Metacritic Games

Perfect Dark (Nintendo 64)

Special operative Joanna Dark flips the script on the predictable plots of first-person shooters, with a twisting storyline where aliens are allies and trust is a luxury which you can't afford. Players control Ms. Dark, who earned the nickname Perfect after graduating with top honors from the Carrington Institute. The action begins in the year 2023, when Joanna receives a distress signal from a troubled scientist held hostage in the heart of a monolithic corporation called dataDyne. Joanna's first mission is to infiltrate the heavily guarded corporate headquarters, and soon she finds herself in the epicenter of an intergalactic conspiracy set to explode. We don't want to spoil the surprises that pop up along the way, but it's safe to say that throughout her adventure Joann discovers the corrosive effect power and greed have on the human psyche. As an extra bonus, she's also a crucial player in a massive war between two alien species. Each stage of Perfect Dark can be played in one of three difficulty levels: Agent, Secret Agent or Perfect Agent. In addition to pumping up enemy AI in higher difficulty levels, players have to complete increasingly complex tasks. [Nintendo]

Nintendo
Action, First-Person Shooter
Players: 4
M (Mature)
Developer: Rare
Released May 22, 2000

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

97 / 100

Critic Reviews

100 Core Magazine
Though it is not without its flaws, "Perfect Dark" is the best game yet for the N64 and among the most fun console games ever produced.
100 Hot Games
Joanna looks good and she knows it, with spectacular Ram-pak enhanced graphics.
100 Total Video Games
Simply the best game I have ever had the pleasure of playing.
100 Nintendorks
So damn close to perfect that it makes me want to cry tears of joy.
100 Electric Playground
Magnificent. Until now, GoldenEye was arguably the best reason for gamers over the age of 16 to own a Nintendo 64. No longer.
100 Daily Radar
Oh yea, oh yea, glory hallelujah -- this is the game we've waited so long for.
100 CheckOut
It's a stunning achievement by any measure and stands as one of those rare products that delivers more than you paid for.
100 Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
It's still by far the finest crafted game of its ilk on the N64 and it positively oozes class from every pore.
100 Maxim Online
Cool options such as friend/foe identification and threat readings, plus the best graphics ever on an N64 game.
100 GamePro
With all the gadgets and alternative goals thrown in, "Perfect Dark" is more than just a straight-up blastfest; It's a futuristic spy-thriller that also happens to be the best multiplayer shooter on the console market.
100 Cincinnati Enquirer
No longer are those shooting at you simple targets in a practice range. These guys are smart, evil and ready to battle. Enemies will work together to cover each other, they’ll roll under your gunfire, hide behind corners and even shoot the gun right out of your hands.
100 GameShark
Beyond the visual feast and a plethora of features and options, Perfect Dark is a soup of gameplay genius beefy enough to eat with a fork!
99 Gaming Maxx
The framerate trouble brought the graphics down to 9.9, and even framerate problems you won't even notice most of the time because this game is so much fun.
99 GameSpot
The number of things that you can unlock in the game is simply staggering.
98 IGN
Rare's intelligent 3D shooter features amazing graphics, loads of in-game options, a cooperative mode, a counter-operative mode, extensive bot setups, and a the most well-rounded multiplayer mode ever to grace Nintendo 64.
98 Electronic Gaming Monthly
If "GoldenEye" is a bull's-eye, Perfect Dark hits somewhere in the lungs. [Jan 2004, p.189]
97 Antagonist -- Ant.com
With stellar solo and multiplayer action, there are more things to try here than in a stroll through Amsterdam.
97 Nintendojo
Absolutely brilliant.
96 Da Gameboyz
From superior graphics, which really showcase the capacity of the N64 Expansion Pak, to Dolby Surround Sound, to seemingly unlimited playability potential, "Perfect Dark" is the game of choice for N64 owners.
95 Happy Puppy
There are as many different reasons for the gamer to go to bed thinking of simulants, or any of the friends that have been hiding behind walls and popping a cap in your ass with the farsight, as there are peanuts in the box.
95 Spank!
Perfect in every way. Except for the manual, which I've burnt along with every other first person shooter in the office games cupboard: there's no point in keeping either now.
95 Nintendophiles
It’s multiplayer is, by far, the best on Nintendo 64. The Single Player is epic and addicting.
95 GamerWeb Nintendo
Its scope and complexity is lightyears ahead of the competition and it sets a benchmark that many, possibly even Rare itself, will struggle to reach in the years to come.
91 Game Revolution
So there's no doubt in anyone's mind... there is not now, nor will there ever be a nude code for Joanna Dark. Go get a girlfriend!
91 Gaming Age
There are some nasty frame rate problems at times, which is mostly the factor that keep this from an A grade, but don't let that stop you from picking up Rare's latest.
91 Game Fan
With Joanna Dark, "Perfect Dark's" heroine, Rare succeeds over Bond, the spy at the top of his game, by matching him with somebody who would likely prefer him on the bottom.
90 CNET Gamecenter
This is the best action game on the Nintendo 64 and a great follow-up to "GoldenEye."
90 All Game Guide
Better than "GoldenEye 007" in every aspect, making it the best first-person shooter at the time of its release. With much deeper Solo Missions and a completely customizable Combat Simulator, Perfect Dark definitely was worth the wait.
90 Game Critics
The new cast of characters created for Perfect Dark is grossly inadequate when compared to the ones from GoldenEye. The lead player-controlled protagonist, Joanna Dark, exhibits few emotions beyond being clueless and bland.
90 Games Domain
Yes, Rare should have made the gameplay a little more original, pumped up the enemy AI, and definitely fixed the save system. But they gave the people what they wanted, and in that respect they've done a terrific job. There's so much to explore, kill, blow up and maim in this game that it offers hours and hours of bullet-riddled excitement.

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