INTRODUCTION
My original blog post for the concept was first typed on Word and was roughly 17 pages single-spaced with blank lines in between paragraphs. However, this version when originally posted on another site covered 67 pages and is now so long that the background here stops repeating about two thirds of the way down.
I understand that this blog is probably several times longer than most readers are willing to bear. With that in mind, there will be a brief summary at the end of each section as well as a bulleted recap at the very end of the concept.
Since the original blog, I have made many decisions, some of which have resulted in drastic changes to my first design. However, I feel that if made as described, this game would be one of the most complete works of art the industry has ever seen.
The goal of Perfect Dark 2 is to relive what made the original a masterpiece. The overall feel of the original Perfect Dark would remain, but the formula would be modernized. The overall game design would not only meet industry standards but hopefully redefine them with unprecedented attention to detail and polish.
OVERVIEW
Perfect Dark 2 would have the following features:
- Explore the aftermath of the fall of dataDyne as highly trained agent Joanna Dark
- 8 to 12-hour single-player experience with four difficulty levels not including secret missions
- Four variants of missions that can be played solo, co-op, or counter-op locally or over Xbox Live
- Complete Carrington Institute mode offers over a dozen training and information rooms from the start and offers more as players progress
- 50 full-fledged Challenges that offer unique experiences
- More than 35 unique weapons, many with alternate functions
- More than 15 gadgets give players the edge against overwhelming odds
- Exhaustive Combat Simulator returns with countless options
- Fully customizable controls give players ultimate freedom
- Completely revamped physics engine allows for momentum, body collision, and bullet gravity
- New gameplay mechanics including fatigue, outfitting, blind fire, and more
- Highly advanced AI detects sound and reacts to irregularities
Genre: First-Person Shooter
MSRP: $59.99
ESRB: M for Blood, Language, Disturbing Images
Online Play: 16 Versus / 4 Co-Op / 4 Counter-Op / Leaderboards
PLOT
Agent Joanna Dark, the Carrington Institute’s best agent, helped uncover dataDyne’s conspiracy to clone the President and help the Skedar. She restored the personality of AI Dr. Caroll, who destroyed a Cetan ship beneath the Pacific Ocean that had a weapon capable of incredible damage at the atomic level. After killing the Skedar leader and destroying the holy Skedar Battle Shrine, Joanna barely escaped from the Skedar planet and returned to Earth in one piece in Elvis’ ship.
Thanks to Mr. Blonde, the Lucerne Tower, the building dataDyne used as their headquarters, was destroyed by a powerful bomb. However, with the Skedar king now dead, a war between the Maians and Skedar spanning hundreds of years is thought to be finally over.
Daniel Carrington, the first human to contact the Maians, is having repairs done on the Institute due to damages caused by the attack by dataDyne and the Skedar. The President wishes to schedule a rain check to thank Joanna for saving him from dataDyne but also to find out more about the "Greys," as his interest was piqued after having been saved by Elvis, a Maian bodyguard who proved invaluable in Joanna’s mission.
Joanna is welcomed back, but the Institute receives an incoming video message from Mr. Blonde. Working with a new branch of dataDyne, he claims to have blueprints for a miniature version of the Cetan megaweapon capable of weakening molecular bonds. Although not powerful enough to turn a planet to dust, his first target will be the White House unless Joanna and Elvis are offered as a sacrifice in permission for his forgiveness.
Planning to offer a bullet to the skull instead, Joanna gets ready to leave when Jonathan offers to help. Elvis hasn't returned, and no one knows how close Mr. Blonde is to completing the weapon.
Joanna and Jonathan use the Jumpship to head to the ruins of Lucerne Tower as directed. After gearing up, the two agents land near the rubble and debris. Jonathan suggests going inside to look for clues, pointing his gun toward the collapsed building. Joanna takes a step, then points her gun at Jonathan’s head. "Who are you?" she asks. Jonathan sounds sincere in asking what she’s talking about, but after Joanna refuses to budge and points out that he is holding his gun in his right hand rather than his left, he smirks. Apparently the President wasn’t the only person dataDyne had cloned.
Jonathan drops his gun, but as he rises he knocks Joanna’s gun out of her hand and runs. Hidden dataDyne guards rise from behind cover and take their sights on Joanna, who grabs the gun and ducks behind cover. The first mission begins, although it is more of a brief prologue.
Players can begin combat right away if they choose, but quickly the six guards begin to drop one by one. A flash in the distance can be seen. After the sixth and last guard falls, the sound of a magnum can be faintly heard reloading, but it's too dark to see anything.
After taking out the guards, Joanna navigates the area; this is where players learn the basics of movement and environmental interaction. Unless Joanna makes a lot of noise, the clone is found with its back turned talking into a mic; otherwise Joanna must shoot the clone once. Afterward, a cutscene starts.
Joanna finds out that Jonathan’s cover was blown after helping her in Area 51. While Joanna was attempting to board Air Force One, Jonathan was captured and interrogated for information. He managed to escape due to conflicts with the Skedar but not without letting slip vital information. Joanna manages to extract the location of Mr. Blonde before killing the clone. She calls the Institute, notifies Carrington, and begins to head for the newly found location; however, Carrington has a more important mission. Apparently there is an entire fleet of Skedar ships heading for the solar system. The war is not over.
Joanna’s mission takes her to a second dataDyne building in the United States, science labs, an African jungle, an Aztec temple, a European city with pedestrians, a snow-covered tundra, a space station orbiting the Earth with low artificial gravity, and the Maian homeworld, a small planet with a bluish white dwarf sun, among other locations. She must prevent the assembly and use of the weapon, find the real Jonathan, put an end to the dataDyne conspiracy, and save Earth from the Skedar.
Alternatively, Jonathan could've come to see dataDyne differently during his time as a double agent and leads Joanna into a trap but with a warning, since dataDyne doesn't know that they're siblings. An interesting plot twist could have Jonathan asking Joanna if she has any memories of them growing up and later revealing toward the end of the game that she and Velvet are clones or artificial humans grown by the Carrington Institute to be used as expendable tools of war and espionage; Velvet, who was mute since birth, would be an earlier, less successful model, which explains her inability to talk.
