Review  Perfect Dark
- Level Design
- By Mike Schneider,
-by Andrew Weatherton
, 6.30.00
In
Goldeneye level size varied significantly; there were some arenas that were
quite crowded when you played with three or four players (the archives comes
to mind) and others that felt rather large at the time (the Temple, the Water
Caverns, and of course the Library). When
Rare designed the multiplayer arenas for Perfect Dark, it seems that they
definitely had the simulants on their minds; for in general, levels are larger
and more complex in Perfect Dark than they were in Goldeneye. When the words
'larger and more complex' are used, one would quickly make an assumption that
it is implied that levels have a maze-like flow to them, just for the sake of
giving them a large feeling. However, it is clear that it wasn't this way,
since levels are filled with nooks and crannies, sniping locations, and other
items that make levels more than a labryinth. Despite this fact though, it is
apparent that the levels were ultimately designed with a large number of users
(ie. humans and simulants) in mind. If you’re going to use bots, then this
is a good thing. Conversely, in my mind, if you're looking for a good one on
one map, the best levels for this are in Goldeneye, not Perfect Dark, for
Perfect Dark’s levels are simply too big for enough encounters to take
place. The
good news is that even
| with only two players you can still have up to a
ten-player deathmatch (and the framerate is fine with two players and eight
simulants). In any case I have
already grown to love many (actually most) of Perfect Dark’s levels.
They are incredibly well designed, and are all specifically made with
multiplayer in mind. Every map has it’s own special feature, and the classic
Goldeneye maps that have been included (Temple, Felicity, and Complex) have
all been improved. The textures
are updated and look stunning. For
example in one of the rooms of the Temple the ground is covered with sand so
that the floor isn’t flat and one of the huge pillars has been made into
sixteen smaller ones. In the
other two levels there have been secret rooms and platforms added, and in the
Felicity the vents have been extensively redone so that you can climb into
them (without the need to use the trick) and jump down a hole into another
room.
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The new platform in Complex is a nice
touch.
As are the additions to Felicity.
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Fortress is one of the many well-designed levels. |
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The level design in Perfect Dark is unparalleled even by
Goldeneye, just wait until you see the Fortress (a huge team base level with
four structurally equal bases on each corner, three stories high, and a
sniping perch outside of every base on the upper level overlooking walkways
going across a giant pit), the Villa (another large level that is just awesome
for “King of the hill”), or the Grid (the word “Grid” means
| matrix,
and it’s apparent that this level was inspired by the entrance to one of the
buildings in the Matrix, it has an elevator and a glass floor that can be shot
out;
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it’s just an awesome level). Every
level in Perfect Dark has something special that makes it a totally different
experience than any other level available; my only complaint is that there are
only sixteen levels. Though
sixteen may seem like a lot (and it is) it isn’t the more than thirty that
Rare promised…. I have a feeling though that when we hook up the Game Boy
version of Perfect Dark we’ll open up some new levels or sections of levels.
One of the problems with Goldeneye was the lack
of altitude differentiation on the radar.
You could storm into a room thinking that someone would be there when
in fact they were on a different floor. For
those of you who like using radar you will be happy to know that Rare has
attempted to patch up this problem a little bit.
Continue on to read our thoughts on "What's
New in Perfect Dark Multiplayer," on page 14.
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