Perfect Dark Zero

After so many years in development you'd expect PDZ to be the ultimate Xbox 360 launch title. Well, it's not. But is it still worth a look?

	Version Xbox 360	Developer Rare	Publisher Microsoft	Genre FPS

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By Andy Robinson

To me, the Rare/Microsoft situation was like having your girlfriend break up with you to be with someone else - you wish her well, but secretly you're hoping he gets hit by a van [or worse - ed]. You didn't need to be biased to feel somewhat crushed when the Nintendo and Rare tag-team parted ways, trapsing off into the sunset. My two favourite developers torn from each other's welcoming bosoms - and in came a corporate rival juggernaut.

But I'm not bitter - not at all. Take this game for example: Perfect Dark Zero, the sequel to one of my favourite games of all time. They've replaced the subtly chilling intro with a screaming rock video, which is fine. Some of my favourite game music has been gang raped by the Shaft theme tune, but I don't mind. It's funny, because since the day I first soiled my pants over this game back at E3, I was sure that as long as the relevant nostalgic nods were put in there, Rare could serve me a dual-stick controlled turd and I'd still be happy. Surprisingly, this is not good enough, though.

From the moment I launched the game I could figure out what weapons the enemies had down to a single sound effect. The DataDyne logo is plastered around the game menus in a desperate attempt to appease me, screaming from the Xbox 360's swirling, high-definition window: "Look at me! I'm Perfect Dark! Love me!" This is the anguish of a man who put thousands of hours into the original game, and I would never have guessed that I would have lost faith in the sequel after just the second mission.

The problem with Perfect Dark Zero is not a lack of heritage as I feared, but generally aged and tired game design that's clichéd, unfocused and frankly, sometimes a complete mess. The only thing next-gen about it is the questionable high-def graphics - really now, how much longer do we have drudge through generic top-secret military facilities, filled with explosive barrels and horribly scripted boss fights?

The game features a waypoint option - big arrows that appear on the ground to help guide you around the sprawling levels. Surely, when Rare discovered that their maps needed giant flashing arrows to navigate, they should have realised that they needed to do some serious redesigning.

The second mission shouldn't have even been included; without sitting down and reading an essay on the mission's background you can't figure out what the hell you're supposed to be doing. Sadly, this is a common trend throughout the singleplayer mode.

Yes, in essence the singleplayer is a train-wreck in plot, variety and game design, but Perfect Dark Zero excels in top-notch weapon balance, strategic weapon and gadget selection, and challenging difficulty levels. Half the levels are crap, but an undeniable level of enjoyment is added when the enemy AI is challenging enough to force you to use the game's new cover and dodge moves, while also choosing the best possible weapons and gadgets to scrape through unharmed.

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