Summary
Joanna returns to the Carrington Institute after defeating the Skedar leader, but a message from Mr. Blonde reveals that the Skedar are seeking revenge against humanity. Joanna and her brother Jonathan head to the ruins of one of dataDyne's former headquarters, but it turns out that Jonathan is a clone who led her into an ambush. After killing the clone, Joanna is informed that an entire fleet of Skedar are only days away from Earth.
CONTROLS
The first Perfect Dark had countless options that still surpass many modern-day FPSs, but the sequel should raise the bar once again. One area in particular that needs attention are controls; they will be fully customizable, but below are some default layouts to get an idea of how the game might feel.
Standing Controls
CI Agent
A Button: Jump, Climb Over, Stand Up, Cover
B Button: Crouch, Prone (hold)
X Button: Action (open door, hold to pick up)
Y Button: Drop
L Trigger: Aim, Fire Left-Hand Weapon
R Trigger: Fire Right-Hand Weapon, Use Gadget
L Bumper: Quick Secondary Function (left weapon)
R Bumper: Quick Secondary Function (right weapon)
Left Stick: Move
Click Left Stick: Run
Right Stick: Look
Click Right Stick: Melee
D-Pad Left: Quick Tertiary Function (left weapon)
D-Pad Right: Quick Tertiary Function (right weapon)
D-Pad Up: Next Weapon
D-Pad Down: Next Gadget
L plus D-Pad Left: Regroup (team AI)
L plus D-Pad Right: Attack Target (team AI)
L plus D-Pad Up: Increase Zoom
L plus D-Pad Down: Decrease Zoom
L plus A Button: Move (team AI)
Back: Quick Menu (quickly choose weapon/device for each hand and give AI commands)
Note: This setup assumes that a single one-handed weapon is held in the right hand or both hands. If it is held in the left hand, reverse R and L.
Note: Secondary and tertiary function buttons perform the action and then return to the previous function; for example, a SuperDragon will fire a grenade and then resume firing rounds with the R trigger. Certain weapons will toggle the function on and off, such as adding a silencer for a Falcon 2 or activating the K7 Avenger's threat detector. The FarSight toggles back and forth. With the Combat Knife, the knife is held in a throwing position until the bumper is let go; likewise, a grenade can be primed in this manner.
Tactical
A Button: Jump, Climb Over, Stand Up, Cover
B Button: Crouch, Prone (hold)
X Button: Action (open door, hold to pick up)
Y Button: Drop
L Trigger: Aim, Fire Left-Hand Weapon
R Trigger: Fire Right-Hand Weapon, Use Gadget
L Bumper: Toggle Function (Left Weapon)
R Bumper: Toggle Function (Right Weapon)
Left Stick: Move
Click Left Stick: Run
Right Stick: Look
Click Right Stick: Melee
D-Pad Left: Weapon/Gadget Slot 1
D-Pad Right: Weapon/Gadget Slot 2
D-Pad Up: Weapon/Gadget Slot 3
D-Pad Down: Gadget Slot 4
L plus D-Pad Left: Lean Left
L plus D-Pad Right: Lean Right
L plus D-Pad Up: Increase Zoom
L plus D-Pad Down: Decrease Zoom
L plus A Button: Move/Attack (team AI)
Back: Quick Menu (quickly choose weapon/device for each hand and give AI commands)
Note: When toggling, weapons skip functions they don't have. Also, the action must be performed with the fire button even it is normally a quick action. For the Falcon 2, being in the secondary function will add or remove a silencer with the fire button; to fire, return to the primary function.
Operative
A Button: Jump, Climb Over, Stand Up
B Button: Melee
X Button: Action (open door, hold to pick up)
Y Button: Cover
L Trigger: Aim, Fire Left-Hand Weapon
R Trigger: Fire Right-Hand Weapon, Use Gadget
L Bumper: Quick Secondary Function (left weapon)
R Bumper: Quick Secondary Function (right weapon)
Left Stick: Move (press all the way up to run)
Click Left Stick: Crouch, Prone (hold)
Right Stick: Look
Click Right Stick: Drop
D-Pad Left: Quick Tertiary Function (left weapon)
D-Pad Right: Quick Tertiary Function (right weapon)
D-Pad Up: Next Weapon/Device
D-Pad Down: Previous Weapon/Device
L plus D-Pad Left: Regroup (team AI)
L plus D-Pad Right: Attack Target (team AI)
L plus D-Pad Up: Increase Zoom
L plus D-Pad Down: Decrease Zoom
L plus A Button: Move (team AI)
Back: Quick Menu (quickly choose weapon/device for each hand and give AI commands)
Driving Controls
Note: When driving, players can only hold a weapon or device with one hand. Weapons that run out of ammo are automatically discarded. The only way players can obtain new weapons or ammo while driving is by disarming an enemy as they pass by.
Default
A Button: Emergency Brake
B Button: Melee
X Button: Get Off
Y Button: Look Back (front view, Joanna’s head turns depending on which direction turning)
L Trigger: Brake
R Trigger: Accelerate
L Bumper: Reload
R Bumper: Fire
Left Stick: Steer
Click Left Stick: Crouch (camera changes for limited view; blind fire from this position)
Right Stick: Look
Click Right Stick: Reset Camera (look ahead)
D-Pad Left: Previous Weapon/Device
D-Pad Right: Next Weapon/Device
D-Pad Up: Toggle Function
D-Pad Down: Lights
Scenario: Joanna rides a HoverBike with a Rocket Launcher. While steering, she turns and highlights an enemy vehicle, then fires a homing rocket.
Custom
Quick Menu Controls
Default
Left Stick: Navigate
D-Pad: Navigate
A Button: Change Weapon/Device, Select
B Button: Cancel
X Button: Change Function
Y Button: Remove from Hand
Back: Save Changes and Exit
Custom
Navigation Controls
Default
Left Stick Stick: Navigate
D-Pad: Navigate
A Button: Select
B Button: Cancel, Back
X Button: Main Menu
Y Button: Friends
Back: Statistics
Custom
Guided Rocket Controls
Default
Left Stick: Steer
Right Stick: Steer
A Button: Exit
L Trigger: Slow
R Trigger: Detonate
Custom
Note: If the player exits control of a rocket, it will continue in a straight path in the direction it was facing. Slayer rockets increase in speed unless they are slowed down, and this includes unguided rockets as well.
