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| composer = {{ubl|[[Grant Kirkhope]]|[[Graeme Norgate]]|David Clynick}}
| platforms = [[Nintendo 64]]
| released = {{vgr|NA|22 May 2000|EU|30 June 2000|JP|21 October 2000}}
| genre = [[First-person shooter]], [[Stealth game|stealth]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
}}
 
'''''Perfect Dark''''' is a 2000 [[first-person shooter]] developed and published by [[Rare (company)|Rare]] for the [[Nintendo 64]]. The first game of the ''[[Perfect Dark (series)|Perfect Dark]]'' series, it follows [[Joanna Dark]], an agent of the Carrington Institute research centre, as she attempts to stop an extraterrestrial conspiracy by rival corporation dataDyne. The game features a [[Campaign setting|campaign]] mode where the player must complete a series of [[Level (video gaminggames)|levels]] to progress through the story, as well as a range of [[multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] options, including a [[Cooperative video game|co-operative]] mode and traditional [[Deathmatch (video games)|deathmatch]] settings with computer-controlled [[Video game bot|bots]].
 
As a [[spiritual successor]] to Rare's 1997 first-person shooter ''[[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|GoldenEye 007]]'', ''Perfect Dark'' shares many features with its predecessor and runs on an upgraded version of its [[game engine]]. ''GoldenEye 007'' director [[Martin Hollis (video game designer)|Martin Hollis]] led the game's production for the first fourteen months of its near three-year development cycle before he left Rare to pursue other interests. The game is one of the most technically-advanced titles for the Nintendo 64, and requires an [[Nintendo 64 accessories#Expansion Pak|Expansion Pak]] to access the campaign mode and most of the multiplayer features. Shortly before the game's release, a feature that would have allowed players to place a photograph of their choice onto the face of their multiplayer [[Player character|character]] was cut due to sensitive issues surrounding the ability for players to attack images of real people.
 
Upon release, ''Perfect Dark'' received critical acclaim and sold relatively well, eventually joining Nintendo's "[[Nintendo Selects|Player's Choice]]" game selection. Critics widely praised its graphics, [[Artificial intelligence in video games|artificial intelligence]], and number of multiplayer options, but some criticised its inconsistent [[frame rate]]. The game received the [[BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards|BAFTA Interactive Entertainment]] Moving Images Award for 2000 and the [[Golden Satellite Award]] for Best Interactive Product in 2001. The game is occasionally cited as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games of all time]]. It was supplemented by a [[Perfect Dark (Game Boy Color video game)|Game Boy Color counterpart]], which allows some gameplay options to alternatively be unlocked via a [[Transfer Pak]]. A [[remaster]], also titled ''[[Perfect Dark (2010 video game)|Perfect Dark]]'', featuring enhanced graphics and online multiplayer, was released in 2010 for the [[Xbox 360]]. The game was re-released on the [[Nintendo Switch Online|Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack]] via the Mature 17+ app in June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Dalton |date=2024-06-18 |title=Surprise Nintendo Switch Online Update Adding 4 Classic Games |url=https://gamerant.com/nintendo-switch-online-new-games-june-2024-metroid-zelda-perfect-dark/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref>
 
==Gameplay==
''Perfect Dark'' is a [[first-person shooter]] where players complete [[Level (video gaminggames)|levels]] to unlock content and progress through the game's storyline.<ref name="IGN review"/> Players manoeuvre their [[player character|character]] from a [[First-person (gaming)|first-person]] perspective and have the ability to lean left or right, look up or down, crouch, crawl, and drop from most ledges;<ref name="ONPG controls"/> there is no jump ability.<ref name="N64 review"/> Interaction with the environment is via a single [[Context-sensitive user interface|context-sensitive]] button, which can activate computers, operate lifts, and open doors.<ref name="ONPG controls"/> Players can carry an unlimited number of weapons, ranging from handguns to assault rifles, rocket launchers, a shotgun, a sniper rifle, and combat knives.<ref name="ONPG weapons"/> Besides their primary mode of fire, weapons have a secondary function that enables an alternate fire mode or grants players special abilities.<ref name="N64 review"/> For example, the secondary function of the K7 Avenger assault rifle detects threats like explosive devices.<ref name="ONPG weapons"/> Most weapons have a finite [[magazine (firearms)|magazine]] and must be reloaded after a certain number of shots.<ref name="ONPG controls"/> Some can be used [[Dual wield|in duplicate]], one in each hand.<ref name="ONPG weapons"/>
 
