Customer Reviews

Perfect Dark

5 star:		(367)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

If only *half* of the goodies Rare (the developers of this game) have dropped on us wind up being in here, it still warrants five stars. But knowing them, they've only told us half of all the new stuff!

Based on Rare's extremely-popular Goldeneye engine, this is the "semi-sequel"... follow Joanna Dark as she infiltrates the dataDyne corporation to uncover a deep, sci-fi-based plot, with loads of weapons, strategy, and multiplayer fun!

Confirmed features include:
-- At least two multiplayer levels from Goldeneye
-- All of Goldeneye's weapons, and more
-- Much improved AI, where teams of enemies can interact, function as a group and assess threats
-- A weapon that slowly let's you target through, then shoot through walls (no, that's not a typo... bye-bye, campers!)
-- An intricate, deep plot (with numerous twists)
-- The ability to introduce "bots" to your multiplayer gaming... i.e., play by yourself against a few computer-controlled bots, or have a 4-player game and assign each player a bot to help them out, etc. The bots can also be set to specific modes, including Revenge (hunting whoever killed it--or it's human teammate, I'm not sure--last), Target (going after only one person the whole game), Pacifist (guess...), and more
-- More levels, some specifically designed for multiplayer
-- Real-time lighting effects, and other graphical goodies that I can't remember at the minute
-- The ability to take a snapshot of your face (yes, you being the person who holds the controller) and paste it onto your character in the game (this will be done via a Game Boy Camera...)
-- ... What are you waiting for? Pre-order it already! :-)

Its not an easy task to follow-up 1997's shootem up masterpiece Goldeneye. One of the bestselling games of all-time and a fan favorite, the game had something for everyone. But Rare, the original maker, has outdone themeselves with Perfect Dark. You play as Joanna Dark, a government agent on earth in 2029. As Joanna, its your job to stop the evil company DataDyne from taking control of the earth. This is a rapid first person shooter that gives you amazing weapons in awesome levels. You walking through futuristic Chicago, with an alien weapon shooting down bad guys, is one the coolest parts of the game, and all the parts are like this. The multiplayer was something Goldeney was hailed for, and PD's is leaps and bounds better. You can add extra bots, computer players, to your deathmatches, waste all your friends with over 44 weapons. And best of all, you can play the 1 player game, as a bad guy! The game requires the 4mb Expansion pack for the other half of the game and multi-player and is rated M for a lot of blood, as well as swearing that include s**t and b**ch, so its not a game for the kiddies. All in all, the game is a little Dark, but even more Perfect.

Being a fan of the Goldeneye game (which allowed for hours of death match fun for up to 4 people) my anticipation for Perfect Dark was high. I was, however, prepared for a letdown. Nor did I expect a superior gaming experience to Perfect Dark's infamous classic predecessor. What a pleasant and bloody surprise to find the action, gameplay, and the ever important graphics to be so dazzling and all immersing as to make my friends and I almost giveup playing Goldeneye completely!

A very Bond-like scenario, a secret agent (Joanna Dark) must save the world from nasty covert agencies and aliens! Ok, the aliens part isn't the least bit Bond-like but that's about the only difference. The single player story mode is very cinematic and interesting and fun enough, but what makes this game standout, like a strangely beautiful sore thumb, is the multiplayer gaming options. King of the hill (which gives you the option of stationary or mobile hill) forces you to defend a certain position from up to 4 computer simulants, of which you can change the level of intensity and intelligence, thus giving control of the difficulty numerous variables. There's the combat simulator (my favorite) which is just basically running around shooting either your friends or computer simulants until you achieve a certain point level (again this option is adjustable for ever changing gameplay). The realistic "deaths" and the amount of blood is what earned Perfect Dark its Mature rating, and considering in first player mode the computer enemies will literally beg you not to kill them and cry out to God as they die I think the rating is appropriate. And speaking of killing, the huge arsenal of weapons is another in a long list of plusses that make Perfect Dark, to date, the best game for the N64.

Bottom line if you loved Goldeneye and are seeking a newer and better gaming experience in which you and 3 other friends can sit around and play at killing each other in realistic (but not actual) fashion picking up Perfect Dark would be a pretty good idea.

Only drawback is that if you don't already own a controller pack, memory pack, and rumble pack you will need to invest in each to experience Perfect Dark in all its glory. ... So casual gamers might actually want to wait for the inevitable price drop (N64 will have to do this eventually, considering the release of PS2), but die hard gamers that are finding Goldeneye merely nostalgic ought to seriously consider making the investment. A solid and always fun gaming experience.