CamSpy Controls
Default
Left Stick: Move
Right Stick: Steer Left/Right, Change Altitude
A Button: Exit
R Trigger: Take Picture, Fire Dart, Detonate
Custom
Note: These controls apply for all three variants of the CamSpy. What function is performed by pressing the R trigger depends on the device.
Summary
If you want to fire weapons by pressing the Back button you can. Tweak every aspect of the game within reason according to how you want to play.
CARRINGTON INSTITUTE
From the game's main menu, four main game modes are selectable. The first of these is the Carrington Institute mode. By selecting this option, the menu fades and players stand from the computer terminal Joanna was using. This mode contains several information and training rooms that players are encouraged but not required to explore before starting the first mission.
The Institute is undergoing repairs from a previous attack, but many areas are available from the start. As players progress through the missions, more areas become available. Some areas are unlocked only after completing other areas; but upon completion of the final mission on the default difficulty, almost the entire three-story building will be accessible inside and out.
To bring the Institute to life, there need to be several touches. A day/night cycle should be complimented with clocks that show the player's real-world time, possibly with accurate moon and sun locations and phases. There should be thousands of lines of NPC dialogue that are both meaningful and sporadic such as ''Joanna, remember that the Cloaking Device isn't flawless; quick movements and quick changes in lighting might reveal your position'' and ''This sure beats working at Chesluk.''
NPCs should be overheard talking amongst themselves as well as saying something to Joanna as she walks by. Lines of dialogue should vary to avoid hearing the same line over and over; and to make it feel realistic, many comments should reflect on Joanna's current mission status.
The following rooms will be available once everything is unlocked. Room types are bolded; exercises and information offered in each room is shown in bullets. High scores and fastest times are posted to leaderboards.
Holotraining
Movement
- Looking directly at various lights
- Moving around objects
- Strafing and circling around an object
- Crouching and prone (kneeling may be considered as an alternative)
- Jumping and climbing over objects
- Cover and blind fire
- Environment interaction
- Unarmed combat
- Disarming armed guards
- Armed combat
- Moving lasers and unarmed combat
- Using cover to advance an armed enemy
- Final test
Training area in which each device allows progression similar to the first PD
Information
Game Mechanics
- Saving
- Mission variants
- Outfitting
- Challenges
- Combat Simulator
- Cheats
- Controls
- Audiovisual
- Filters (language, blood)
- Language (text, audio)
- Music (toggle songs, listen)
- Carrington Institute
- dataDyne
- Maians
- Skedar
- Other
- Carrington Institute
- Lucerne Tower
- Area 51
- Pelagic II
- Skedar Homeworld
- Mission locations
- Jumpship
- HoverCrate
- HoverBike
- Hovercopter
- Maian Vessel
- Skedar Shuttle
- Background (pre-PD, PD, and pre-PD2)
- The Story (appears as missions are completed)
- Epilogue (summary and post-PD2)
- Sound
- Weight
- Running speed
- Body collision
- Momentum
- Bullet velocity, range
- Gravity
Firing Range
- Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals
- Unique weapon descriptions
- Pistols
- Submachine Guns
- Shotguns
- Assault Rifles
- Sniper Rifles
- Explosives
- Other weapons
- Weapon grip
- Aiming
- Dual-wielding
- Melee
- Functions
HoverBike
- Basics
- Steering
- Shooting while driving
- Advanced techniques
Computer
- Statistics (overall, recent, comparison graphs)
- Notifications (unlocks, new CI rooms open, etc.)
- Progress
Viewing
- Cutscenes (view with real-time or with preset variables)
- Screenshots (details, description, keywords, My Media)
- Video clips (set default camera angles, details, description, keywords, My Media)
Carrington
- Comments on previous mission
- Tips based on stats (go for headshots, use secondary functions, etc.)
- Encouragement
This entire game mode is dedicated to getting the player started and providing a compelling atmosphere with believable NPCs and dozens of information and training rooms.
MISSIONS
Missions in Perfect Dark 2 not only have four difficulty levels and co-op and counter-op support both locally and online, but they can also be played in four different variants with unique experiences. Missions are divided into segments like in the original Perfect Dark and have multiple paths of completion. Actions in one mission segment may have an impact on later segments. Each mission should feel special and unique and be memorable.
There should be variety in gameplay elements and overall atmosphere to avoid the feeling of doing the same thing or visiting the same place twice. There should be so much attention to detail put into the level design that no two buildings in the background are identical. Computer screens should not all display the same graphics, and not all windows should be perfectly clean. Each tree in the jungle should be different, and walking in snow should leave footsteps that slowly fade as they are covered with fresh snow if it is currently snowing in the area.
After completing all missions, secret missions are unlocked as in the first game. One mission is unlocked for each difficulty. Secret missions should have as much thought put into them as standard missions even if they are to be shorter than the average mission segment; they should serve to add details to the plot, perhaps allowing players to control other characters to show what happened while Joanna was in other areas at the time. The final secret mission should contain a hidden weapon that can only be unlocked by finding it there as a reward for players who have persisted.
Difficulty Levels
The four difficulty levels available from the start are Agent, Special Agent, Perfect Agent, and Dark Agent. Special Agent is the default difficulty intended for players who are familiar with FPSs. Agent is comparable to an easy mode for new players, and Perfect Agent can be considered the most realistic mode in terms of health and AI. Dark Agent is for those seeking an unforgiving challenge where a mastery of the game's mechanics is essential.
In Agent, players have 200% health, and enemies have 50%. Enemies have slow reaction time and generally aren't very aggressive. Objectives are simple, often requiring little more than going from point A to point B.
Special Agent, the recommended setting for most players, has player health at 150% and enemy health at 75%. AI is competent with enemies taking cover, occasionally using alternate functions, and calling for backup. There are just enough objectives to make each mission interesting without being too heavy.
Perfect Agent is designed for those who have gotten used to the game's mechanics or who are very competent with FPSs and seek a greater challenge from the start. Health for the player and enemies is set to 100%, and the AI displays advanced tactics such as flanking and even setting traps. Enemies quickly notice irregularities such as unusual sounds and sights. Objectives are plentiful and require clever use of equipment and some improvising. This difficulty feels the most complete and is a balanced challenge.