Players have a certain amount of [[Health (gaming)|health]] which decreases when attacked by opponents. Although the game does not feature health recovery items, players can pick up shields that protect them with a secondary health bar.<ref name="IGN Guide basics"/> Players and opponents can disarm each other at close range, and players may use this feature to steal weapons or knock foes unconscious.<ref name="ONPG weapons"/> Damage taken during combat is location-based, with a shot to the torso causing more damage than a shot to a limb.<ref name="GSpot Guide enemies"/> A number of tutorials and training activities can be taken in the game's [[home level]].<ref name="N64 review"/> The most notable of these is the [[shooting range]], where players can test their proficiency with the game's weapons in individual challenges.<ref name="ONPG training"/> In addition to training activities, players can find information about the game's locations and characters, which are gradually unlocked as they complete levels.<ref name="ONPG training"/>
 
===Campaign===
[[File:Perfect Dark Gameplay.jpg|left|thumb|In this level, the player is aiming at an opponent. The game's [[Head-up displayHUD (video gaminggames)|HUD]] at the bottom right corner shows the player's remaining ammunition and the weapon's selected function.|alt=A long corridor with columns and girders on the right side. An opponent is standing in the distance. A hand holding a weapon and graphics symbols representing ammunition are seen at the bottom right corner.]]
 
''Perfect Dark'' features a [[Campaign setting|campaign]] mode where a single player controls the game's protagonist, [[Joanna Dark]], through a series of levels collected together into missions.<ref name="N64 review"/> In each level, the player must complete a set of objectives while opponents controlled by the game's artificial intelligence try to hinder the player's progress.<ref name="ONPG missions"/> Objectives generally require the recovery and use of high-tech gadgets like [[Night-vision device|night-vision goggles]] or door decoders.<ref name="N64 review"/> The player has freedom as to how to approach encounters and many objectives can be completed in a [[Nonlinear gameplay|nonlinear]] order.<ref name="Edge review"/> [[Stealth game|Stealth]] is an important element of the gameplay because the player can kill opponents without being seen or remain undetected by using disguises.<ref name="ONPG controls"/><ref name="N64 review"/> If Joanna fails an objective or her health is fully depleted, the player must start the level again from the beginning.<ref name="ONPG missions"/>
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The game's [[science fiction]] setting was chosen due to the developers' interest in the genre.<ref name="Gamasutra Interview"/> ''[[The X-Files]]'' television series inspired the incorporation of a gray alien character and the premise of aliens being investigated.<ref name="Making Of 1m42s"/> Other influences on the setting, theme and plot included conspiracy theories and works such as the ''[[Ghost in the Shell (manga)|Ghost in the Shell]]'' manga, ''[[Elektra (comics)|Elektra]]'' comic books,<ref name="Making Of 1m42s"/> the films ''[[Blade Runner]]'' and ''[[Judge Dredd (film)|Judge Dredd]]'',<ref name="NLife feature"/> and the writing of author [[Philip K. Dick]].<ref name="Retro Gamer Issue 19"/> Hollis and designer [[David Doak]] picked architectural and impressive sci-fi dystopian settings; the plot was then constructed around these locations.<ref name="Retro Gamer Issue 19"/> For example, the first level takes place in a skyscraper that lead artist Karl Hilton had always wanted to build, and features realistic environments like service stairs and an exterior area that can be explored.<ref name="E3 1998 Showtalk"/> Although the game features a new fictional universe, it was still envisioned as a spy shooter like ''GoldenEye&nbsp;007''.<ref name="NLife feature"/> The developers' desires to expand upon its stealth mechanics, along with their admiration for the 1998 stealth game ''[[Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game)|Metal Gear Solid]]'', led to the creation of gadgets such as the CamSpy and the data uplink device.<ref name="NLife feature"/>
 
The decision to make the central character a woman was part of Hollis' belief that there should be more games starring women, considering the fact that ''GoldenEye&nbsp;007'' already starred a man.<ref name="Retro Gamer Issue 19"/> To this end, the team created Joanna Dark, influenced by a number of fictional heroines: Kim Kimberly from the 1983 [[interactive fiction]] game ''[[Snowball (game)|Snowball]]'', the seductive spy Agent X-27 in the 1931 film ''[[Dishonored (film)|Dishonored]]'', the eponymous [[femme fatale]] of the 1990 film ''[[La Femme Nikita (film)|La Femme Nikita]]'', and [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agent [[Dana Scully]] from ''The X-Files''.<ref name="Retro Gamer Issue 19"/> The name "Joanna Dark" was taken from the French pronunciation of [[Joan of Arc]] as "Jeanne d'Arc", while the name of the in-game company dataDyne was inspired by [[Yoyodyne]] from the 1965 novella ''[[The Crying of Lot 49]]'' by [[Thomas Pynchon]].<ref name="NowGamer hollis"/> The layout of the Air Force One level was inspired by the 1997 film [[Air Force One (film)|of the same name]] because it was the only reference material the team had.<ref name="NLife feature"/> In the game's Counter-Operative mode, the idea that the opposing player can take control of another opponent at any time was inspired by the 1999 film ''[[The Matrix]]'', where agents can reappear as another person in the film's simulated reality.<ref name="NLife feature"/>
 
