New Game Comes Close To Getting ‘Perfect’ Grade

Mon., Nov. 13, 2000

Ben Caparoso, Ferris

Perfect …. what a great word. Many of us dream of having the perfect life, the perfect wife or husband. But really, nothing in this world is perfect. But there is one thing that comes pretty close to being perfect, and that is Rare’s new game “Perfect Dark.”

This game is brought to you by the same team that made the stellar James Bond 007 “Goldeneye” game for the Nintendo 64. This game is hands-down better than “Goldeneye.” Larger environments, varied landscapes and bigger outdoor levels with little fog are all present in “Perfect Dark.”

The graphics are sharper, and the people look more realistic and less blocky than in James Bond.

Another vast improvement is the computer’s AI (artificial intelligence). When you encounter one guard in a hallway, he immediately dashes off to call for backup. If you don’t deal with him immediately, then you’ll quickly have about 15 enemies shooting at you in a narrow corridor. When an enemy runs out of bullets or loses his gun, he tries to run at you and take your weapon. This adds a lot of replay value to the game, for there are noticeable differences in difficulty in the higher levels.

That brings me to another point: The multiplayer capabilities. This is the greatest multiplayer engine. Ever. The game lets you choose from custom-made scenarios or you can set up your own scenarios. Everything from the weapons, the opponents, the level, the music, the simulants and various other little game functions make “Perfect Dark” one of the greatest games ever.

However, it does have one bad point.

In the multiplayer, you can add computer players to make things more interesting. But be warned, if you add too many of these guys, you’re in for some major lag time. The screen fogs up and you can’t see a blasted thing, allowing you to get blasted in the process. For this tiny holdup, “Perfect Dark” loses my perfect grade.

Grade: 98 percent

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