The following article was written by AMN Co-Owner and Head of PR, Sean O' Neil

When Perfect Dark Zero was first announced for the Xbox 360 I was ecstatic. Both GoldenEye and Joanna’s first romp on home systems were some of my all time favorite titles. I have a lot of respect for Rare and their past work, though it really took a turn for the worse at the initial unveiling of Perfect Dark Zero. I, like many gamers, sat in shock at what was being displayed. I was worried, but as my staff had the chance to play the title they assured me that not all is lost. So after playing a number of hours with Perfect Dark Zero I am happy to say it’s actually solid! Fans of the previous series will be extremely happy with Zero as it has the flair of the previous game as well as some neat additions.

You start out in a training season that gives you a solid rundown of what Joanna can do. Right away, I was taken aback by the look of the title. Textures and character models are visually impressive with a unique look to them. Lighting is extremely impressive, as I was able to see that an enemy was around a corner by his shadow, making it easy for me to see the best timing to jump out and place bullet through his head.

In terms of control setup, those who were fans of Joanna Dark’s last outing, as well as console first-person shooters, such as TimeSplitters, will feel right at home. A standard dual analog control setup is in place with triggers used to fire dual weapons and zoom with a single weapon. The bumper L button allows Joanna to tuck and roll, evading enemy fire and things such as trip wires and laser lines. The R bumper button kicks in the weapon's secondary fire.

Using a weapon like the P9P and the secondary function places a silencer on your weapon, allowing you to be more discreet as you walk silently, taking out enemies. Other weapons such as the plasma rifle’s secondary function provide a cloaking device. Speaking of weapons, you will handle a total of 19 guns ranging from RCP-90 sub machine guns to Super Dragon assault rifles to shockwave sniper rifles to a death match favorite, Rocket Launchers. Joanna packs a punch. In fact, some of the most fun I have had in multiplayer is using the close combat melee attacks. You can use items such as Biblades and a combat shield as well as the butt of your favorite gun.

One of the coolest additions to Perfect Dark Zero is the ability to take cover on the fly. You achieve this by approaching a wall and hitting the A button. Joanna will push her back against the wall, allowing you to pop out and shoot at enemies and security cameras. The great thing about the title is that you have full custom control of your button set up. My roommate is an avid Halo fan and felt the aiming was a bit off. He tweaked the sensitivity a bit and – boom – he was getting headshot after headshot.

While the single-player has been extremely fun so far, co-op is where I had the most fun. You and a friend can sneak around taking out enemies and using gadgets to disarm bombs and blow up key spots on your enemies’ bases. I have also spent a while playing multiplayer on Xbox Live and split-screen. Live play was extremely solid, with a number of fellow editors gunning one another down with little to no lag, even with tons of players, explosions and deaths populating the game. One issue each editor commented on was a problem with the game’s announcer, which repeated lines over and over -- something MS is sure to fix by the time it is released to the public. We will be having some more in-depth impressions, as well as a huge review right here at AMN very soon. For those worried about this title, fear not. It’s not Halo, but then again, it’s not trying to be. Perfect Dark Zero is one of the most fun titles on the 360 and every 360 owner should pick up a copy.




Perfect Dark Zero
On a side note, I got the special edition version, and the extras are very cool, ranging from music and interviews to a look behind the development of the game.