Rare has done a great job in making games for the N64. Their newest game, Perfect Dark, is a action game which is very similar to Goldeneye 64, but in many ways better. For example, Goldeneye's immortal multiplayer mode, the best one that has came out for any game of it's type so far, is beat by Perfect Dark. PD's Combat Simulator allows you to play challenges with friends, preset scenarios and other battle modes, and allows you to make your own. Even better about multiplayer are the "simulants", computer controled characters that you can ally with or go against, and if you have one as an ally, you can even control their actions during the battle. There are many simulants to choose from, all with their own abilities. The solo missions also have features that make it unique from Goldeneye. After you beat a mission, for example, you can go back and play it again with a partner. And, you can even play as the ENEMY, switching between characters to try and stop Joanna Dark from pulling off her mission.

There is just so much to this game I don't know where to begin, but here is a rundown:

Here are the modes of play:

1 player: Mission mode, lets you play through the game solo. But you can play 2 players co-op or counter-op (the 2nd player takes the role of the enemy).

Challenge Mode: This is similar to Turok Rage Wars. You complete different challenges, but, unlike turok, you can have help from up to 3 friends! This is a must, because in order to unlock fun things, you need to complete the challenges. There are 20 levels, 33 weapons, and 6 scenerios to unlock.

4 Player SCENERIOS: (up to 12 players once you have unlocked all features, 4 human 8 computer, with your choice of teams.) Not all weapons, scenerios, and levels are unlocked at first. COMBAT (always available): Basic multiplayer, set kills, players (1-4 human, 1-8 computer), teams, weapons (six), levels, radar on/off, one-hit kills on/off, slow motion on/off, Handicaps etc.

HOLD THE BRIEFCASE (unlock after challenge 6): Same as flag tag, for every 30 seconds you hold the breifcase, you get a point. Like all scenerios, you can set tons of variables, like in combat.

HACKER CENTRAL (unlock after challenge 8): Find the data uplink (portable) and bring it to the computer (stationary) to get a point. POP A CAP (unlock after challenge 15): Players take turns being vicitms. Defeat the victim, get 2 points. Be a victim and stay alive, 1 point for each minute alive!

KING OF THE HILL (unlocked) An area is designated as the hill. If you can stay in the hill for 18 seconds ALONE, you get a point, and the hill changes.

CAPTURE THE CASE (unlock after challenge 8) It's basically capture the flag.

****PRESET SIMULATIONS. These are preset combat simulations, there are 14. You can save 4 of your own on the game pack. There are so many options, it's good to save the ones you like, so you don't have to go through all the menus twice.

*****SIMULANTS (computer players) There are many. If you have one on your team you can command it to attack a certain player, protect you, follow you, defend an area, or stay still.

NORMAL SIMULANTS: Meat- dumb, doesn't use radar, can't shoot straight. Easy- basic intellect, nothing to worry about Normal Hard Pefect (unlock after challenge 13)- Torments players, uses radar. Dark- better than humans, makes perfect head shots.

SPECIAL SIMULANTS: Peace- collects weapons and doesn't use them Coward- it will run if you are well armed Shield- if you wound it, it will run and get body armor Justice- Targets players who are winning, tries to even the score out. Rocket- like to blow stuff up Vendetta- Stalks players. Kazi- Suicidal, and wants to take you with it. Cheeta- Fastest sim in game Fist- Tries it unarm people's weapons, and punches a lot. Turtle- Slow but strong Predator- week, unarmed, but invisible, stalks people without weapons Revenge- if you hurt it, it will do anything to get even, avoiding other players except you.

This is an excellent follow-up to Goldeneye. As critics and gamers alike have said before, everything you thought was missing from Goldeneye is in Perfect Dark. The attention to detail surpasses that of Goldeneye by far, and the gameplay (with the help of the RAM Expansion of course) is twice as smooth.

How do you describe this game? Think "Tomb Raider" meets "GoldenEye" meets "The X-Files," and there you have it. You are Joanna Dark, a top agent with elite Carrington Institute, researching and investigating the mysterious DataDyne Corporation and thier evil conspiracy to assist an alien invasion. Gameplay is very similar to Goldeneye, moving, targeting, shooting, and using items will be all to familiar for fans of the 1997 calssic. The new weapons, ranging from small handguns, to automatic hand-cannons, to alien x-ray guns (The "Far-Sight" gun is so much fun it's silly), are fun to use, and much more useful as well. Each weapon has a primary and secondary function. For example, proximity mines have a secondary function to act as a homing device for proximity mines and other hidden threats.

