Positives:
- Great visuals for the time that still mostly hold up.
- Smooth 60 FPS gameplay that's a step above what the Nintendo 64 did.
- Gunplay is mostly still solid stuff.
- AI provides a solid challenge, even on the lower difficulties.
- Plenty of modes to play around in.
- Joanna Dark is an awesome character.
- The music is pretty fantastic stuff.
Negatives:
- Still not in love with the "have to complete every mission in one go" thing.
- Aiming can feel a tad inaccurate at points, which rears its head near the end.
- A few of the levels are a little too sprawling, to the point where I needed a guide.
Consensus: Would it be a Rare game for the Nintendo 64 if I didn't say "Rare's Nintendo 64 output has aged poorly in my opinion" at one point? True, a lot of the games that defined Nintendo's first 3D console have shown their age, and I won't pretend "Perfect Dark" isn't one of those. It left me frustrated rather often (more than I would've ever expected), and I'm surprised I even managed to beat the game given that I first tried playing it six years ago (that's 2017, for whoever's keeping score). Still, I was able to have some fun with it, at least more than I was able to have fun with the recent "GoldenEye 007" re-release. The overall gameplay is fun enough in spite of its warts, even if it can be confusing and you might need a guide for it. The remaster also does a solid enough job, which sweetens the deal a little. It might be hard to get into if you're uninitiated, but there's still enjoyment to be pulled from it. And having played it through the "Rare Replay" collection, this is a nice addition to what is a phenomenal package.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"