Graphics: You want the word on the framerate, so here it is: the framerate actually isn't bad. Maybe it's because I don't care too much, maybe it's because I am not a PC gamer or maybe it's because I've overlooked it and moved on, the picks at the framerate are ridiculous. Case in point, the one-player is fine, the two and four-player deathmatches more than acceptable and throwing in a maximum of 4 simulants with 4-players gives Perfect Dark it's limit. Sure, you can always through in 8 simulants with 4-players, and have a good time, but it's just not worth it and fun for the first couple times. In the end, the framerate debate will be decided by you, but don't fear the word of others, if you survived Goldeneye's framerate, you'll deal with PD's. Not a big deal and frankly, let's stop talking about it now.

The PD team had an amazing vision of the future and I can assure you that I am extremely impressed with the beautiful textures, great backdrops and graphical details in this game. This from someone who has played Dreamcast games for months now; the N64's power has been tapped, expansion pak and all, and there was no better game to do this with. Graphics aren't everything, true, but what we have here is a gorgeous game filled with eye candy at every corner, detail at any optical place. Animations are on par, although the wow-factor won't be as huge like the first time you played Goldeneye. Sure, there are few times when you won't believe the intelligence of an enemy and his movements, but the game mainly has improvements and additions to previous Goldeneye animations. Not to say I don't love them, I do, but I was looking for that one animation. To add a little to the animations, blood is much more present in this game, than in Goldeneye, and, at times, it gets a bit bloody. Not to the extent where it's ridiculous, however.

Audio: Rare has always been known to push the N64 cartridges, utilizing anything the N64 has got to pump out some amazing audio. We all enjoyed the music and sound of JFG and Goldeneye, and Perfect Dark follows the trend nicely. Very nicely, actually. Music will sound very familiar, with Goldeneye tunes generally being modified for a futuristic atmosphere. It's catchy, and is more than sufficient. If this was a CD-based videogame, the music would be adequate; it's that good.

I am a sucker for voice-overs in videogames. I disliked Goldeneye's text-based speaking, and have found that any type of realistic acting and speaking in a videogame can really make a better impression on the gamer and enhance the aroma of the game. With Perfect Dark, and the audio limitations on the N64, we have the best voice-overs we'll ever see on the system, bar none. It's amazing how Rare fit everything in, from enemies shouting, "You bitch" (and other somewhat repetitive quotes) to different characters speaking normally during cutscenes. Little minor details with the voice acting makes this game so enjoyable, at least I believe. Other sound effects include the unique and intriguing effects for each type of gun. Although, several sound effects are oddly familiar, bringing back memories of Goldeneye. Also, I love how the surface Joanna walks on makes a different sound, depending on whether it is snow, a hard floor and so forth. Rare really is one of the few developers capable of producing amazing quality sound on the N64.

Control: You've played Goldeneye, and you've basically played Perfect Dark "already", except for some additions to the already impeccable control. It's amazing, the innovation we have here as it will set the standards for any shooter to ever arrive in the future. The big thing I am talking about is the secondary functions of the guns, the meat behind the weapons. Pressing and holding the 'B button' for a second or two activates the secondary function for a weapon. Also new to the control scheme is the Turok 2 weapon selection screen where a menu of the weapons will pop up when 'A' is pressed for a second. Some may opt for this style, or the tradition Goldeneye changing of weapons, but whoever you are, you're bound to be in your control at all times. Rare also threw in many different control setups, as well.