Dark Agent is for those wanting to truly test their skill. Aggressive enemies combined with 75% player health and 100% enemy health punish overconfident players. Enemies show no mercy, and difficult objectives don't make things any easier. There is always little room for error with death or failure always possible if the player isn't careful, but success is possible with enough skill and patience.
Variants
Regardless of the difficulty, every mission can be played in four different variants. At the start of the game, only Standard is available. Dark, Classic, and Custom are unlockable later on. Remember that each mode is fully compatible with local and online co-op, counter-op, and all four difficulty levels.
Standard mode will likely be the most familiar to fans of modern FPSs. It has regenerating health, plentiful checkpoints, and a full HUD. Before missions players can swap weapons with another weapon of the same type, such as a pistol with a different pistol; although not much is available from the start. Players can pick up new equipment in any slot, although players can carry no more than two primary weapons at a time. As players unlock more weapons, there will be many more choices. Weapons sway to an extent depending on stance and movement; and fatigue and bullet spread are semi-realistic. If players choose, a weak auto-aim option is available that varies with the difficulty. Health regenerates slowly over time or instantly when reaching a checkpoint.
Dark mode is a bit more challenging but is the only mode that has full outfitting. Health regeneration is slower, but there are more checkpoints. Radar is sound-based, and louder sounds are detectable at longer ranges. When outfitting, players have four slots: slots can be filled with a primary weapon (such as an assault rifle or rocket launcher), a secondary weapon (such as a pistol or one-handed SMG), or a device. Only the first slot can have a primary weapon, and the fourth slot can only be a device. More information is available in the Equipment section later in the concept. Realistic sway and bullet spread place more emphasis on using strategy when moving, but what also sets this mode apart is the addition of bullet gravity; while this is only a concern at longer distances, it's something to keep in mind when sniping or using scoped weapons, as the individual bullet velocity stats of weapons and wind conditions become additional factors since bullets do not travel in perfectly straight lines. There is no auto-aim option. Dark mode is unlocked by completing all main missions on secret agent difficulty or above.
Classic mode is unlocked after completing all main missions on any difficulty. It plays similarly to the original Perfect Dark. There is no outfitting or weapon substitution, so players cannot choose what they bring; equipment is preset, but there is no limit as to how many weapons players can collect during the mission. Weapons can be dual-wielded but only two of the same kind. There are no checkpoints, so death has a high price, and a lack of health regeneration is something to keep in mind. Fortunately, there are shields and/or body armor in each mission that are not present in other variants. Also, ammunition is handled differently than in the other variants, but more on that in the Equipment section. This mode has the smallest amount of sway and bullet spread, but they are still present. There is a generous auto-aim option that depends on the difficulty.
Operative mode has the second most realistic bullet spread and physics (second to Dark). It has a HUD, a partially regenerating health bar, and no aiming down sights. Radar is sight-based; enemies within the player or an ally's crosshairs are shown for a few seconds. Bullet spread increases with movement and decreases while crouching. Players have an allowance to spend on equipment, which changes from mission to mission. Actions such as headshots and stealth kills award credits, which can be used to buy more equipment including health packs at later checkpoints; players may wish to save money to afford health packs during the mission. In co-op, the allowance increases but is partially shared such that both players have credits only they can use while also having access to shared credits.
Custom mode is unlocked either by completing all main missions on secret agent in both Standard and Dark or by completing all missions on perfect agent in either variant. Here, players can choose from various settings to create the experience they want. Players can choose between regenerating health and a health bar; whether players choose weapons or have infinite inventory with default equipment; checkpoint quantity; HUD options including whether or not to display a crosshair; ammunition type; and optionally adjust sliders for enemy health, accuracy, alertness, and aggressiveness. Players can save, download, and share setups. More experience is granted for more difficult scenarios; setting enemy stats on very low will result in very few experience points.
Alternatively, all modes other than Custom might be available from the start to allow players the freedom to choose how they want to play.
Extra Features
After each mission, detailed statistics will offer specific information such as rounds fired and movement distance. Information will be posted to leaderboards so that players can compare highest scores, fastest completion times, and so on. Experience points and the leveling up system will be discussed in the Progression section. If any gameplay-changing cheats are active, leaderboard times will not posted and missions will not be counted as complete, but a reduced amount of experience will still be given.
For variants that have checkpoints, users will have the option to load a mission directly from a checkpoint either to continue saved progress or, after completing the mission for the first time on the given difficulty or above, with preset equipment and progress similar to rally points in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach.
There will also be bonus missions, one for each difficulty level completed. These generally allow the player to take control of a different character. In the original Perfect Dark, players learn how Cassandra is captured and are treated to added plot elements in Mr. Blonde's Revenge; likewise, bonus missions in this game will add to the plot with different perspectives.
In single-player and multiplayer, going into cover is similar to Rainbow Six and other games in that players can peek and shoot, blind-fire, roll from cover to cover, and vault low cover. In Dark mode, the perspective stays in first-person at all times. This will be tested and changed if needed as well as appear as one of the tweakable options in Custom modes.
As for unlocking equipment, one of the following will likely be incorporated:
- There will be a shared experience points and leveling system, either across the campaign or encompassing all game modes, in which equipment (possibly including specific firing modes) and MP characters are unlocked by leveling up and by completing certain tasks, such as completing a mission.
- Each mode will have its own unlocking system in missions, whereas MP will have standard level-up unlocks. In Standard mode equipment unlocks by finding it; and Dark equipment is unlocked either by leveling up or completing mission-specific challenges or by unlocking it in MP. In Operative, all available equipment for a mission is unlocked.
Co-op and counter-op are available from the start for all completed missions. Co-op is playable with a bot or a human player locally or online, and counter-op is also playable with a human player. However, co-op progress only counts when there is a total of two agents. In the first mission of the original PD, Joanna is sent alone on the roof of a skyscraper armed with only a silenced pistol with the objective of making it to the bottom. This game is also about facing overwhelming odds primarily without allies. There is also less of a focus on grenades than other modern FPSs, which is why grenades don't have their own button by default (although players can customize one if they want).
New to this game's co-op is the ally's ability to complete objectives. Players can strategically split tasks and equipment; but if either player dies or causes the mission to fail, it's game over and players must restart from the last checkpoint if checkpoints are enabled.
