Why I decided to stop playing Perfect Dark

[RCBH928]

N64 might be my favorite system, and Perfect Dark is one of the top rated games on it, but I decided to stop playing the game.

My reasons are simple. Some how the hardware must be limited to make a bigger game, so the developer decided to use a trick. That trick is frustration. I noticed that levels are designed in a very clever way to make sure that you wont complete them ever in the first play, even on the easiest level. Something wierd or surprising always happens that kills you or the objective simply fails.

I also found out that you MUST read the summary/briefing to know how to complete each level. Yet, not even the briefing is clear enough on what to do, so you have to go through the level multiple times to experiment on what works and what doesnt work.I noticed that each level would take at least 20 min to complete, going through it multiple times, thats an hour of testing. Exactl what I call "time wasting" .

Here is a good example:
I am in a level where I have to move an explosive box gently around to a certain area. if it explodes game over. I did, as I moved in the level onw of the objectives failed for reasons I do not know. Now this is NOT my mistake, frustrating, but I have to go through moving the box carefully again, which is even more frustrating! I dunno what might go wrong, or how many times I will have to move that box.

This is a good example of what I call bad design and frustration created on purpose. Too sad since the game plays well with a nice setting. I really think this game is over rated since it achieved almost a 10 on gamespot reviews. Remember, I am playing on the easiest level.

I really rather start playing Dead Space or Batman on the 360, a game that probably was made for entertaining the gamer and not frustrate him. I am sad since Perfct Dark was one of those games I was looking forward for years to play.

[Ziggy]

I definitely agree with you, Perfect Dark is overrated. People always refer to it as Goldeneye 2.0, and any improvement on Goldeneye must automatically mean a better game. On paper, Perfect Dark might sound better than Goldeneye, but in my opinion it is not.

The single player mode is just boring. There's some weird story that's somewhat entertaining, but also pretty lame. The level designs are awful. Awful to look at, awful to play through. In my opinion, the graphics end up looking worse than Goldeneye for this reason.

The multiplayer mode is where this game apparently shines. It might have more modes/scenarios than Goldeneye, but again, I don't like the map designs. And the atmosphere is just boring and borderline annoying. The atmosphere in Goldeneye is what made that game so great, in my opinion. From level designs to the music, it "felt" amazing. That's all gone in Perfect Dark.

[KDub]

Here is a good example:
I am in a level where I have to move an explosive box gently around to a certain area. if it explodes game over. I did, as I moved in the level onw of the objectives failed for reasons I do not know. Now this is NOT my mistake, frustrating, but I have to go through moving the box carefully again, which is even more frustrating! I dunno what might go wrong, or how many times I will have to move that box.

This is a good example of what I call bad design and frustration created on purpose. Too sad since the game plays well with a nice setting. I really think this game is over rated since it achieved almost a 10 on gamespot reviews. Remember, I am playing on the easiest level.

I really rather start playing Dead Space or Batman on the 360, a game that probably was made for entertaining the gamer and not frustrate him. I am sad since Perfct Dark was one of those games I was looking forward for years to play.

Sounds like to me you're just not good at the game and want to blame something else because of that. That level is very simple objective wise especially on the lowest setting. Best bet is to go through and clear a path before moving the box that way someone is less likely to shoot it. Using your "spy gear" will allow you to spot if any surprises may pop up. Once you get the box to the spot and blow it up yourself on the lowest setting the next objectives are moved to basically right in front of you and its just a matter of going to the next shoot out. Cake

[Xeogred]

Always loved it even way more than Goldeneye. PD 4 Life.

[scikoolaid]

The beauty of the game is for that example alone you don't even need the crate. Its optional. If you just get to the blast-able wall and drop a proxy dragon there, you can shoot it or walk close enough to it to let it explode your way to progress.

Not everyone can appreciate the timeless humor in the animations and voice acting with enemies and how the AI acts so comical.
I think the comment above is probably correct, the game isn't made to hold your hand, this is a game you learn to excel at and fall in love with because of the freedom you have in obtaining your objectives. Speed running is a whole other aspect that grew out of love for the game besides the undeniably ridiculously good multiplayer. You don't get 10% of the options that Perfect has (not even including the mass of cheats you can unlock and use anywhere).

Perfect Dark is Perfect. PD4Life

[Reprise]

It's been years since I've played Perfect Dark, but I remember getting bored of how easy it was on 'easy' after a few levels, so restarting the game on 'normal'... Then I remember it getting really hard lol. Don't think I ever quite completed the single player campaign.

[swiftzx]

Always loved it even way more than Goldeneye. PD 4 Life.

PD 4 Life. Too bad not many people play it online anymore

[RCBH928]

Here is a good example:
I am in a level where I have to move an explosive box gently around to a certain area. if it explodes game over. I did, as I moved in the level onw of the objectives failed for reasons I do not know. Now this is NOT my mistake, frustrating, but I have to go through moving the box carefully again, which is even more frustrating! I dunno what might go wrong, or how many times I will have to move that box.

This is a good example of what I call bad design and frustration created on purpose. Too sad since the game plays well with a nice setting. I really think this game is over rated since it achieved almost a 10 on gamespot reviews. Remember, I am playing on the easiest level.

I really rather start playing Dead Space or Batman on the 360, a game that probably was made for entertaining the gamer and not frustrate him. I am sad since Perfct Dark was one of those games I was looking forward for years to play.

Sounds like to me you're just not good at the game and want to blame something else because of that. That level is very simple objective wise especially on the lowest setting. Best bet is to go through and clear a path before moving the box that way someone is less likely to shoot it. Using your "spy gear" will allow you to spot if any surprises may pop up. Once you get the box to the spot and blow it up yourself on the lowest setting the next objectives are moved to basically right in front of you and its just a matter of going to the next shoot out. Cake

You sound like that guy who can finish Quake in less than an hour. If you are too good in the game does not mean I am bad at it. FPS is one of my favorite genres, if not most favorite, and I don't remember having problem with this genre. I even completed COD2 on veteran, where it was extremely difficult but fair.


Perfect Dark level design , to me , looks like it was made on purpose to make you replay it many times even if you are the best in gaming. I think it is designed to confuses you, as I have been confused many times. Do not get me wrong, i don't necessarily like linear games, and I do appreciate the humor, but I think the developers decided to design this game in this way to make you play each level more than one time so you feel that the game is long and worthwhile your money. Most likely due to technology limits, they couldn't build a larger game.

I like the graphics, the weapons, gameplay but design is flawed. Even selecting weapons seems random, the training center/lobby at the beginning of the game is designed in a confusing way.

I might go back to playing this game if I feel less angry about it.

[KDub]

Certainly not, I've never even met most of the timed goals in Perfect Dark. It just seems like you're not using your head and want to blame the game for that. You're rushing in guns blazing and wondering why you keep failing the missions. Like scikoolaid said, you don't even technically need the crate to blow the wall up as long as it doesn't get blown up you won't fail the objective I believe. It is a FPS but its an old school one and based on being a spy, you look at the objective and need to go "Hmm, now how do I do that without dying?"

Also selecting weapons isn't random unless you just click to quick switch, hold the button down and you get a pop up menu to select what you want.

[Xeogred]

I for one loved the shortness of the missions and the timed events. It gave the game an arcadey / trial and error / shmup kind of feel if you wanted to play it that way. That's the thing compared to many other modern FPS's, PD gave you a lot of freedom on how you wanted your play style to be. Alternative paths and whatnot opening up on the higher difficulties was something I really liked as well, another improvement over Goldeneye to me since I don't remember it doing that as much. PD on Perfect Agent was like a totally different campaign than Agent.