Perfect Dark (PC/XSX)

[6souls]

[Lucavi]

IF its like N64, I'm all in, although that experience is hard to replicate. Just.. just please not like the Xbox ones. Even if you juice up the controls, at least make the fucking PLOT like the N64 one.

[6souls]

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/12/...he-initiative/
https://www.theinitiative.com/

Two years ago, we announced the formation of a new Xbox Game studio in Santa Monica, The Initiative, and today at The Game Awards, we announced our first project, Perfect Dark.

With Perfect Dark, we’re aiming to deliver a secret agent thriller set in a near-future world.

We have built the Perfect Dark team at The Initiative by bringing in some of the most talented game makers from around the industry who all share a passion for storytelling, world-building and creating memorable game experiences. With the full backing from Xbox Studios to re-imagine one of the best loved IPs from gaming history, we couldn’t be more excited to share some of our early ideas.

I encourage you to watch the above studio introduction to hear more about the team, our goals, and how we’re working hard to deliver on the promise of the next generation of game making.

We look forward to sharing more about Perfect Dark in the future.

[Karbuncle]

IF its like N64, I'm all in, although that experience is hard to replicate. Just.. just please not like the Xbox ones. Even if you juice up the controls, at least make the fucking PLOT like the N64 one.

I didn't "hate" the Xbox one but it was uh... it was objectively bad, I was also young.

N64 one still remains one of my favorite games to date, I especially liked how the Menu was just a computer and if you exited out of it you could walk around the Carrington Institute and do the shooting range and all that stuff... that was new for the time for me and it blew my mind. Also played the N64 multiplayer for months and months after it came out, I loved it, and the "Rank up" system it had. Was so darn fun.

ANYWAY, yah, I hope its good but to say I'm not holding my breath is an understatement.

[Obsidian]

The campaign was bad but the multiplayer in PDZ was great.

[Corrderio]

Crossing my fingers this turns out good though I'm skeptical.

Times like this I wish I had my N64 still.

[6souls]

https://twitter.com/Nibellion/status...sLm_8fnMjRIx5A

[Karbuncle]

Oof, way to enforce my original fears damnit.

[BWYuko]

So let me get this straight...

Most of the remaining original Rare staff never worked on their FPS N64 content, since they widely left to join other studios in 2000 after PD release.
Regardless, 20 years removed, Microsoft asked that fraction of the remaining original staff to reboot a hallmark Rare FPS IP using mostly new Microsoft grunts.
Microsoft execs micro-managed the shit out of it, the Rare staffers slowly quit in frustration, and the project got handed off to Eidos.

Cool. Cool cool cool. Day 1, let's gooooo, etc.

[6souls]

Cool. Cool cool cool. Day 1.

Don't forget to pick up your child.

[Corrderio]

Damn it. Can't they just do what made the original so great?

[6souls]

Still in development hell

https://twitter.com/duckvalentine/st...080943105?s=20

[Lucavi]

Damn it. Can't they just do what made the original so great?

You could say the same for Halo with Microsoft, lol.

[BWYuko]

Gameplay Reveal

Looks fun! Still wish it involved some Rare peeps, but this is promising first work for a new studio. Wonder how much heavy lifting Crystal Dynamics is really doing.

No release date mentioned.

[Karbuncle]

I'll be honest, as I said above, Perfect Dark kinda exists in that vacuum of N64 FPS games like Goldeneye that is just hard to replicate and some of the modernization attempts just kill it for me. Honestly, I could see it working with a better version of like... those newer Deus Ex games? I enjoyed Mankind divided when I played it, but its also a huge departure from the N64 feel. Idk what I want from a new Perfect Dark, I guess a mission-based straightforward game could work but I'm just not all that in to FPS these days and yah, the gameplay shown didn't really do it for me. Like there were some bits there that seemed nice but idk, we'll see.

I'm also curious where this reboot is taking the story of the game, I know the N64 title wasn't exactly rich with lore, but I know enough about the games that I'm worried. In the video, you're trying to stop Carrington, who is the same Carrington from the first game and founder of the Carrington Institute that you worked for... the dialogue made it sound like this reboot has her working for dataDyne(her gun has the logo) and hunting Carrington. Though, it does hint that she learns some truths and maybe this is a "How Joanna came to work for Carrington" story.

Also the man is 62 in the original game and Joanne looks /older/ in this than the original N64 and his audio coms makes him sound young, at least, not 62.

Idk, Either way, not exactly hyped beyond words, but cautiously optimistic. I hope its good.

[BWYuko]

Also the man is 62 in the original game and Joanne looks /older/ in this than the original N64 and his audio coms makes him sound young, at least, not 62.

Did you not play Zero?

Spoiler: show

SephirothRegister to see the NSFW content

got em. That's his son Rufus Carrington.

[Karbuncle]

Did you not play Zero?

Spoiler: show

SephirothRegister to see the NSFW content

got em. That's his son Rufus Carrington.

Zero is a blur to me lol, I remember it being a prequel but very little else. I just know this ones a reboot not a sequel/prequel. My brother seems excited for it

[Qalbert]

not super surprised, but oof
https://www.windowscentral.com/gamin...the-initiative

Xbox Games Studio head Matt Booty shared the following email internally, confirming that Rare IP Everwild, Perfect Dark, and other "unannounced projects" have been cancelled. Windows Central understands that one of these projects was ZeniMax Online's new MMORPG Blackbird, previously meant to succeed The Elder Scrolls Online.

The Initiative is the only studio closure planned today, although some other teams have seen cuts of varying degrees.

"Following Phil’s note, I want to share more about the changes to the Studios business units.

We have made the decision to stop development of Perfect Dark and Everwild as well as wind down several unannounced projects across our portfolio. As part of this, we are closing one of our studios, The Initiative. These decisions, along with other changes across our teams, reflect a broader effort to adjust priorities and focus resources to set up our teams for greater success within a changing industry landscape. We did not make these choices lightly, as each project and team represent years of effort, imagination, and commitment.

Our overall portfolio strategy is unchanged: build games that excite our players, continue to grow our biggest franchises, and create new stories, worlds, and characters. We have more than 40 projects in active development, continued momentum on titles shipping this fall, and a strong slate headed into 2026.

For those directly affected, we are working closely with HR and studio leadership to provide support, including severance, career transition assistance, and where possible, opportunities to explore roles on other teams.

To everyone across our studios: thank you. Your creativity and resilience continue to define who we are. I believe in the strength of our teams and the direction we're taking on the path ahead." — Matt Booty, Xbox Game Studios

[Karbuncle]

Nice, looking forward to their post in a week about record breaking profits for CEOs.

[Krandor]

It'll be a few more weeks, their next earnings release isn't until July 29th