Multiplayer levels have me thoroughly amazed. There are several new multiplayer arenas, and two classics from Goldeneye (the Complex and the Temple - each with a few new surprises). The new Arenas are incredbile, ranging from huge mazes that make The Classic Complex look not so complex; to smaller arenas for the fans of the Basement and Archives levels in Goldeneye. You also have the option of adding any number of computer-controlled players of several different skill levels to add to the challenge. The high tech weapons with all their new gadgetry make the game really fun to play in multiplayer mode.

Solo missions follow a gripping storyline filled with conspiracy, intrigue, espionage, and yes, science fiction. Your battles take place on Air Force One, deep beneath the desert at Area 51, under the ocean aboard alien vessels, and deep within alien ruins. Newer puzzles, obstacles, and secrets await you in just about every level. The dialogue adds to the realism of the game, both during play, and between levels in detailed cut-scenes which develop the overall story. But be advised, this game is rated "M," so the graphics and dialogue are not recommended for our younger players.

Of all the new features, my favorite is the new CoOperative Missions option. That's right, now you can complete a level as a team via split-screen during what would normally be a solo mission. (Imagine how much easier this would have made the Control Room mission in GoldenEye, with an extra person to watch your back and Natalia's!). Likewise, you can play ConterOperative missions as well, and play against each other during a mission. This is just as much fun as normal multiplayer, except now you are part of the story as well.

This is a great game! If you are trying to decide between this, and the new Bond game then buy this one. It is MUCH better than "The World is Not Enough" in every possible aspect. The weapons, the levels, the gameplay, and the graphics cannot compare! If you liked GoldenEye, you'll LOVE this game.

If you loved Goldeneye 007, then Perfect Dark is the game for you. Set in the future, PD is a realistic 3D shooter with many new features. Similar to Turok in weapons switching, you can use a variety of almost 40 weapons. New devices and situations (such as night vision ) make this game a very exciting one. Plus, the thing we have been waiting for: The multiplayer scenario. This is why Goldeneye was so popular (still is). With these additions, the single player and multiplayer games will be excellent! A must get game!

For someone who basically bought an N64 because of the brilliance of Goldeneye 007, I have to say when Perfect Dark came along, and I started playing it - I was even more impressed.

The number of missions, the better AI of the opponents, the numerous number of exciting multiplayer options (including sims), the futuristic "Bond-esque" playability, a diverse new armory of weapons - all make this game an apsolute must for all N64 gamers.

The entertainment doesn't stop there....the game also includes a shooting range (for you to try out new weapons), option to play counter-operative (2 players playing against each other on a mission), or co-operative (visa-versa) - will have you in front of your television set for hours on end.

The only cons are, is that in a multiplayer mode - the game-play can become spasmodic and the graphics can get rather nasty.

Conclusion: I have not played a better 1st-person-shooter game.

Alright... lemme just start off by sayin', "Wowie." This is a truly, TRULY fanstastic game. The multiplayer is fun, the graphics (while not comparing to anything on the Dreamcast) are incredible for the N64, the gameplay is wonderful, and the control is (thankfully) exactly the same as that of Goldeneye. No need to worry, folks. This is instantly one of the greatest games for the system. Even the suaveness of Joanna sayin' "hiya" to her pals before goin' out to get sum bad guys is enough for a gamer to say, "ALLLRIIIIGHT! " IT's fun, it's groovy, and it's awesome. The game instantly immerses you into the role of Joanna Dark, the 21-st century Scottish-babe replacement for our best friend, Mr. James Bond. Please, I'm beggin' you on my knees to get this game as quickly as humanly possible. Cocktail parties (or frat parties, for that matter) will never EVER be the same. Have fun, and stay cool~

I have not been so addicted to a game since 007 and Zelda. This game is almost never ending. I used to dream about all the possibilities that 007 opened up, I waited and waited. Then this game came out and now I know that they (Rare) was listening. Whatever you wished 007 would do, this game does over and over again. I am still not finished with exploring all the options Perfect Dark offers. Don't hesitate to purchase this game. I am positive it will attain Game of the Year status. And don't forget the expansion pak.