The armoury contains some great weapons, such as the classic FPS standby: the shotgun, and an Uzi lookalike. A rocket launcher can also be picked up, and in addition to the normal fire-and-forget rocket you can also elect to guide the missile to the target, another Rare feature from games past. One of the pistol variants has the ability to magnetise the rounds, increasing rebound and allowing you to fire around corners. This journey into the realms of "What the...?!" is joined by the standard P9P pistol which has an amazingly good zoom function that makes it into a passable sniper's weapon (although its lack of stopping power can require multiple shots to bring down a target). While the range of weapons is impressive, when it comes to vehicles there are only two: the jetpac and the hovercraft. 'Nuff said.
The hostiles include your usual punks, guards and thugs, along with their criminal mastermind bosses - who prove far more challenging to defeat than their lackeys. When the bullets start flying your enemies can become quite vocal (did we mention where this came from?). Using an unsilenced gun will attract a lot of attention and you can hear your enemies calling to each other, with information such as when you've been wounded or have run out of ammunition. They also have some reasonable AI scripting which, if you are not careful, can result being surrounded. Shooting an enemy results in a satisfying spray of blood and some realistic rag doll effects. However closer inspection reveals a clean, whole body. This will be disappointing for the shotgun artists, who like to paint the town red and reduce their victims into a pile of steaming entrails and limbs.
The game is not all stealth and shooting, however. At times you will be reqired to open doors and blow up stuff. Opening locked doors is done as a puzzle via a couple of handheld devices. One is the data thief - an electronic ring puzzle which involves split second timing. The other is the Locktopus, which utilises the thumb stick to vibrate the tumblers in a lock. Another "What the...?!" moment was discovering that the demolition kit also involved completing a mini-puzzle to arm it. "Yes, Mr Bond, our technical boys have devised this cunning bomb that not only blows stuff up but also exercises the mind!" Ultimately these puzzle elements are a distraction and really do nothing for the game.
PD0's true strength lies in its multiplayer options. Whether you choose to play in one of the DarkOps or DeathMatch modes, we guarantee you won't be disappointed. There are four different types of games within each option, but we won't go into detail here. Simply put, you can partake in a variety of team-based rounds or free-for-all killfest matches, spiced up with challenging bots and other players at the same time. There's nothing like a little competitive spirit to liven up the game, and to this end a leaderboard allows you to compare your performance with marksmen (probably including more women than most games) around the world.
Cut-scenes utilise the game engine and provide continuity between story and gameplay. Unfortunately the story itself isn't all that compelling and comes across as a superficial glue linking the missions to one another. Admittedly, we weren't expecting a blockbuster movie script, but fans of Perfect Dark may be disappointed at the lack of depth when it comes to storyline. Character animations were for the most part well done; we never tired of watching Agent Jo 'Perfect' Dark change out a magazine without ever breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails.
As you would expect from a new-generation title, graphics in PD0 employ textures, self-shadowing and dynamic lighting to good effect, showcasing the power of the Xbox 360 - although not pushing the console to its limits. The missions take place in a number of interesting locations from an urban jungle to a snow-clad mountain fortress, to an underwater facility. While the quality of realism varies from okay to stunning, the visuals overall are of a high standard. Those fortunate enough to own an HDTV are in for an even better experience - this is one title where the dynamic lighting range in use makes using a PC monitor much less desirable. It doesn't look half bad on your standard telly either.
The background music is generally well suited to the gameplay, with an original score that self-adjusts in volume and tempo to suit the situation - or in some cases cranking up the tension by its conspicuous absence. Sound effects are also well done, with some good environmental ambience on some levels. Perhaps we've become too picky over the years, but we found the voice acting overall to be rather lacklustre and contrived, with some of the dialogue more suited to a corny, B grade action movie than a 'serious' video game. Of course, this may have been what the developers were gunning for, but somehow we don't think so given the series' history.
While Perfect Dark Zero has fallen somewhat short of our expectations as far as the single-player game is concerned, multiplayer is where it really comes into its own - particularly on Xbox Live. It's worth getting the game just to experience DeathMatch or DarkOps in the online arena.
