Perfect Dark:Zero (xbox 360)

Is it just me, or is the launch lineup for the 360 just a little disappointing? Look. I know it's hard to swallow after spending so much money, and (let's face it) some amount of effort, to be a part of the launch "party" on this new and incredibly powerful system, but I was expecting more. How can I decry something so new and something that we need to see succeed after having invested so much? What I didn't want for this system was a continuation of various franchises and sequels, with very few well-executed exceptions. This machine allows for creativity beyond the established formula set by the PS2 and XBOX. At least it should, right? Innovation is an absolute necessity, or gaming could very well go the way of the movie industry, and perhaps already has.

Oh yeah. Perfect Dark:Zero. I got the impression that this was going to be the flagship release title for the 360. Something that might approach the quality and finish of Halo, in the absence of halo 3? If it were as innovative as halo, it would have been nothing like halo, which might have made it special. If it had the quality of halo, the single player experience alone would have held me past the 8th mission. For the sake of first impressions, Halo was worthy of being a launch title. Perfect Dark is not. I'm not comparing PD:Z to Halo, other than for comparison of quality, innovation, and general ambition and creativity. On that level, PD:Z could have been so much better with the hardware available. For the sake of discussion, this doesn't fill some void caused by the lack of halo 3. Halo 2 does that.

Graphics:
Pretty good I guess. Overall, they seem bland and forgettable.

Sound:
Some ear-piercing noises in the beginning. Nice gun sounds. Gee. I really don't remember.

The main character:
Miss Dark has taken a break from professional DDR dancing to shoot criminals. I hope this American Idol runner-up wasn't intended to be a creative alternative to the typically male soldier associated with the FPS.

Story:
There is really nothing here, I'm sorry to say. Or perhaps there was, and I just forgot.

Gameplay:
I've experienced better combat mechanics in Timesplitters 2 (which is sort of comparable in terms of pacing and weapon physics). There is a cover option that would be nice if it were a little more consistent. Shooting enemies involves either a couple of headshots, or blasting chunks of armor until flesh is exposed and getting a kill. While this graphic effect is interesting at first, after a few multiplayer battles, it becomes a little gimmicky. The levels are fairly open with a lot of impassable areas. The hovercraft is a mediocre attempt at adding vehicles. The roll is a nice alternative to jump. However, I like jumping. It would be better to have rolling as an addition as opposed to an alternative. To take away jumping literally removes a dimension from combat and exploration. It seems like laziness on the part of the programmers more than anything. The major problem with this game is that I'm acutely aware that I'm playing a game. The immersion is completely absent.

Pros:
Frenzied 32 player multiplayer (fantastic. I'll round them up after I finish this halo 2 match!).
Quite a few weapons at your disposal
A semi-effective cover system

Cons:
A nothing story
Many games will give you a better experience for less expense

Overall:
I really don't remember this game much at all. It seems like a combo of other FPSs with some differences that are sort of sketchy and ultimately annoying. It just doesn't handle well, for a lack of better words. If this is the first game of this type that you have ever played and you already plunked down the change, I'm sure you will love it.