Perfect Dark: Joanna Dark returns to action in an amazing game
The new Perfect Dark in development at The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics has finally shown itself after a long silence.
Perfect Dark exists, now we have proof . After having remained a mysterious object for years and having ended up dangerously close to vaporware, the new chapter of the Rare series, which passed from the hands of The Initiative and from them to Crystal Dynamics, now has a concrete and clearly visible form, emerging from a presentation which received very positive impressions. The rumors according to which the development was having enormous problems did nothing but amplify the surprise effect and the excellent impact that the recent trailer had, also judging by the reactions found on social media, despite the game appearing quite different from tradition in various aspects.
Beyond the aesthetic characteristics, it is precisely the gameplay that seems to have been modified quite profoundly compared to the previous chapters of the series. Despite the spy characterization, Perfect Dark was essentially a first-person shooter in terms of basic mechanics, while this new episode seems to break away from the traditional groove by offering a notable variety of environmental interactions that open the door to different game mechanics.
New setting and “overturned” story
The first teaser trailer published way back in 2020 already hinted at several things about the new setting, and it is remarkable to see how the new video also remained quite faithful to that original vision.
This despite the past years and a development process which, according to what has been reported, does not seem to have been the simplest and most peaceful. Already at the time it presented itself as a story of action and espionage within a world devastated by cataclysms , introducing the theme of ecology as a characterizing element for the world of the game. Although the environmental aspect is not explained much in the new video, it is clear that the scenario has remained exactly that of the first teaser, only that now we have had the opportunity to see it from much closer.
The action takes place inside a new fortified Cairo, which represents a kind of oasis compared to the advanced desertification of the Earth. The Egyptian city is in fact the place chosen by the mega-corporation Core Mantis to start The GEN Network project of “revitalization” of the world, as is clear from the appearance of Garden City, a sort of utopia in which technological advancement seems to have found a certain balance with ecological grafts, in search of a nature that seems largely lost.
Perfect Dark: Joanna Dark returns to action in an amazing game
In this pleasant place, we understand that our mission is to find Daniel Carrington, a dangerous criminal in possession of a radioactive device that endangers millions of people.
This is already a curious element of the story of the new Perfect Dark: the character in question indeed has an important role in the original and in Zero, but as a positive figure and mentor to Joanna Dark, who works for the Carrington Institute. What is reported in the brief briefing at the beginning of the mission in the new chapter almost seems like a reversal of the perspective, which could make one think of a reboot with important variations in the narrative elements or more probably a prequel with a story of the origins, also considering that Joanna, introducing the events as in a flashback of sorts, he reports “I thought it was like any other mission, but I was wrong.”
Another element contrary to tradition is the fact that the protagonist is at the service of dataDyne, a corporation that was instead on the enemy’s side in the original. This confirms the idea of a probable upheaval during the mission that will open Joanna’s eyes and reveal what lies behind the established order, given that the GEN Network project seems to hide several dark aspects, on which Carrington could have important information . Towards the end of the video we hear the latter addressing the protagonist as a sort of guide, while the more purely science fiction element seems to burst into the images, perhaps opening the door to “alien” influences, also making us think of a possible return of Elvis .
Hybrid gameplay
The idea of a more complex and advanced movement system seems to have always been at the basis of this Perfect Dark relaunch project, considering that the first interviews with The Initiative already talked about the studies carried out on parkour and on advanced interaction with the scenarios .
This is clearly reflected in what we see in the gameplay shown in the trailer, given that in the few minutes of action various movements are visible, almost like a first-person platformer: Joanna is now able to jump, cling to handholds, run along walls, climb and act in various ways on the elements of the scenario, in a style that is a bit reminiscent of Mirror’s Edge and a bit of Arkane Lyon’s immersive sim, although with notes that tend more towards shooters.
All this contributes to varying the gameplay , making it an interesting hybrid between the classic first-person shooter and a stealth game with tactical additions that mainly concern the use of sophisticated instruments.
As in the originals, the protagonist can use various technological gadgets that allow different types of interaction: in the video we see her listening to and recording remote conversations, using a hacking system for electronic devices, activating infrared scans and vision and launching electromagnetic pulses, having a notable range of solutions available to undertake depending on the different situations.
Even the shooter phases are affected by this new agile and dynamic super spy identity of the protagonist, with spectacular body-to-body coups de grace, slides, blunders and slow-motion moves with a high cinematic impact, whose impact on the actual gameplay front is It’s all to be evaluated but in the meantime they certainly represent a nice sight.
The new Joanna
Considering the premise behind this project, seeing it in such spectacular form in an actual gameplay video was a really nice surprise.
For a game that until a few weeks ago ran riskily on the edge of vaporware, what we have seen is more than what we expected, and the coherence with which the game seems to adhere to the initial vision that shone through from the first teaser trailer is also very appreciable , a clear sign that, despite the changes of hands between the teams, everything has remained faithful to an artistic and design direction, which seems to have been solidly established by The Initiative. For the rest, Crystal Dynamics’ capabilities are undoubted and also shine through in the technical implementation that we can see in the trailer.
Perfect Dark has an identity closely linked to the era in which the original emerged, deriving from a taste that today is inevitably dated, but the modernization imparted seems convincing, and the idea of setting the setting and story on the topic of ecology , staging a vision of the future that also seems quite original, is very interesting. It remains to be seen how the various elements staged between stealth, shooter, parkour-style action and immersive sim, all tempting individually, actually manage to blend together, but from today we can really look at Perfect Dark with renewed enthusiasm.
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