Perfect Dark, Rares version of James Bond, but with a Female twist and based in the future. This IP started back in 2000 on the N64. One of the last N64 games big hitters. Rare were at the top of the gaming food tree and could literally make any game in any genre and revolutionize it in the process. Perfect Dark was no exception.
PD came to light when Rare didn't/couldn't renew the James Bond license after the blockbuster release of GoldenEye 64. EA ended up with the Bond license which meant Rare had to make a sequel but instead of relying on an established IP, they had to make their own. This worked in Rares Favour as they weren't restricted to James Bond IP limitations. In comes Perfect Dark.
PD was one of those games that was reviewed in the legendary status, considered almost Perfect (No Pun Intended) It cemented its spot in the gaming industry and is considered one of the best games ever made. Rare were in a league of their own.
PD on the N64 offered some of the best enemy to enemy interactions for its time and still holds up incredibly well today. You could literally stealth through entire missions without being seen to completely alerting the entire stage and having the entire map swarm your location. You could shoot guns out of hands, and watch the enemy react in many different ways, to running for the gun, putting their hands up and surrendering, to pulling out a pistol when your back in turned or simply try running away and calling for help. You could shoot enemies in the legs to have them limp all over the stage, shoot lights out making it dark so they can't see you, to turning lights on if the Enemies are wearing Night Vision goggles to blind them. PD also offered Bots for the Multiplayer and Challenge modes which was also in its infancy for the industry.
Oh, and let's not forget about the first appearance of the cult classic Laptop Gun... for those not sure what that is, it's the gun that can be placed/thrown as a Portable Turret. and the infamous FarScope, a gun that can see and fire through complete walls and objects.
PD offered so much back in its day, a satisfying Campaign, Co-Op and Counter Co-Op campaign, 4x Multiplayer, Bots and Challenge missions. Perfect Dark was insane back then and is still insane now. It's a must play for shooter and Spy fans.
For those who have not played the original PD64, I recommend downloading the Xbox 360 version, Perfect Dark HD. The HD version adds 60fps, 1080p and has updated the facial models while also adding modern controller support and much more. Grab it while it's still available. You can also access the N64 version via Rares Replay however as good as PD64 was, the HD version simply adds quality of life improvements too good to miss.
Rare went on to make a PD Origin game in Perfect Dark: Zero and a Prequel on the GameBoy Color also called Perfect Dark which was based before the N64 game. It was the first Gameboy Game to offer a Rumble Pak included with the game. However, both games received average reviews and didn't hit like the first game. I still own my copies and am grateful I played and finished them back in their day.
Xbox has recently shown gameplay of the new game coming out, which is believed to be a Reboot to the franchise, similar to how Crystal Dynamics took to the more modern Tomb Raider trilogy. Yes, Crystal Dynamics is also the developer of the new Perfect Dark so it will be interesting to see how they handle Joanna Dark like they did with Lara Croft.
Honorable mention to Perfect Dark 64's music. It had some of the best music I can remember for the time where I actually felt like I was listening to actual movie themes. Take a listen to two of my favorites below.
Check out the new Perfect Dark Trailer shown in 2024 and what are your thoughts on what you see? I got some Deus Ex's vibes, which i think is fantastic, companies don't make these types of games anymore.
Perfect Dark - Gameplay Reveal - Xbox Games Showcase 2024 (youtube.com)
Perfect Dark is back baby!
Last edited by Azzanation - on 30 June 2024
