Perfect Dark

Synopsis

by Scott Alan Marriott

Perfect Dark thrusts gamers into a futuristic world run by an evil corporation called dataDyne. As a field agent for the Carrington Institute, you will embark on a series of missions that begins with a mysterious kidnapping and culminates in an intergalactic conflict between two alien races. The game takes place in the year 2023, a time of despair. Animals are being mutilated, people are being abducted at alarming rates, and the planet seems to have become one giant playground for forces unknown. These events have not gone unnoticed by the Carrington Institute.

Led by the benevolent Daniel Carrington, the institute was created in order to research and develop new technologies for the greater good of mankind. That's not all they do, however. The Carrington Institute takes it upon itself to investigate certain actions that threaten society, and Daniel believes dataDyne may be responsible for many of the world's problems. To that end, he has assigned his best agent to investigate: Joanna "Perfect" Dark. (The "Perfect" comes from her stellar test scores as an agent-in-training.)

Joanna's first case involves protecting one of dataDyne's trusted scientists, Dr. Caroll. It seems Caroll had contacted the Carrington Institute with an odd request: he needs to be rescued from the very same company he works for. Joanna must infiltrate the corporation, find and rescue the frightened doctor, and make it back in one piece. Thus begins the single-player adventure, which features nine missions spanning 17 levels. Rare's follow-up to GoldenEye 007 offers an assortment of powerful gadgets to master while advancing through otherworldly locales inspired by Blade Runner and other sci-fi films. Perhaps the most notable weapon in Perfect Dark's arsenal is the FarSight XR 20, a gun that allows you to "see" opponents through walls or barriers.

Perfect Dark also features an array of multiplayer options. Four-player deathmatch, king of the hill, and capture-the-flag variants are included, with the ability to add computer-controlled "simulants" as friends or foes. "Co-Operative" Mode lets two friends progress through the story together, while the "Counter-Operative" Mode has one player guiding Joanna Dark and the other controlling an enemy. The "bad" player can assume control of random enemy characters until Dark is defeated or the level is complete. Challenge Mode offers 30 scenarios that will have you gunning for simulants under a variety of conditions. Up to four players can play the Challenge Mode, and each contest can be played up to four times (with one, two, three, and four players).

Features

• Features 17 levels playable on three difficulty settings, each offering new objectives
• Master over 40 weapons and gadgets
• Requires the Expansion Pak accessory for full multiplayer options

Extra Credits

by Scott Alan Marriott

Perfect Dark takes the same game engine used in 1997's GoldenEye 007 and refines it to take advantage of the 4MB Expansion Pak peripheral. The setting in the game looks to be inspired by the movie Blade Runner, while the story could pass for an episode of The X-Files. As a first-person shooter, Perfect Dark traces its roots to Wolfenstein 3d, the first "true" game in the genre. It would be 1994's release of Doom that propelled the genre to mainstream popularity among gaming enthusiasts.

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