Counter-op spawns the second player as an enemy with all properties of enemies in the given difficulty level including equipment and health. It is the second player's goal to either kill the first player or cause him or her to fail an objective. The latter is not as easy as it sounds, but it's possible. The first player is scored based on the success of the mission, and the second player is scored based on how well he or she hindered the first player. There is an option to end the match and declare a winner if either the first player dies a selected number of times or if all enemies are killed. Alternatively, players can play alone or work together to stop an AI-controlled agent.
Secret Missions
Secret missions are unlocked by completing certain missions or challenges on Perfect Agent. In addition, completing the entire campaign on Special Agent, Perfect Agent, and Dark Agent unlocks two missions each as Jonathan, Elvis, and the Skedar Lord, respectively.
In the Beginning
Character: Jonathan Dark
Setting: The completion of the Carrington Institute
Default equipment: SuperDragon, DY357 Magnum, Tactical Mine, Combat Boost
Introduction: Daniel has arranged a meeting with Mr. Blonde, who claims to have information on aliens who are currently on the planet. Since the Institute was founded for friendly contact with aliens, he invited him over. Furniture is being moved in, and classic weapons are being installed behind glass in the firing range. Mr. Blonde comes in and asks what resources the CI has that would help him go deep underwater. Blonde is agitated when Daniel asks what that has to do with aliens and then again when he explains that he doesn’t have the resources. Believing that anything that doesn’t work properly should be destroyed, and not wanting the information to get out, he attacks Daniel and Jonathan, who manage to evade and get behind cover. Other Mr. Blondes surprisingly enter and guard the entrance. Jonathan must defeat the Mr. Blondes and save as many people as possible. He has the unique ability to fire magnums instantly without the short delay.
Shades of Grey
Character: Skedar Ninja
Setting: The Maian homeworld
Default Equipment: Mauler, BombSpy
Introduction: They killed our king; now we will slaughter their sages. As a new kind of Skedar, infiltrate the Maian temple and take out the five sages one by one. This Skedar's tertiary function when unarmed is Cloak instead of Transform. Due to a lack of Skedar weaponry, ammo will be scarce; but each kill adds a few seconds of cloaking ability.
Summary
Play missions solo, co-op, or counter-op locally or online. Choose from four varying difficulty levels and four modes of play (variants) with distinct game mechanics.
MULTIPLAYER
The Combat Simulator of the first PD was massive, and this one should be even better. As with the missions, there are several variants that all gametypes can be played in. Some are similar to their single-player counterparts.
Modes of Play
Standard, Dark, Classic, and Custom return, but there's also an Operative variant in addition to many unique playlists.
Standard
Equipment: choose from available weapons and devices for the map/gametype combo with at most one primary weapon or one shield or body armor to spawn with; pickups based on map/gametype combo; can only hold primary weapons in the first and fourth slots; dual-wield any two one-handed weapons
Health: 150%, normal regeneration
Radar: movement-based (except when crouching)
Standard Limited
Equipment: same as above but no primary weapons are available for spawning; primary pickups; can only hold primary weapons in the first and fourth slots; dual-wield any two one-handed weapons
Dark
Equipment: outfitting with possible restrictions based on map/gametype combo; can only hold primary weapons in the first slot
Health: 100%, slow regeneration
Radar: sound-based (silent weapons don't show)
Dark Limited
Equipment: outfitting with locked slots (can’t have two of any category including devices)
Operative
Equipment: earn points or credits to spend on available equipment in spawn rooms; can only hold primary weapons in the first and fourth slots
Health: 150%, partial regeneration
Radar: sight-based (targeted enemies appear on team's radar for a few seconds or until in cover)
Operative Limited
Equipment: secondary, tertiary, and devices in spawn room; primary pickups; can only hold primary weapons in the first and fourth slots
Classic
Equipment: choose one tertiary weapon; preset devices; pickups
Health: 200%, no regeneration
Radar: always on (except when cloaked)
Classic Limited
Equipment: preset equipment; pickups
Custom
Custom allows players to tweak countless options. Bots may be allowed in these playlists. They are ranked, but players can view a game's details before deciding to join. Players can also create custom unranked games where cheats that affect gameplay are allowed. Below are two samples of games that might have been created.
Example Game: Standard Team Combat / Map: Facility / Radar: Movement / Max Players: 8 / Score Limit: 30 / Equipment: Outfitting (view restrictions)
Example Game: Custom CTC / Map: Institute (Section B) / Radar: Disabled / Max Players: 12 / Score Limit: 3 / Case Home to Score: Yes / Equipment: Spawn Rooms (view) / Carrier Traits: Team Icon / Health: 125% / Weapons: Max 1 Primary / Dual-Wielding: Enabled (alternate options: Same Weapon Only)
Note the parenthesis that says ''view restrictions.'' Some playlists and/or maps might have some restrictions by default, but there are no restrictions in custom games. Restrictions are to add variety, such as human-only or Maian-only weapon games. Individual functions can be toggled on and off, allowing for games where only secondary functions are allowed or even melee-only games.
There should be two options for playing online multiplayer: Quick Match and Custom Search. Both options have players choose one of the above variants and can optionally specify a scenario/gametype (Combat, Capture the Case, etc.). Quick Match places a player in a lobby based on various criteria, but players can customize priorities such as connection speed, language, and so on. Maps and scenarios can be filtered out to avoid unwanted server matches. In the lobby players have the option of rating each map/scenario combo; at any given time there will be at least some of the most highly rated custom matches in the mix.
Custom Search allows players to choose from a list of servers that is updated in real time to reflect the status of each lobby or game. This is for people who want to specify and choose exactly what game to play. Unofficial custom games also appear here since it is less likely that official ones will meet certain criteria, but players can choose whether or not to limit results to either ranked or unranked games. Matches that are private or full do not show, and if a server becomes full it will disappear from the list. Since the list is automatically updated, servers created after searching will be added to avoid having to reset searches. In general, ranked games do not allow players to join mid-game while unranked games do. Players do not have the in-game option of quitting ranked team-based games; hopefully the need to quit the game entirely will greatly reduce the number of quitters.
If players are ever forced to wait, such as when waiting in the lobby for a ranked game to end, there should be the option to go ''idle'' and to have full access to the Carrington Institute mode. A notification will let the player know when the match is ready, after which players can switch back to multiplayer.
