
The weapons of Perfect Dark include handguns, rifles, submachine guns, a shotgun, rocket launchers, combat knives, grenade launchers, various explosives, and several fictitious extraterrestrial weapons. As a result, the gameplay is extremely similar and it retains many of its predecessor's features, such as the ability to use stealth to tackle missions, and objectives that vary with the difficulty setting. In fact, Perfect Dark was originally intended to be a true sequel to Goldeneye however, Rare opted not to re-license the James Bond trademarks as the game neared completion. It is frequently described as a "spiritual sequel" to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, released in 1997. Perfect Dark features many elements that are typical of a first-person shooter game, including a range of weapons to collect, enemies to defeat and distinct environments to explore. Technically, it is one of the most advanced games developed for the N64, with optional high-resolution graphics and Dolby Surround Sound. It also includes a range of multiplayer options, including co-operative and "counter-operative" modes in addition to traditional deathmatch settings. The game features a single-player mode consisting of seventeen missions in which the player assumes the role of special agent Joanna Dark, an operative for the fictional Carrington Institute, as she attempts to foil a conspiracy by rival corporation dataDyne. It requires the Expansion Pak for single player, co-operative and counter-operative campaigns, as well as most multiplayer features.

The game was first released in Canada and the United States in May 2000, where it was greeted with critical acclaim PAL and NTSC-J releases followed soon afterwards. The game was developed by Rare, creators of the multi-million selling GoldenEye 007, an earlier first-person shooter with which Perfect Dark shares many gameplay features. Perfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game for the Nintendo 64 game console.


For the Game Boy Color game, see Perfect Dark (Game Boy Color).
