Game Brain: ‘Perfect Dark’ review: embrace the darkness

By Brian Diefenbach
Western Herald

Normally, I don’t write reviews for the games I play, but I’m making an exception in the case of “Perfect Dark” for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Game reviews are ten-a-penny on the Internet. There are fewer venues for more in-depth discussion of video game issues, which is what I’ve strived to do with this column.

However, “Perfect Dark” is of such prominence in my pantheon of games that I find it hard to ignore. Even with a crushing academic workload and two jobs, I’ve been carving out game time.

If you’re completely in the “Dark” about the game, “Perfect Dark” is a first-person shooter title from the Nintendo 64 era. It was developed by Rare, back when they were still good. Developer 4J Studios is responsible for the high definition upgrade.

Back when “Halo” and “Call of Duty” were just twinkles in their creators’ eyes, “Goldeneye 007” was the golden standard of FPS games. In fact, “Goldeneye” was originally slated to be an Xbox Live rerelease as well. Unfortunately, legal disputes canned the project.

In a way, “Perfect Dark” was the better candidate for rerelease on Microsoft’s gaming network. The multiplayer component, though originally limited to four splitscreen players, was much more advanced than the multiplayer of “Goldeneye.”

The connectivity of Xbox Live allows players to share the multiplayer experience with friends around the world. It’s the component of the game I looked forward to most, but have spent the least amount of time with.

I can say that, so far, the multiplayer is worthwhile. You can now free aim on the run, which was impossible or awkward before (depending on the control scheme). All the maps, weapons, bots, and game modes from the original are intact.

Lag was a problem I experienced during a few online games. This is a widespread problem that has prompted Rare to work on a patch. Until it’s fixed, the lag is going to mess with your aim and may cost you in a shootout.

As with multiplayer, very little has changed in the single player experience. The framerate is now a silky 60 frames per second, so the sluggishness of the original “Perfect Dark” will be just a painful memory.

The most striking change is the update of the character models and textures. The characters look amazing; in fact, they could easily be from a game made only a few years ago. The voice work is crystal clear, but still as awkward and corny as always.

Every single texture has been recreated for full high definition scrutiny. The overall polygon shapes in the levels, however, remain primitive. By far the ugliest level is “Crash Site,” set amid Air Force One’s wreckage in the Alaskan wilderness. The sharp lumps of snow and rock have not aged well.

Other than new achievements and awards to unlock, there won’t be any surprises in this release for “Perfect Dark” veterans. A few glitches here and there were fixed, but a lot of the same old tricks and exploits remain. In fact, 4J Studios deliberately tweaked movement to allow for the old strafe running of the original.

It’s a credit to 4J’s work that playing the Xbox Live edition of “Perfect Dark” feels exactly like the original. Only the bare minimum was changed, which is for the best.

If you read any of the reviews for the “Perfect Dark” rerelease, you’ll see a lot of negativity. It boggles my mind how reviewers can be so ignorant as to expect a ten-year-old game to be on par with modern titles. Most of the complaints stem from how “primitive” the gameplay and cutscenes are.

You know what? “Perfect Dark” was ahead of its time back in the day, and still rocks today. Any problem with the rerelease lies with the player, not the game.

Our video game preferences change over time. As much as some gamers brag about old school titles like “Legend of Zelda” and “Super Mario Bros.,” most of them can’t be bothered to actually play them anymore. They’ve moved on to more sophisticated games.

No matter how cinematic and interactive video games get, we’ll always find something to treasure in the classics. Heck, we have “Tetris” on our cell phones. And you don’t hear anyone complaining about how primitive “Tetris” looks compared to “Bejeweled.”

The bottom line is, enjoy a game for what it is, not what it should be. I’m happy to say that I got a little piece of my childhood back with the rerelease of “Perfect Dark.” It’s rare to have a chance to revisit a classic and find it just as perfect as the day you first played it.

If you’ll excuse me, I have some “Halo”-generation butts to kick in old school “Perfect Dark” deathmatch. Take cover, son; I rock dual Maulers like a vandal.

– Brian Diefenbach, a copy editor and columnist for the Western Herald, is a senior majoring in graphics and printing science. For more Game Brain, visit WesternHerald.com.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=16240

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Mar 31 2010. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com