Shocking Perfect Dark 2 News! -A Must Read For Rare Fans-

[Kschreck]

More speculation ready to be ground up in the overworked videogame rumour mill: new reports arising from UK online news sources suggest that Rare's sequel to Perfect Dark - currently titled Perfect Dark Zero - will be a prequel to the N64 classic, will fully support online play, and will be a launch title for Xbox 2.
According to the reports, the storyline puts Joanna and her father Jack right back at the beginning of a huge conspiracy that will eventually lead to the action in the original Perfect Dark. It's said that co-op and single-player play will be available through the story mode, as well as an interesting new 'anti-co-op' mode that casts you as Joanna, while your mate plays as her nemesis. Each player's actions will affect the other player, and presumably there would be a huge showdown at the end of the game.

All the usual sequel guff is mentioned, including new gadgets, new weapons and new vehicles. But it's what's suggested will be in the multiplayer component of Perfect Dark Zero where the biggest additions are seen. The kind of online support pioneered by Halo 2 (leaderboards, clans, tournaments and so on) is promised by these reports, but more interesting than that is that it's alleged that Zero will allow more players to compete simultaneously than ever seen before on a console.
Microsoft was unavailable for comment on these rumours at the time of writing.

It's widely hoped that Perfect Dark Zero will show its face at E3 next month (and if these latest rumours are true, that would be as an Xbox 2 title - which wouldn't actually be a massive surprise really), and should it be present we can guarantee you we'll be battling our way to the front of the queue to bring you all the hot info.

The Article:


http://www.computerandvideogames.com


If this ends up being true and the game is as good as it sounds then Sony is in deep deep trouble. Microsoft has already annouced such games as Halo 3, Fable 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Madden Next Generation, Quake 4, Serious Sam 2, Supposely Banjo-Threeie, Chronicles Of Riddick 2, Jade Empire 2, Ninja Gaiden Black, Dead Or Alive 4, ETC ETC! Though they are not all launch titles, thats still a hefty list of games for a console that no one has even seen yet. Not to mention they have formed a partnership with some of the best Japanese developers ever including the guys behind Final Fantasy and Resident Evil all to do exclusive titles for the Xbox 360. Of course I will be buying one at launch. Anyways if even half these games come out within the first year of Xbox 360's launch then Microsoft may very well dethrone Sony unless Sony has something up their sleeves... Only time will tell.

 

[satch919]

I loved Perfect Dark's multiplayer. The single player campaign wasn't bad but I was expecting Goldeneye kinda stuff. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for this one.

 

[Vegeta897]

Good memories from that game. Ahh, the Farsight.

 

[mortiz]

Microsoft blows...

 

[smwScott]

It looks like they're trying to do what Sony did this generation. Release early with inferior hardware to gain a lot of popularity faster. Although I don't think its going to work out quite as well though, seeing as the hardware gap next generation (between the 360 and PS3) will likely be much larger than the current one (PS2 and X-BOX). In addition to this, it makes the X-BOX an extremely shortlived console (being released one year later and ended one year earlier than the PS2).

While the lineup looks good, don't forget that most of them will probably get delayed. The PS2 had a similar lineup, such as MGS2 and GT3 as launch titles, and they all got delayed until the next year. What we're likely to see here is these great licenses being released rushed or delayed, which is always the case with launch titles.

It's hard to tell how the next "war" is going to go. The 360 could well be the next PS2, or it could be another Dreamcast (had some good games but still failed). Way too early to tell, seeing as none of the consoles have been revealed. I have to say though, it looks like MS's marketing strategy is much more sound this time around, although I'd put my money on Sony again.

 

[Stigmata]

I love how they call Anti-Co-op a "new" mode, when it was in the original Perfect Dark.

Still sounds good.

 

[Warbie]

I loved Perfect Dark's multiplayer. The single player campaign wasn't bad but I was expecting Goldeneye kinda stuff. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for this one.

I actually prefered PD in single player and GE in multi (better maps)

Horses for courses.

 

[Lt. Drebin]

If all works out well for Microsoft, the XBox 360 could have an awesome launch.

 

[A True Canadian]

If it's a prequel, then that means less science fiction stuff right? What I liked about the first one is how it craftily evovled into an interstellar war.

