Perfect Dark Zero is a
first-person shooter developed by
Rare and published by
Microsoft Game Studios. It was exclusively released as a
launch title for the
Xbox 360 video game console in 2005. The game is part of the
Perfect Dark series and a prequel to the original
Perfect Dark. The story of the game follows
Joanna Dark, a bounty hunter working with her father and a computer hacker, as she joins the Carrington Institute agency to prevent a rival corporation from gaining possession of an ancient artefact which endows individuals with superhuman powers.
Perfect Dark Zero features a
campaign mode consisting of 14 missions that can be played solo or
co-operatively, and a
multiplayer mode where a maximum of 32 players can compete against each other in numerous types of
deathmatch and objective-based games. Both the co-operative and multiplayer modes support
split screen,
system link, and the
Xbox Live online service. The game was under development for five years and was originally intended to be released for the
GameCube and later the
Xbox. During development, several intended features were canceled so that the game could meet the Xbox 360 launch.
Upon release,
Perfect Dark Zero sold more than one million copies worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its graphics and numerous multiplayer modes. However, some critics felt that the game did not meet expectations, criticising single-player aspects such as its story and voice acting. After its release, the game was supported with
downloadable content, expanding its multiplayer mode with new maps and new types of computer-controlled
bots. In 2015, the game was included in the
Rare Replay video game compilation for
Xbox One.