Perfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter where players control the player character mostly from a first-person perspective. The combat features mechanics such as an evasive dodge roll and a cover system in which the gameplay switches to a third-person perspective, allowing the player to aim strategically without taking damage and be more aware of the surroundings.[1] Players cannot jump but have the ability to automatically climb obstacles as long as they can reasonably reach them.[2] It is also possible to climb ladders. When doing so the camera shifts into a third-person perspective.[3] The player has a certain amount of health which decreases when attacked by enemies. The health can recharge a bit if the player steps out of the line of fire for a few seconds, but it may not necessarily refill completely depending on how much damage the player took.[4]
Players can only carry a limited number of weapons since the inventory features a 4-slot system in which single hand-held pistols usually take a weapon slot, whereas heavy weapons like sniper rifles or rocket launchers can take up to three weapon slots.[3] The player's movement speed is also altered by the weight of the weapon the player is currently holding. Besides the primary function, all of the weapons in Perfect Dark Zero have one or two additional function modes that generally grant the player with special abilities.[5] For example, the Shockwave Rifle features an X-ray function which allows the player to see enemies through walls, while the Plasma Rifle has a cloak function that renders the player character invisible to enemies at the cost of its battery charge.[5] Some weapons also feature more unorthodox secondary functions. For instance, the Laptop Gun can be deployed as a sentry gun, while the SuperDragon assault rifle can launch bouncing grenades.[5]
Campaign[edit]
The campaign is divided into 14 missions in which the player plays as Joanna Dark. Each mission specifies a number of objectives that the player has to complete in order to progress.[6] To clear a mission successfully, the player must complete all primary objectives, and if Joanna is killed or fails an objective, the player will have to start the level again. The missions also feature optional objectives that are not critical but add to the player's overall completion score. Some objectives require the player to use numerous high-tech gadgets. For example, a device called Datathief allows the player to hack into electronic devices, while another called Loctopus can be used to open locked doors.[3] Stealth is another important element of the gameplay, as the player is often given the freedom to kill enemies without being detected by sneaking up behind them.[7] Unlike the original Perfect Dark, every mission contains a single checkpoint at which the player may restart if Joanna is killed or loses beyond that checkpoint. However, checkpoints are progressively removed at higher difficulty settings. There are four difficulty settings on which a mission can be played: Agent, Secret Agent, Perfect Agent, and an extra one called Dark Agent, which becomes available once the player completes the entire game on Perfect Agent.[8] As the player plays on higher difficulties, the game adds more objectives and makes enemies tougher to increase the challenge.[7]
The game also provides a co-operative mode where two players may play through the game's campaign together via split screen, system link, or through the Xbox Live online service.[3] In co-operative mode, the missions are slightly altered to suit both players. For instance, some doors may require two players to open them. Additionally, in certain missions, the second player can occasionally start far away from the main player and takes over an allied character that is computer-controlled in the single player campaign. The respawn procedure is also altered substantially, as if one player dies, the other has to find and revive the partner's corpse to bring it back to life.[9]
Multiplayer[edit]
In addition to the campaign mode, Perfect Dark Zero features a multiplayer mode where a maximum of 32 players may compete in numerous types of deathmatch and objective-based games via split screen, system link, or Xbox Live.[3] The multiplayer mode offers two main modes with their own customisable options: DeathMatch and DarkOps. DeathMatch is a standard game type where players spawn in rooms, collect weapons that are available on the map itself, and continue to the actual map. The overall objective of the game is determined by the scenario being played. Scenarios range from Killcount or Team Killcount, where the goal is to kill as many opposing players as possible, to objective-based games such as Capture the Flag and Territorial Gains.[10] DarkOps, on the other hand, is a slower-paced and team-only game type where weapons must be purchased from a player's stock of credits and credits are earned by killing enemies and completing objectives. Scenarios in this mode include Eradication, where the last team with any members left alive wins; Infection, where players score points by either infecting others or surviving infection; Sabotage, where the team that causes the most damage to the other team's property wins; and Onslaught, where one team must defend a base while the other has to attack it.[10]
Players can either choose to play a ranked Deathmatch or DarkOps, where they will be matched with other players using a system called TrueSkill Matchmaking, or they may choose a player match where they can choose their game from a list of player-hosted games.[3] Like the original Perfect Dark, these games can be highly customized and can also include computer game bots.[3] Features such as their difficulty and behavior can be changed to match player preference. For example, the Judge bot always attacks leading players with the highest kills score. Players can also issue commands to them as long as they are on their respective team, such as follow or hold position, and set waypoints for them to walk to. The game includes by default six different maps and each has two variants; the only change is the placement of the bases. Most of the maps are large ones, ideal for 32 players at once, with small variants for 4-16 player games.[