Perfect Dark Zero is GOOD

[Dark Jaguar]

Indeed, to this day all my friends and I still play some matches of PD, only playing Halo 2 mainly due to the multiplayer. I merely add the note that Bungie does great multiplayer level design. I'm not entirely sure where that design skill goes in single player but, there it is.

Oh and, for those who camp, I have this to say. I do it too, but it must be noted that it is a tad on the cheap side to OWN a location completely. Take Mario Kart, they specifically designed it so even someone in last place can pull off a win in one major way. The item drops. Someone in first gets a banana or a single shell. The one in last gets things like a bullet bill or lightning. That's a way to provide a sort of awesome. In DS, they tossed in the amazing ability to ride in someone's slip stream and suddenly boost in front of them (I take the path THROUGH them when it happens :D). However, the counter to this is that an opponent could have an item just waiting for slip stream users. It's balance like this that makes Mario Kart still the best racing game around.

In a multiplayer map, default weapon locations are important, as are starting weapons, for balance, when players actually don't go custom :D. More than that though, level layout. In terms of camping, it's fine to set up locations that make great camping spots but they can't be completely impregnable (cannot be pregnated!). Sure, someone with superior skills should be able to oust the camper, but there should always be some weakness to balance things out. For example, a certain location is great if you want to camp and wait for the kill when you notice people heading towards one entrance. However, there should be some other opening like right behind you. All the camping and sniping hot spots were places that had major opening tradeoffs for the strengths they provided in Halo 2. They really did a good job there, if nowhere else.

I have yet to see the level designs for PDZ, but I have a feeling they will be very nice indeed considering the time they have spent making the game.

I still say this generation really isn't that great a graphical improvement though... PD0 is pretty just fine as is, but it's not like that super step up one might normally expect from a next generation console... I suppose we've just got to that point...