Perfect Dark Zero - Reception

Reception

Reviews for Perfect Dark Zero were divided but generally positive, garnering a GameRankings and a Metacritic aggregated score of 82% and 81/100 respectively. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin awarded the title a rating of 9.0 out of 10 and an Editors Choice. He claimed that the game "champions the Xbox 360 with its excellent assortment of single and multiplayer game types, as well as its incredible good looks and dynamic, intense action", and concluded that it "delivers just about everything you could hope for from a first-person shooter." Charles Onyett of IGN praised the customization and game options available to players; but also criticized single-player aspects such as the weak artificial intelligence of enemies, poor storyline and bad voice acting.

The graphics were highlighted positively. Kasavin was impressed with the amount of lighting and motion blur effects, and noted that the "excellent character animation helps make the guns feel as powerful as they look." Bryn Williams of GameSpy considered the graphics as a "stunning look at what the 360 hardware is capable of", but also admitted that the animations are "a little too slow", and therefore can sometimes create an "unwelcome sense of cartoonishness". Onyett credited the attractive gun models, explosions, and sprawling vistas, though also felt that some areas, such as the South American Ruins, can unnecessary look "too shiny". The sound effects were said to be loud, with "heavy-hitting" weapon effects and "moody soundtrack that gives each mission its own pulsing rhythms".

The game's weapons were also well received. Reviewers praised the gun management and the implementation of the guns. Greg Kasavin commented, "It doesn't stray too far from convention, but it features some interesting twists... making for a much more entertaining experience than the average shooter." Critics generally agreed that the roll and cover system worked well and that they did not feel overpowered, though some were somewhat frustrated about the fact that the cover mode required a specific spot to be activated. Reviewers also considered the story and voice acting to be weak. Charles Onyett said that it is almost impossible not to notice how "laughably bad it is", and that many plot twists are presented then never resolved, though he also admitted that it doesn't really factor into the gameplay. GameCritics' Mike Bracken commented, it's "sad when there's voice acting in a game and I find myself being embarrassed for the voice actors." Nevertheless, GameSpot added that the game's weapon fire and musical score "easily drown this out."

Publications judged the co-op aspect of the game well. Kristan Reed of Eurogamer praised the fact that the missions were "designed with co-op in mind." He noted that, for example, the third level "has Joanna providing cover fire for her father Jack as he hops from one point of the level to the next. In the single player campaign Jack's AI controlled, but co-op lets you take direct control of his actions, making the experience a much more engaging affair all-round." Multiplayer matches of Perfect Dark Zero were widely well received. Greg Kasavin pointed out that the excellent weapon selection, flexibility of options, high-quality maps, and smooth online performance make for a "rock-solid competitive shooter." IGN stated similar pros, calling it "enormous". 1UP.com's Che Chou also praised the multiplayer, but observed that "constantly roll-dodging to avoid enemy fire at close range combined with the exceptionally slow movement speed of your character... can occasionally be highly frustrating for beginners."

Despite solid reviews, numerous publications remarked that Perfect Dark Zero did not meet the expectations. According to GameCritics, "It took Rare a whole console generation to do it..." and that "the wait wasn't really worth it". Game Informer found it to be quite disappointing and gave the game a 7 out of 10, reviewing it under the tagline "Don't believe the hype". Bryn Williams, albeit still giving the game a positive review, observed, "Perfect Dark Zero is a lot of fun and does a lot of things very well, but it's just not the killer-app that we'd all hoped for". In 2010, GameTrailers placed the game 6th in their list of the "Top 10 Disappointments of the Decade" and 10th in their "Top 10 Worst Sequels" list.