And about those weapons, good God, are there a ton. The plethora of options for these unrivaled weapons is quite overwhelming, and it'll take any gamer weeks to finally figure out each weapon's strengths and weaknesses and the secondary functions. For example, the Farsight (with the ability to shoot enemies through walls) is the crowd pleaser, and can lock on to enemies by holding R and C-Left. Oh yes, indeed. The Cyclone is also a favorite, not only because it demolishes enemies, but because it's reload is awesome. Little things like this make the game so enjoyable, it's inconceivable. Oh, and do you like proximity mines? So do I; the Dragon weapon has you covered. Its secondary function is a proximity mine and not only is this useful in the one-player missions, but multiplayer is nothing without them. Finally, the Reaper is a cool weapon, with a nice "grinding" secondary function chopping up enemies in a disgusting, yet, invigorating manner. Finally, Joanna is loaded with Bond-style gadgets from an x-ray scanner, to night vision goggles and the interesting cam-spy. Be prepared to use those numerous times throughout the game.

Gameplay: Prepare yourself, this could take a while. The gameplay, or just overall atmosphere of Perfect Dark, is overwhelming at first. In fact, it's too overwhelming. This isn't in any way a knock towards the game, but there is a lot to do here and never enough time to do it. The one-player mission spreads across 3 difficulty levels (one extra hidden) spanning a little less than two-dozen levels with so much action, intrigue and suspense that your Mommy may need to be at your side for the occasional underwear change.

The one-player is not a shock; it's got the Goldeneye ambience with plenty of objectives (different for each difficulty setting) and the amazing action and detail we all know and love. Agent mode isn't too rough, it's basically an introduction to the game and while it certainly is a good start, Perfect Agent is where it's at. Perfect Agent is tougher, and basically the "main mode" of the game where you will most likely find yourself at home. Difficulty levels above this are arduous and mainly for the hardcore gamers up until 3 AM trying to beat it every night. That's not a bad thing, but not everyone has the skills and time to beat Perfect Dark on the hardest settings. It gets rough. Objectives are "money", with no real tedious and repetitive objectives. It takes skill to complete some of the harder objectives, although in the first level on the easiest difficulty, for instance, you practically do nothing. Though, when you get involved with the President (we won't ruin much) things get interesting. While we're at it, the story line is acceptable, although not worry of Hollywood. However, Half-Life still rains supreme as the best storyline for a first-person shooter. Perfect Dark does an excellent job, but no one can convince me that it's better than Half-Life's. If there is one thing Rare needs to master, it's this. Great job Rare, but we aren't "there" yet.

Perfect Dark is an amazing one-player title, but it's basically the party game to end all party games. It's ridiculous with all the options and customization available, and while we don't want to waste our lives discussing it all, we'll get to the core of it. The 4-player deathmatches rock. With additions of simulants, multiplayer team-based objectives and little tidbits here and there, we have the most enjoyable multiplayer experience ever seen on a home console. For instance, multiplayer stat tracking (saved to a controller pak) will prove to be the "smack talk" of Perfect Dark, and the Combat Simulator (customized multiplayer situations) will be the new mode gamers stay up all night to achieve. The beginning simulator objectives aren't rough, and they open codes and new parts of the game, however you won't beat all 30 missions without a lot of work. At least most won't. There are about 15 multiplayer areas and several dozen weapons, which can be specifically chosen for each battle. Different scenarios and modes are in the multiplayer, including our favorite, "Hacker Central", mainly because teamwork is key in this scenario and it is so addictive and a party favorite. Check that one out.

But, really, the simulants make this baby amazing (and by holding the 'A button' and hitting 'Z' twice, orders for them come on the screen). Four players and four simulants, although a little choppy, is quite possibly the best thing to hit a console since Mario. There can be 4-players and 8 simulants, but we all know that is downright ugly, just try it once and move on. A nice feature, for those unable to always play with friends, is one player and eight simulants going at it. It's just as smooth, or smoother, than the one-player gaming and is easily one of the best features of the game. Not everyone has time to always play with friends, or doesn't have any big videogame-playing friends, so the fact that this runs very well is an example of the magnificence of this game. And we won't ruin it, but some of those simulants are killer. Just wait and see.