What I really hope for is that the original will come out a little later as a remake (a la the Resident Evil games on the Gamecube). However in order for that to work, some deal will have to be made with Nintendo right (because all previous games before Rare's purchase are Nintendo property)? If that is the case, wouldn't it be wild if Nintendo re-released the old game on their new system...

 

[Sparta]

Never could get into PD because i only ever rented it. It'd be awesome if they remade it though, as from what i played it was pretty cool, like a slicker cooler version of GE

 

[Seppo]

I played this a few months ago at my friend's house. It took some time to get used to the awful graphics, but aftter about 30 minutes of playing it turned out to be pretty fun.

 

[Warbie]

I love how they call Anti-Co-op a "new" mode, when it was in the original Perfect Dark.

Still sounds good.

What they're describing here is different to what was in the original PD.

 

[Vegeta897]

Yeah, I know they had Coop in the original, but what is "Anti" Coop? Definitely new.

 

[Axyon]

They are different - Perfect Dark had 'Counter Co-op', in which you played as the grunts throughout the level... this is different because as you play as Joanna's nemesis. Perhaps you'll get to control troops, flick switches to close doors to make it hard for Joanna and stuff, then come to that 'final showdown' they talk about. It all sounds very exciting indeed.

 

[Warbie]

^ well said. Counter co-op was bloody cool, and really added to the challenge.

I'm hoping this is still present, along with the firing range (which sucked hours away from my life in the attempt to unlock new weapons )

If there's one thing Perfect Dark did better than any other game - it was its arsenal. Such an array of inventive and satisfying weapons .... and so many of them

 

[SimonomiS]

They are different - Perfect Dark had 'Counter Co-op', in which you played as the grunts throughout the level... this is different because as you play as Joanna's nemesis. Perhaps you'll get to control troops, flick switches to close doors to make it hard for Joanna and stuff, then come to that 'final showdown' they talk about. It all sounds very exciting indeed.

IF they can pull that off well, it'll be good. But won't you just be sitting around giving orders?

 

[Axyon]

IF they can pull that off well, it'll be good. But won't you just be sitting around giving orders?

Well I'm only purely speculating, but yeah if it was only the nemesis giving orders and stuff it would be boring... perhaps the nemesis gets some troops, and Joanna controls some as well, and you can either send them to fight or join in the battle yourself. They could make anything from it, so I'm really interested to see how it will pan out (I'm a huge PD fan, by the way )

^ well said. Counter co-op was bloody cool, and really added to the challenge.

I'm hoping this is still present, along with the firing range (which sucked hours away from my life in the attempt to unlock new weapons )

If there's one thing Perfect Dark did better than any other game - it was its arsenal. Such an array of inventive and satisfying weapons .... and so many of them

Heck yes, for the time Perfect Dark offered up so much more than any other shooter could... the Single-Player was excellent, the Multi-Player was phenomenal, and of course there's the institute as well as you mention. I too would spend hours at the shooting range and hours more than that in the holoroom doing the 'duel' mission with different cheat variables. Perfect Dark was indeed perfect, and if this is pulled off well... I just can't imagine it.

 

[SimonomiS]

Heh, same, not enough to get an Xbox 360 JUST for this unfortunately. Damn Microsoft for buying Rare.
Anyway, I'm guessing the Skedar wont be in it as its a prequel? Hopefully Trent Easton will be. He was so cool with his golden Magnum.

 

[Axyon]

Heh, same, not enough to get an Xbox 360 JUST for this unfortunately. Damn Microsoft for buying Rare.
Anyway, I'm guessing the Skedar wont be in it as its a prequel? Hopefully Trent Easton will be. He was so cool with his golden Magnum.

I usually hate fighting aliens in games, but the Skedar were pretty much alright - perhaps because they only cropped up in a few missions; I much prefer fighting humans though. The concept of the future in Perfect Dark is the kind that I absolutely adore - a mix between believable technologies and that cyberpunk urban feeling in places like the Chicago streets. If they use that again with the kind of graphical capabilities the new consoles can offer, I'll probably have a heart attack with joy.

 

[Warbie]

The chicago level was so sweet, more Blade Runner than Blade Runner

My favourite had to be breaking into the research facility to rescue Elvis, then to extract him in the level straight after. The again, sneaking into the airport and using the spybots was awsome too, as was the mansion level with the sniper rifle. The underwater base was fantastic too

Great game