Perfect Dark

"Goldeneye" was one of the first games released for the N64 and was a huge success. Many gamers still consider it one of the finest first person shooters ever made. The success of the game was mimicked in the years to come with more and more Bond games emerging, but none of them lived up to the originality and intense gameplay of "Goldeneye." But in 2000, Rareware (the makers of Goldeneye) announced plans for a sequel of sorts named "Perfect Dark" - based on almost identical gameplay, it would be about a female secret agent/spy, and when the game was released it was an instant success (it was also one of the first games to make use of the "Rumble Pak").

"Perfect Dark" is a brilliant FPS and very unique. It mixes different genre staples - spies, aliens, UFOs, puzzles, everything. The sequel is coming out soon for XBox 360 and I'm thinking of purchasing an XBox platform just to play the sequel - that's how impressed I was with the original "Perfect Dark" video game.

What can you say about a game where you are a female agent protecting the world from alien domination? Or having more than a dozen action-packed levels with unique guns and realistic, talking enemies? And an alien who has more personality than your math teacher? It is excellence, my friend, sheer excellence. Rare could not come out with a better sequel to Goldeneye than PD. The graphics are stunning and clear, and the effects are a novelty ( This is true to throwing knives: when you stick one in an enemy, they gasp and the screen gets blurry and their health drops). The plot is especially good, and Elvis is the coolest alien you ever done saw.

If you don't own this game you better rush out and buy it! *****/

Special Agent Joanna Dark works with the Carrington Institute. When the Institute recieves a distress signal from Dr Caroll, Joanna is sent into the headquaters of sinister corporation DataDyne Inc to rescue him. With him in tow they find that DataDyne has made deadly connections with an alien race that seeks to bring it's rule to earth. With the lives of earth and other planets in the balance Joanna works to stop the alliance.

This "sequel" to Goldeneye uses the same engine to drive it and looks similar in style - the controls being identical in fact. However the graphics are considerably better, everything moves much faster, speech is involved in both the game and the cut sequences and the cinema scenes are longer. The game isn't just a shoot 'em up - it's not just a matter of shooting constantly. Some levels are, but the majority require some thought and plenty of stealth tactics. In some levels silencers must be used to avoid setting off the alarm, while in others you must capture staff alive in order to complete your objectives. With three difficulty levels on each stage (not only increasing the ability of your opponents but adding more objectives) and a range of challenges on each this will last you for a long time. Some of the levels are really difficult and you almost need to slowly work your way through by stealth. Even when you finish the level - for many if you complete it within a set time then you get a cheat (some of these are really hard).

Outside of the game you have the traditional multi player game. The degree to which you can tweak this is astonishing - you can set all types of weapons, all types of games (combat, king of the hill etc - not just games where you shoot everything in sight), time, scores and a set of 30 challenges to play against. This will keep the game alive for long after you finish the main game and, unlike Goldeneye - you can still play it even if you're alone!

The game has a gradual learning curve in both the game and the challenges, meaning that you will occassionally get stuck but not to the point of frustration.

Overall this is a perfect game - I'm sure the graphics etc will be superseeded with time, but the heart of the game is strong.

Perfect Dark is one of the most different shoot em up video games on the N64! The characters, the action, and the sure thrill of adventure makes this game a fun non-stop playing time! Below is a brief look how I think the game is!

Game Play: The game play is very good. There is really basic controls here and is easy to perform. Novice gamers should have a good time here!

Graphics: The graphics are wonderful. The backgrounds are really beautiful!

Difficulty: The game is easy but as it goes on you find out that it will become more difficult!

Music: The music is great! Just fantastic catchy tunes through out the game! In My opinion its some of the best music ever in a video game!

Sound: The sound is great. Nuff said!

Overall: I have always loved Perfect Dark! If you like excellent adventure shooting games then I strongly recommend you play this game!

To purchase this video game check out Amazon.com!

This game far surpasses it's inspiration (Goldeneye). It has a far higher replay value on account of more variations of simulants, and several different winning conditions. A "perfect" game for parties. If you liked Goldeneye, the only thing you won't like about this game is that fast animation isn't nearly as quick as Goldeneye.