Other additions to multiplayer are the options of no radar, player highlighting (for team games, for example), which weapons will be used and how stats are tracked and utilized for ensuing deathmatches. Stat tracking is so much better than in GE's, it's amazing. Everything is tallied together on a controller pak. We personally enjoy knowing how many bullets we've shoot. And another cool feature, sure to ware off however, is the Matrix-style slow motion effects. Whoa. There is so much more multiplayer customization we haven't even touched (customizing deathmatch players) that you just have to play it for yourself. It's too much to talk about.

The Co-Op mode was easily one of the most anticipated features of the game. You and a friend attacking missions with teamwork, persistence and patience is just amazing, occasional sluggish framerate and all. You'll deal with it, the co-op mode can't be missed and certainly is a feature that will be in shooters from now on. It's not the smoothest at all times, but it's certainly damn fun. The fact that Co-Op is still in the game, even with all the criticism about framerate, is a testament to Rare's willpower and dedication behind their work. We all know it doesn't run as smooth as the one-player game, but you won't care after 3 hours of playing with a friend on a mission you couldn't previously beat alone. If you'd rather play with a sim instead, you can in Co-Op, and this is, of course, much smoother than the two-player split screen version of Co-Op.

The Counter-Op mode, in which two friends go at it Matrix style with one player running Joanna and the other moving from enemy to enemy, isn't what we expected. It's fun, sure, but the player controlling the enemies will soon grow tired of this monotony simply because they die quicker and will be very confused and lost at times. Once you die, you take the place of another enemy in the level, ready to stop Joanna, but when you die again in about 5 seconds, you realize this mode sounded better on paper. Good idea, but it won't be the mode most played, that's for sure. And to throw this in before we forget, there is the training mode, as well, which is definitely a plus and a help for practice and so forth with the weapons and control. Cool shooting range, also.

In the end, PD is packed with so much to do it's, once again, overwhelming. The single-player really ups the ante, and the multiplayer...well, you already know that it's worthy of a $60 game of it's own. When you combine amazing detail, customization, and ingenuity, you get Perfect Dark. The one-player game is fine by itself, but throwing in a multiplayer mode like this, with objectives, teamwork and simulants is beyond the call of duty. To top it all off, Perfect Dark has, and should, the best weapons we've seen. They simply are astounding (nice reload animations) but don't reach the point of where they are all not believable in any sense (Turok 2). That's one feature I loved about Goldeneye: amazing weapons, but a sense of realism, also. When looking back at the gameplay offered, it's apparent that Rare has made this "the gamer's game". You run the show, you decide what's done, how it's done, and whom it's done with. There has been no other game allowing players practically infinite options.

Bottom Line: You haven't heard it all, there is still more for you to experience. This review touches the surface of Perfect Dark, trying to not ruin surprises and leaving little minor things to excite you when you first boot it up. If you're an avid Perfect Dark fan, you got your pre-order slip or already have the game. Although, there are some people reading this who don't own a N64 or are hesitant about this game. Don't be, please. I am not going to tell you to buy a N64 for this game, that's your decision, but I am going to tell you that this game is unparalleled, unbelievable and unimaginable. It's loaded more than most PC shooters, it has a better story than some movies, and the ingenuity rivals the standards Goldeneye set years ago. This is the game Goldeneye was originally set out to be, but wasn't. We've all played GE and we all want more. This is it; don't tell me you are going to pass it up.

COMMENTS: When you run a website for this long on a particular game, odds are the game won't live up to expectations set. It's a fact. But I am in awe; I have always been a Goldeneye fan (it did get me into making this site in the first place) and just didn't fathom anyone or anything coming near the quality and pure genius of Bond. I think Rare said it best when they stated that they disliked Goldeneye, as it didn't have everything they originally opted to include. With Perfect Dark, the Rare team has finally displayed their original vision and I can say, without hesitation, that this will be the best game the N64 will ever see. No contest.

- Slink
Comments appreciated

Note: Other Reviews

• Reader Reviews: Post yours on the Message Board.
• IGN's Review: Read up about what IGN thinks.
• Rarenet's Review: Dan Oxenburgh writes a book