Review of Perfect Dark

Perfect Dark (I) (2000 Video Game)
Very impressive but not 'perfect'
15 July 2004
This game didn't get much recognition as opposed to Goldeneye (which this was based on). Perhaps because of the reliance of the expansion pack. However this game constantly amazed me and the as you first start to play it becomes apparent this game is very special.

The one player game starts off where Goldeneye's outstanding one-player game left off and is even better. You play Joanna Dark (codenamed 'Perfect') investigating sinister behaviour of a megacorporation called Datadyne. It soon becomes apparent that you are dealing with something much more. In fact, the future of the planet and maybe even the universe is in jeopardy.

This artificial intelligence is brilliant, the graphics are amazing for the Nintendo 64, the multiplayer mode is great (but a little overcomplicated) and it's full of innovation from the word go. It would be easy to get carried away on call this the best game ever made...

This game starts to lose it's greatness when it gets to the later missions. This isn't so apparent when you play it on the easier difficulties but play it on 'Perfect Agent' (the equivalent to Goldeneye's 00 Agent) and you start to realize that this game is extremely hard and success becomes a lot to do with luck as well as skill.

As with all stealth games you are outnumbered, however, this game doesn't give you as many opportunities for being stealthy. You are often in a position where you have to confront masses of guards and have no stealth options. You really do have to a perfect gamer to be able to deal with the incredibly hard situations you are put in the game. This means you have to replay the missions. Again... and again, and again, and again, and again, and again etc.

However, despite this I still highly respect it and I hope the issues are addressed in the eventual sequel on the X-Box. Then, we could be looking at the greatest game of all time. Interesting to note, Perfect Dark was going to feature a multiplayer feature where you would be able to scan in your face picture with a Game Boy Camera and map it onto a deathmatch character (in full-colour despite the fact the GB Camera took pictures in greyscale). If this feature had been implemented I feel this game would have become very famous but controversial due to children being able to do this. Nintendo of America removed this option and that leaves me wondering what could have been.

8/10
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