Here are some ideas for official playlists, each one allowing for the above variants and even combinations of each other:
Blades: Equipment is highly limited, and there’s no ammo. Options are a Mauler, Reaper, and Combat Knife. In Classic, players spawn with a Mauler with no ammo and a Combat Knife. The Reaper is a pickup in Classic and Operative and the most powerful weapon, but knives can be thrown from a distance. This is limited to small maps.
Bullets Only: Only functions that fire projectiles are allowed. There's no meleeing, shields, body armor, explosions, or devices.
Cloak and Dagger: Ditto but for silenced weapons, the Crossbow, the Combat Knife, the Cloaking Device, and in Classic and Operative variants, an IR Scanner pickup. This is limited to small maps.
Darkness: The Perfect Darkness cheat is activated, turning off all light sources except for the sun, which is replaced by the moon. Night Vision is recommended (and spawned with by default in Classic and Operative).
Explosives: Outfitting and pickups are limited to weapons and functions that cause explosions.
Full Armor: A shield and body armor can be equipped at the same time; the second one can only be in slot 4.
Full Arsenal: There are no class restrictions in slots, meaning players can spawn with four primary weapons if they choose.
Gadget War: Slot 1 can only be a weapon, and the other slots can only be devices. Shields and body armor are not present. There are three stages: in the first third, there are only tertiary weapons; then secondary weapons are available; and in the last third, primary weapons become available for a tense finish.
Golden Magnum: The DY357-LX, normally only available as a cheat, is now an option in outfitting or a pickup. Other primary weapons are disabled, although players can equip a shield or body armor instead of the golden magnum.
Hardcore: There's no HUD or radar, and headshots always kill. Players can use an R-Tracker for radar if it's allowed.
Military: Players start with (and can choose based on the mode's outfitting) a primary or secondary weapon, a pistol, and either a tertiary weapon or a device excluding shields or body armor. Pistols only have primary functions; because of this, some weapons change slots, such as the Phoenix and Mauler, which are now tertiary weapons.
No Devices: As the name implies, only weapons are available.
Old School: Only weapons and functions that are "realistic" are available. There's no alien equipment, shields, disarming, HoverBikes, or anything else of the sort.
Primary Functions: Secondary and tertiary functions are disabled. Some weapons change slots, such as the Phoenix and Mauler, which are now tertiary weapons.
Random Equipment: Players spawn with random equipment each time. Spawn room equipment in Operative is also randomized and changes during the match.
Snipers: Primary weapons are limited to the Sniper Rifle, Suisse SSR 2000, and FarSight. Secondary weapons are disabled. Players can still equip tertiary weapons and devices as well as a shield or body armor in place of a primary weapon.
Training Grounds: Auto-aim is allowed, and no matches here are ranked.
Options
There are a plethora of multiplayer options. The following is a template for what may be used for online play. Options are only present when applicable.
General
Max Players: 2-16
Player Health: 1% - 1,000%
Mode: Standard, Dark, Classic, Operative, MLG, Custom
Scenario: Combat, Hold the Briefcase, Hacker Central, Pop a Cap, King of the Hill, Capture the Case, Maian SOS, Skedar Assault, The Golden Magnum, AI Combat, AI Objective
Teams: Enabled, Disabled
Bots per Team: Disabled, 1-4 (AI playlists or unranked only)
Invincibility: Disabled, Humans, Bots, Enabled
Objective Completion: Anyone, Humans, Bots, Disabled, Custom
Team Bot Control: MVP, Distributed Evenly, Everyone
Melee Damage: Disabled, 0% - 1,000%
In-Game Joining: Enabled, Disabled, Vote (unranked only)
Match Limits
Permitted Races: Humans, Maians, Skedar (toggle)
Match Description
Radar: Enabled, Disabled, Custom
Objective Data: Nav Points, Radar (overrides disable radar), Both, Disabled
Blur: Enabled, Disabled
Player Lives: Unlimited, 1-5
One-Shot Kills: Enabled, Disabled
Headshot Kills: Enabled, Disabled (overrides invincibility)
Movement Speed: 1% - 300%
Reload Speed: 1% - 500%
Reload Cancel: Enabled, Disabled
Shield Strength: 1% - 1,000%
Weapon Spawn Time: 0s – never
Rounds: 1-5
Tie Breaker: Enabled, Disabled
Spawn: Near, Far, Random
Spawn Invincibility: Disabled, 1-6 seconds
Dynamic Outfitting: Score Gap Assist, Timed Power Weapons, Custom, Disabled
Equipment Drop: Current, Nothing, Everything
Equipment Pickup: Enabled, Ally Only, Enemy Only, Disabled
Teams
Teams: 2-8
Team Colors
Voice: Teammates Only, Nearby Players Only, Teammates and Nearby Enemies
Friendly Fire: Enabled, Disabled, Limited, Shields
Betrayal Boot: Enabled, Disabled, Team Vote (does not include the betrayer)
Vote to Kick: Enabled, Disabled
Ally Markers: Enabled, Disabled
Classic Mode
Starting Equipment
Ammo Boxes: Enabled, Disabled
Operative Mode
Spawn Room Equipment (can be separate for each team in unranked matches)
Custom Mode
Health: Regenerative, Bar
HUD: Full, Limited, None
Radar: Disabled, Sight, Sound, Movement
Equipment: Outfitting, Spawn Rooms, Set Default
Pickups: None, Default, Custom
Ammo Boxes: Enabled, Disabled
Max Primary Weapons: 0-4
Max Secondary Weapons: 0-4
Max Tertiary Weapons: 0-4
Max Devices: 0-4
Dual-Wielding: Enabled, Disabled, Same Weapon Only
Starting Ammo: Half, Standard, Double, Triple
Ammo Count: Rounds, Magazines
Equipment
Outfitting Restrictions (disable equipment from being selected)
Equipment Switch (toggle each item including individual functions; also affects weapon sets)
Weapon Function Switch (master toggle for primary, secondary, and tertiary functions)
Cheats (unranked only)
DK Mode
Small Players
Small Characters
Invincible
Cloaking
Super Shield
Perfect Darkness
Hurricane Fists
Unlimited Ammo
Unlimited Ammo, No Reloads
Silent Footsteps
Strong Arms
Player Options
Name
Character, Outfit
Control Setup
Blood: Disabled, Paintball, Decreased, Standard, Increased
Voice: Disabled, Headset Only, Speakers and Headset, Enabled (plays in headset if one is connected and through speakers if not)
Narrator: Carrington, Joanna, Male 1, Male 2, Female 1, Female 2, Disabled (if disabled, text is shown)
Music: Default, Custom (custom soundtracks override this option)
Handicap: 1% - 100%
Capture the Case
Random Case Position: Enabled, Disabled
Case Must Be Home to Score: Enabled, Disabled
Assault: Enabled, Disabled (alternate offense and defense)
Kills Score: Enabled, Disabled
Capture Score: 1-5
Nav Points: Enabled, Disabled
Show on Radar: Enabled, Disabled
Carrier Speed: 1% - 1,000%
Note: All objective matches have options to choose how many points are rewarded by completing the objective and whether or not kills count toward the score.