===Production===
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| GR = 95%<ref name="GameRankings"/>
| MC = 97/100<ref name="Metacritic"/>
| Allgame = {{Rating|4.5|/5}}<ref name="Allgame review"/>
| Edge = 9/10<ref name="Edge review"/>
| EGM = 29.5/30<ref name="EGM review"/>
| EPD = 10/10<ref name="EP review"/>
| GamePro = {{Rating|5|/5}}<ref name="GamePro review"/>
| GameRev = A−<ref name="GameRev review"/>
| GSpot = 9.9/10<ref name="GSpot review"/>
| IGN = 9.8/10<ref name="IGN review"/>
| N64 = 96%<ref name="N64 review"/>
| NGen = {{Rating|4|/5}}<ref name="NGen review"/>
| NP = 9.6/10<ref name="NP review"/>
}}
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==Legacy==
Shortly after ''Perfect Dark'' was released, Rare planned to develop a "sister" title, called ''Velvet Dark'', for either the Nintendo 64 or its successor, the [[GameCube]], but the project never moved beyond pre-production and was ultimately abandoned.<ref name="GS Velvet Dark"/><ref name="5 Things"/> The name "Velvet Dark" references Joanna Dark's alleged sister, in the characterco-operative playersmode, assumewho thewould rolehave of inbeen the game's co-operative modeprotagonist.<ref name="GS Velvet Dark"/><ref name="5 Things"/> Meanwhile, Free Radical Design released ''[[TimeSplitters (video game)|TimeSplitters]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]] in October 2000, a first-person shooter based around a completely new engine.<ref name="GS TimeSplitters Review"/> ''TimeSplitters'' bears several gameplay and presentational similarities to ''GoldenEye 007'' and ''Perfect Dark'', including a similar aiming system and unlockable options through quick level completions.<ref name="GS TimeSplitters Review"/><ref name="IGN TimeSplitters Preview"/> After Rare was purchased by [[Microsoft]] in 2002,<ref name="MS Rare"/> the company released a prequel, ''[[Perfect Dark Zero]]'', as a launch title for the [[Xbox 360]] in 2005. Although the game received generally positive reviews from critics,<ref name="PDZ Metacritic"/> some publications felt it did not meet their expectations.<ref name="EG PDZ Review"/><ref name="GI PDZ Review"/>
 
In a retrospective analysis, ''Edge'' acknowledged that the game's frame rate and other dated elements of its design rendered it "nigh-on unplayable".<ref name="EdgeTimeExtended"/> The magazine found the ambitious mentality which resulted in weapons and computer-controlled players being "designed for possibilities rather than balance", both one of ''Perfect Dark''{{'}}s most interesting aspects and the cause of its biggest problem: "Restraint [...] would have made ''Perfect Dark'' a tighter, more focused experience, helped with those framerate issues, and removed almost all of the fun".<ref name="EdgeTimeExtended"/> The magazine concluded that despite ''Perfect Dark'' not standing up as a good game to play in 2009, "its currency of ideas and provocation [...] remains sound".<ref name="EdgeTimeExtended"/> In 2015, ''[[Den of Geek]]'' considered ''Perfect Dark'' "a game that's done more for the shooter genre than often credited for", and said that the game was still ahead of its time because no game had revitalised its ideas.<ref name="Geek ahead"/>
 
Since its release, the game has attracted a following of elite players who constantly try to [[speedrun]] its levels and break world records.<ref name="Kotaku record"/> These records are managed by their website and involve highly skilled players exploiting tiny gameplay inconsistencies.<ref name="Kotaku record"/><ref name="Kotaku skips"/> The game is occasionally cited as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games of all time]]. In 2001, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' editors ranked ''Perfect Dark'' 65th on their list of Top 100 Games of All Time,<ref name="EGM Top 100"/> while ''Nintendo Power'' included it in their 2006 list of Top 200 Nintendo games.<ref name="NP Top 200"/> In 2007, ''IGN'' editors placed the game at No. 86 on their list of Top 100 Games of All Time, noting that "Everything that ''GoldenEye'' made great, ''Perfect Dark'' did too, and then some."<ref name="IGN-100"/> Similarly, ''Edge'' placed the title at No. 28 on their 2007 list of 100 Best Videogames (a list voted for by readers, ''Edge'' staff and gaming industry professionals),<ref name="Edge100"/> claiming that the game brought the Nintendo&nbsp;64 era to a satisfying close.<ref name="Edge100"/> In 2009, ''[[Official Nintendo Magazine]]'' ranked it 37th on a list of 100 Best Nintendo Games.<ref name="Best Nintendo Games"/>
 
