone your skills at the Carrington Institute’s firing range.

Graphics: The N64 version of Perfect Dark was probably the best looking game the N64 ever saw in its lifespan, but, with today’s standards, it could be classified as subpar or even terrible by some. When porting over this game to the XBLA, the textures and character models were improved, but they tried to stay true to the style and feel of the original. I feel some who never played the original could be turned off by the design.

Multiplayer: The bread and butter of Perfect Dark can be found within the multiplayer. There are six game types that are very different from one another. The one thing this game includes that most don’t is the inclusion of bots, normally a feature found only in PC games. Even by yourself, you can have a fun time with the bots. They range in difficulty from really smart to just plain stupid. You have more choices than Halo 3 when it comes to character customization. 20 or more characters and 10 or more faces and helmets.

Overall: When you play, you feel as if you are playing the original because, in truth, you are. They didn’t change anything; in fact, they improved upon the original by fixing some nasty bugs – improving the graphics and keeping the multiplayer true. A minor issue to me, but a major one to some of the purists, is the lack of South Paw and Legacy Modes which should have been included from the get go.

Pros: -Stayed true to the original

Cons: -No SouthPaw, Legacy controls.

Score: 9 out of 10

A copy of Perfect Dark was provided to us for review purposes from the publisher

Written by Travis Gardner; Editor and Co-Founder

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