Multiplayer Characters
Since character models are in HD, you can't choose character bodies and heads separately. You can, however, choose outfits of character models. Joanna in particular has a great selection of clothes ranging from her blue and silver combat suit to an undercover security outfit. For generic characters such as dataDyne Infantry, players can choose from a few dozen people with varying body shape, faces, and skin color to wear the clothes; in a sense, for these characters you're choosing the outfit and customizing the body instead of vice versa.
Summary
You can tweak everything.
CHALLENGES
Making a return from the first PD, challenges are better than ever. Instead of offering primarily experiences that you could create yourself, this game mode offers unique experiences, often in locations or with aspects of gameplay not found in other modes.
In most challenges, you cannot choose many options including equipment as these are carefully designed for specific experiences. However, as with all modes challenges grant rewards for their completion. In particular, most multiplayer characters are unlocked here.
Below is a list of some ideas of what challenges might be like, but these aren't final.
1 – Basic Enemies
Goal: Defeat five armed enemies with minimal cover.
Starting Equipment: none
Enemies: dataDyne Infantry x3 and dataDyne Trooper x2 with CMP150
2 – Boxing
Goal: Defeat an unarmed opponent in a confined area.
Starting Equipment: none
Enemy: Overalls
3 – The Right Weapon
Goal: Make your way through open areas and tight corners.
Starting Equipment: Automatic Shotgun, Sniper Rifle
4 – Stealth
Goal: Defeat all enemies without the alarm being activated.
Starting Equipment: D5K, Falcon 2
5 – Explosives
Goal: Win a free-for-all against two EasySims and one NormalSim.
Starting Equipment: Klobb
Pickups: Grenade, Tactical Mine, Rocket Launcher
6 – Blind Fire
Goal: You’re stuck in cover. Kill two approaching enemies using blind fire.
Starting Equipment: ZMG, CamSpy
7 – Foot Race
Goal: Be the first to reach the end. Obstacles require crouching and jumping.
Starting Equipment: none
8 – Alternate Functions / Seconds
Goal: Win a free-for-all against three NormalSims with only secondary functions.
Starting Equipment: MagSec 4
Pickups: Laptop Gun, RC-P120, Slayer, Combat Knife (all secondary functions only)
9 – Hide and Seek
Goal: Kill enemies hiding behind cover in random places within one minute.
Starting Equipment: AR33, DY357
10 – Explosive Bowling
Goal: Plant a Tactical Mine on a HoverCrate and push it into a crowd of enemies.
Starting Equipment: Tactical Mine (primary and tertiary functions only)
11 – HoverRace
Goal: Reach the end on a HoverBike. Watch out for proximity explosives.
Starting Equipment: R-Tracker (Tactical Mine)
12 – Duel
Goal: Defeat a HardSim with one-shot kills enabled.
Starting Equipment: Falcon 2
13 – Sabotage
Goal: Hack an enemy Laptop Gun turret.
Starting Equipment: Data Uplink
14 – Friendly Feud
Goal: You cannot attack. Command two AI bots against an enemy in the same situation. Bots have two lives, but you only have one.
Starting Equipment: none
15 – Cloned
Goal: Face a HardSim with the same character and equipment as you.
Starting Equipment: outfitting
16 – Escape
Goal: Prevent human scientists from putting you to sleep for good.
Starting Equipment: Phoenix (primary function only)
Character: Maian
Enemies: dataDyne Lab Technician x3 with Psychosis Gun (primary function only)
Summary
The Challenges mode offers unique experiences that focus on various aspects of gameplay with carefully planned design.
PHYSICS
Movement and looking should both be smooth. There should be such attention to detail in this department that players are initially amazed just by moving the character’s weapon on-screen. New physics need to take place to allow for a more believable first-person experience as well as to add to realism.
Sway, Fatigue, and Momentum
When standing still, the character holds out a gun if armed (being unarmed is still an option). The gun sways a bit as the character breathes; running causes temporary fatigue and increases sway. Crouching decreases speed and sway, and going prone or kneeling (whichever is decided to be included) nearly eliminates sway but also makes movement painfully slow.
The control sticks are quite sensitive. If tip-toeing, sway will slightly increase and the crosshairs will widen a bit. If walking, this increases. Moving quickly enough for a quick jog will cause the player’s vision to go from side to side and up and down with each step. When sprinting, however, the character will either hold a two-handed weapon close with both hands or swing his or her arms in a running motion with one-handed weapons if armed, unable to fire.
The following scenario will reveal a new minor but noticeable tweak: a player swings an arm to the left quickly thinking there's an enemy there, but a shadow is seen coming to the right. The player then swings the arm to the right quickly to that position. Most games let players instantaneously jolt the arm to the right as if it had no momentum, but this is one area where a new physics element will be added. There will be a short pause as the arm is brought to a stop before being able to move it the other way. It is very brief, but it's there. The trigger can be pulled at any time, but shots during this transition as expected are not accurate.
Another element to the physics engine is body collision. Most 3-D games have one of two different reactions to a moving player coming into contact with another standing body: the other body—whether an NPC or another player—is like a brick wall and will not budge; or the body will act as if on ice and will slide around when pushed without any leg movement.
Perfect Dark 2 should introduce an expected current-gen change to this dated programming. Instead, every object in the game is given weight including the player and other life forms. Velocity is also calculated when there is movement. Together these form momentum, causing varied reactions with each collision depending on the weight of all bodies involved, the speed they are traveling, and the directions in which they are moving.