In 2022, a fan by the name of Ryan Dwyer fully [[decompiler|decompiled]] the original [[ROM image]] into [[C (programming language)|C]] [[source code]], allowing the game to be [[porting|ported]] unofficially to various platforms.<ref name="ROM Decompiled"/> An unofficial PC port was released in 2023.<ref name="Unofficial PC port"/> A reboot, also titled ''[[Perfect Dark (upcoming video game)|Perfect Dark]]'', is being developed by [[The Initiative (company)|The Initiative]].<ref name="Reboot announcement"/>
 
==Remaster==
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<ref name="Allgame review">{{Cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18830&tab=review |title=Perfect Dark – Review |first=Scott |last=McCall |website=[[AllGame]] |access-date=28 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114195857/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18830&tab=review |archive-date=14 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Metacritic">{{Cite web |url=httphttps://www.metacritic.com/game/nintendo-64/perfect-dark/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-64 |title=Perfect Dark |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=27 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125002333/http://www.metacritic.com/game/nintendo-64/perfect-dark |archive-date=25 November 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
<ref name="GameRankings">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/198275-perfect-dark/index.html |title=Perfect Dark |website=[[GameRankings]] |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215224733/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/198275-perfect-dark/index.html |archive-date=15 December 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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<ref name="MS Rare">{{Cite web |access-date=14 January 2011 |url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Sep02/09-24ProjectRPR.mspx |title=Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd. |website=[[Microsoft]] |date=24 September 2002 |location=Redmond, Washington |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108152343/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Sep02/09-24ProjectRPR.mspx |archive-date=8 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
<ref name="PDZ Metacritic">{{Cite web |access-date=20 September 2017 |url=httphttps://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/perfect-dark-zero/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Perfect Dark Zero |website=[[Metacritic]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123204052/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/perfect-dark-zero |archive-date=23 November 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
<ref name="EG PDZ Review">{{Cite web |access-date=12 April 2010 |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_pd0_x360 |title=Perfect Dark Zero Review |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=1 December 2005 |first=Kristan |last=Reed |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617092440/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_pd0_x360 |archive-date=17 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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<ref name="GS Velvet Dark">{{Cite web |access-date=31 July 2015 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/n64s-perfect-dark-was-meant-to-have-a-sister-game-/1100-6429334/ |title=N64's Perfect Dark Was Meant to Have a Sister Game, Velvet Dark |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=30 July 2015 |first=Chris |last=Pereira |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731201417/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/n64s-perfect-dark-was-meant-to-have-a-sister-game-/1100-6429334/ |archive-date=31 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
<ref name="5 Things">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye22UAfs6-0 |title=Rare Revealed: Five Things You Didn't Know About Perfect Dark |date=April 29, 2016 |publisher=[[Rare (company)|Rare]] |place=Twycross, England |time=8:02 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |format=Video}}</ref>
 
 
<ref name="Rare Replay">{{Cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/15/8783621/rare-replay-xbox-one |title=Rare Replay for Xbox One includes 30 Rare games for $30 (update) |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |first=Michael |last=McWhertor |date=15 June 2015 |access-date=28 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628185752/http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/15/8783621/rare-replay-xbox-one |archive-date=28 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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<ref name="ROM Decompiled">{{Cite web |first=Chris |last=Scullion |title=Perfect Dark has been fully decompiled, making PC ports and mods possible |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/perfect-dark-has-been-fully-decompiled-making-pc-ports-and-mods-possible/ |website=VGC |date=17 October 2022 |access-date=17 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017153511/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/perfect-dark-has-been-fully-decompiled-making-pc-ports-and-mods-possible/ |archive-date=17 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
<ref name="Unofficial PC port">{{Cite web |first=Andrew |last=Heaton |title=Classic N64 game Perfect Dark gets an unofficial PC port |url=https://www.destructoid.com/classic-n64-perfect-dark-gets-unofficial-pc-port/ |website=[[Destructoid]] |date=30 October 2023 |access-date=1 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030221100/https://www.destructoid.com/classic-n64-perfect-dark-gets-unofficial-pc-port/ |archive-date=30 October 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 
}}
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