Perfect Dark
Reviewed by Jason Plonka
If you are in to video gaming, even the slightest bit, then you have heard
of Perfect Dark. Though the game came out just a couple of days ago, the
frenzy has already started. As you know Perfect Dark, or PD for short, is
a First Person Shooter that is trying to put your Goldeneye cartridge in
the dust. With all the hype you must be wondering if it lives up to the
expectations, if the framerate is really that bad, or if it is worth the
money. Like all hit games this game has several high points, whether
it be story, guns, sound, or graphics. Perfect Dark has some excellent
features, take a look at some of them:
Graphics: 10 out of 10
When news of Perfect Dark first surfaced the graphics were what was
really in the news. We have expected the best and Rare has done its best
to give us the best. All characters, guns, and levels look outstanding.
Every gun has a unique reload animation, and the characters have several
death animations. The lighting effects are what really stands out, unlike
Goldeneye, in PD if you shoot out all the lights in a room, the room gets
darker. Things as small as this don't really account for its excellent effects,
but the bigger things like the way the ground reflects, the way the nightvision
goggles look, and also the effects from explosions. Another great point of the
graphics is the characters themselves, with several bodies and faces you have
tons of people to see, to meet, and to shoot. PD has just some excellent
graphical features, like Goldeneye when you shoot blood stains their
clothes, in PD blood stains the walls, the ground and their clothes. Yet
another high point is that bullet holes stay in the walls longer, bodies stay
on the ground much longer, in fact they can stay for minutes, once the body
is gone the blood stains are still their, for the custodian has not come yet.
But what brings PD down is the dreaded word framerate, the framerate
has been in the news for quite a while know, and it is still a problem.
Not a big problem but it does get annoying. In specific areas and times
the framerate slows down and gives the game a choppy feel.
Music and Sound: 10 out of 10
PD's sound is top of the line, never have I seen better on any N64 game.
The voices of Joanna, to the voice of Elvis, the alien that helps you, all
sound so real it will surprise you. But what makes the sound so great is
that the people talk when you shoot them, they plead for their life, curse
at you, or my favorite is what they say when their gun doesn't work. The
simple fact is sound makes a big influence and Rare has put a little gold
in this one. Some enemies yell "What the heck" when you take their guns.
The music has that familiar Goldeneye sound to it with a bit more of a
techno influence, and if I'm not mistaken, there are some tracks from
Goldeneye in PD. Sound effects all sound realistic and many of them are
from Goldeneye. You will feel right at home playing this semi-sequel.
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
This game is hard. Agent and Special Agent are for wimps, but Perfect
Agent is the toughest difficulty mode I've ever played in a 64 game. The
Enemy AI in this game is superb. Bad guys will do just about anything to
rid the world of you. The only think you can do about it is to run, or bust
a cap in theirs. Certain missions have "Scary Grenade People", as I call
them, and are pretty much suicidal. they will pull the pin on a grenade and
run after you with it if they can't shoot you. I could go on and on and on about
the AI in this game, but I won't. Just play the game and you'll find out what
I'm talking about. The multi player challenges are easy up to number 20. Then
they start to get hard. REAL hard.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
PD has some of the best game play I have ever seen. PD has objectives that
make you think before you pull the trigger. Sometimes you may not start
with a gun at all, but with your fist, this makes you be cautious so that
you can sneak up on someone and steal their gun. Some missions are as
simple as exit the building, some are as hard as finding and retiring the
presidents clone or uploading a virus in Area 51's computer system. The
game makes you use your brain, use your weapons any way you can. Got a
Dragon, but no ammo? 5 people coming down the elevator, what do you do?
Throw it down and the proximity mine kills them all, then take their guns.
The combination of Mission Impossible style missions, the weapons of
Turok, and the enjoyment of Goldeneye all rolled up together and you
have one real fun game. Quote: Weird Al "Shoot first and ask questions later"
Replayability: 10 out of 10
The replay value of this game, as far as I can see, will never be surpassed.
The multi-player mode alone is large enough to keep you playing for months.
There are different stimulants, which are computer-controlled characters.
These stimulants can either help you or harm you, depending on what you
choose. There are also many different types of stimulants to choose from.
The MEAT Stimulant is the weakest character in the game. They run randomly
around and their accuracy and artificial intelligence is very weak. On the
opposite end, a PERFECT DARK Stimulant has an artificial intelligence that
will cause them to hunt you down, and stalk you until you have been killed.
Other special stimulants include the VengeSim, which will take revenge on
anybody who kills it during the game. A JudgeSim has a strong sense of
justice, and will attack any player who appears to be gaining an advantage.
There are many stimulant to choose from. The multi-player game also contains
old stomping grounds from Goldeneye. Including the Complex and the Temple.
There are many more that must be earned by beating the challenge multi- player
missions. Another great feature that will increase replay value is the number
of weapons included in the game. There are about forty weapons to start
out with, and each of these weapons has a secondary feature, effectively
doubling the number of total weapons.
Game Value: 10 out of 10
This game has broken all boundaries and will raise gamers standards to
a new level. With incredible graphics, play control, replay value, and sound,
Perfect Dark is the perfect game to own. Very highly recommended, and for
close to $70.00, a must buy for happiness!!!
Multi player: 10 out of 10
Like multi player levels. Now I have to hand it to RARE. Every level is
different from another. No two levels are the same. But some of them
are pure crap. Like Pipes and Car Park. In all seriousness, if you like
these levels, you have problems. And the three level ported over from
Goldeneye. Temple, Felicity, known as Facility in Goldeneye, and Complex.
Temple looks kind of like the one from Goldeneye but with small differences.
I can't name them all and I'm not saying that it's a bad thing. But it's not a
total port from Goldeneye. Felicity is, but the major problem with this level
is that if this were a woman, she'd have way too much makeup on. Same lay
out but it no longer looks like a military bunker, it looks more like a doctor
office. It looked better the other way. And now for Complex. Complex is the
true port. Nothing has been changed. I didn't like this level in Goldeneye. Too
many corners, hideaways, and lookout for a one on one battle. But now throw
in 4 or 5 stimulants and this level is the bomb. And not to say that Perfect
Dark did not have it's own levels. Villa, Grid, and Ravine, my favorite. I won't
go into these levels, even though they are all great levels. I just wish they
had ported Severnaya Bunker. That level was the best. This was never a
problem in Goldeneye. All levels were cool and unique
Overall: 10 out of 10
This game rocks. Rare has outdone themselves with this game. Around
the internet, people have been complaining about the framerate. Don't
worry about it!!!! At no point in this game is it ever any worse than
Goldeneye!!!! Fans of Goldeneye will love this game, and even people
that don't like 1st person games should give this game a big chance.