Developer : Microsoft Game Studios
Release date : December 2, 2005
Synopsis :
Perfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was exclusively released as a launch title for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2005. The game is part of the Perfect Dark series and a prequel to the original Perfect Dark. The story of the game follows Joanna Dark, a bounty hunter working with her father and a computer hacker, as she joins the Carrington Institute agency to prevent a rival corporation from gaining possession of an ancient artefact which endows individuals with superhuman powers.
Perfect Dark Zero features a campaign mode consisting of 14 missions that can be played solo or co-operatively, and a multiplayer mode where a maximum of 32 players can compete against each other in numerous types of deathmatch and objective-based games. Both the co-operative and multiplayer modes support split screen, system link, and the Xbox Live online service. The game was under development for five years and was originally intended to be released for the GameCube and later the Xbox. During development, several intended features were canceled so that the game could meet the Xbox 360 launch.
Upon release, Perfect Dark Zero sold more than one million copies worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its graphics and numerous multiplayer modes. However, some critics felt that the game did not meet expectations, criticising single-player aspects such as its story and voice acting. After its release, the game was supported with downloadable content, expanding its multiplayer mode with new maps and new types of computer-controlled bots. In 2015, the game was included in the Rare Replay video game compilation for Xbox One.
The campaign is divided into 14 missions in which the player plays as Joanna Dark. Each mission has a number of objectives that the player must complete in order to progress.[6] To advance to the next mission, the player must complete all primary objectives, and if Joanna is killed or fails an objective, the player has to start the mission again. Missions also feature optional objectives that are not critical but add to the player’s overall completion score. Some objectives require the player to use numerous high-tech gadgets. For example, a device called Datathief allows the player to hack into electronic devices, while another called Loctopus can be used to open locked doors. Stealth is an important element of the gameplay, as the player is often given the freedom to kill enemies without being detected by sneaking up behind them. Unlike the original Perfect Dark, every mission contains a single checkpoint at which the player may restart if Joanna is killed or loses beyond that checkpoint. However, checkpoints are progressively removed at higher difficulty settings. There are four difficulty settings on which a mission can be played: Agent, Secret Agent, Perfect Agent, and an extra one called Dark Agent, which becomes available once the player completes the entire game on Perfect Agent. As the player plays on higher difficulties, the game adds more objectives and makes enemies tougher to increase the challenge.
The game also provides a co-operative mode where two players may play through the game’s campaign together via split screen, system link, or through the Xbox Live online service. In co-operative mode, the missions are slightly altered to suit both players. For instance, some doors may require two players to open them. Additionally, in certain missions, the second player can occasionally start far away from the main player and takes over an allied character that is computer-controlled in the single player campaign. The respawn procedure is also altered substantially, as if one player dies, the other has to find and revive the partner’s corpse to bring it back to life.
Source : Wikipedia