Two exaggerated scenarios reveal the potential of this system. A light character that slowly walks into a heavier NPC might cause him or her to flinch and turn to look at the player, perhaps irritated. Conversely, a heavy character running at full speed into a lighter, nonmoving NPC will cause the player to lose much speed but will cause the target to fly backward and lose balance.
This is mostly intended to add to realism and believability, but it can also be used strategically. In multiplayer, heavy characters simply push lighter characters aside with difficulty decreasing as the difference in weight increases; in missions it can be used to knock guards off balance or even to push them over ledges or out windows that have been shot out.
In Standard and to a slightly greater extent in Dark variants, equipment affects movement speed, although in Classic movement speed isn't affected. When unarmed, players can run at the highest possible speed. Running while carrying a weapon or weapons slightly decreases speed, and in Dark the combined weight of other held items causes slightly more slowdown. Doing a punch or melee while running causes more knockback than doing one while standing still, especially when the player is heavier than the target. Damage does not increase based on speed or weight difference, however.
Reloading
There are three styles of reloading in the game. In Standard, ammunition is magazine-based, but unused bullets in a discarded magazine are automatically saved in the form of a new magazine. For added realism, reloading in Dark discards a weapon's current magazine and all ammo in it and inserts a fresh magazine. This adds strategy to choosing when to reload, and coupled with a lack of an ammo display in Dark, the stakes are higher. Classic uses round-based ammo, so reloading a weapon that fired only one shot with 31 bullets left and 10 extra bullets will reload that one bullet and leave the player with 9 leftover bullets.
Every weapon has a unique reload animation. Like any animation, reload animations can be interrupted with a melee attack, in which case the player holds the weapon in one hand and punches with the other. The player must press the reload button again to resume. However, the animation must finish in order for the reload to be complete. Fortunately, if the animation is interrupted, it continues where it left off provided that the weapon is not fired or switched first. It doesn't continue by the frame it left off at but rather at the last part of the animation. Every weapon has its own reload speed as well as time needed to take the weapon out.
Summary
Sway, fatigue, momentum, body collision, velocity, and magazine-based reloading make this game stand out.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Enemy AI
The AI in Perfect Dark 2 is very advanced. In addition to using advanced tactics, enemies become alerted by hearing or seeing something unusual. Joanna’s outfitting—including both her clothes and equipment—may affect how quickly unsuspecting enemies notice that she is an intruder. Carrying concealed weapons with normal clothing may limit firepower but will be much less suspicious than walking in the front door in a combat suit with a shotgun, assault rifle, and alien pistol.
However, there is not a single alertness switch that is turned on for all NPCs once Joanna is spotted. Every enemy (and ally) has a unique alertness level that is increased by unusual sights or sounds (such as shattered glass, gun shots, blood stains, etc.) and decreased to an extent with a period of inactivity. This is not a stealth game, but the use of stealth or lack thereof can make the game a bit more or less challenging; and it is definitely recommended on Perfect Agent and Dark Agent.
To help this situation, Joanna has the ability to find and unlock outfits that fit her. Once finding an outfit, it becomes available in outfitting from that point onward. Wearing the same uniform as enemies with weapons concealed or with standard weapons equipped (such as a SuperDragon for Area 51 guards, if I remember correctly) will greatly decrease the possibility of detection. However, it should be noted that higher-ranking guards will more quickly spot an intruder, as it is his or her job to be familiar with lower-ranking guards.
To extend replay value and add to realism, there will be limited random enemy placement. Not only do enemy locations vary, but so do enemy types and weapons to an extent. This will also improve the usefulness of x-ray vision. With each enemy type displaying varying behavior with random variables in the mix, each playthrough will be unpredictable. Rather than memorizing enemy positions with routine strategies, players will always need to think on their feet or use gadgets to make the job easier.
There are a few design decisions that I feel get in the way of the experience of many first-person shooter single-player experiences. They can be summed up with the term cheap enemies—artificially inflated difficulty in the form of infinitely respawning enemies, enemies that only target human players, or enemies with infinite ammo.
Infinitely respawning enemies are one of my biggest criticisms against the Call of Duty franchise, especially when senses indicate that no enemies should be present, such as after clearing out a building. This can also extend to poorly scripted events, such as enemies that spawn (or stop spawning) once the first or farthest human player reaches a certain location. When used strategically, this can be used to direct specific parts of the experience; but when simply thrown in without much thought, it can add an unwanted cheap factor or predictability. Therefore, as many enemies in a mission segment should be loaded within hearing range as the system’s memory can allow without taking a hit. Each enemy has an individual alertness level, but this means little if enemies spawn after periods of time in which they may have seen or heard something.
As for only targeting the human player(s), this solution can also be derived from individual alertness levels but is also evident among the various enemy types. Some enemy types—particularly the lowest ranked ones—may mistake Joanna for a civilian if she is equipped correctly, but if not will likely hold a gun to her ordering her to drop her weapon (which can be done with a button command) or possibly open fire without warning. These enemies will likely shoot the first intruder in sight. Other enemies, such as dataDyne Shock Troopers, will likely allow lower-ranking guards to charge first while secretly finding an advantageous position, such as behind an object while waiting for Joanna to walk by hopefully with her guard down. On Dark Agent, advanced enemies may even place proximity or remote explosives and wait.
Lastly, all AI characters in the game have finite ammo and need to reload. Most enemies have a pistol or other sidearm in case their main weapon runs out of ammo. If all ammo is depleted or if their weapon is taken or shot out of their hands, they might still use melee attacks, although they will be more likely to surrender than when armed. Enemies and allies can pick up stationary weapons but only do so once all ammo is depleted. Players can switch weapons with both AI and human allies in all modes; to switch with a human ally, both players must briefly hold the action button while facing each other and standing still.
Friendly AI
These commands apply to both co-op buddies and to multiplayer bots. As always, options are only present when applicable. For options in which a target can be selected, the player is always the first choice for defensive options (or an ally that is the target in Pop a Cap or an ally with the enemy case) as is the enemy that poses the greatest threat (such as the closest enemy or the one carrying the player’s team’s flag) for offensive options. Players have the option of giving specific commands to each bot or giving a command to all bots that overrides previous commands. Commands can be given via the quick menu or by button commands.
Bot types affect overall behavior even though the following commands override this behavior. Bot types other than the difficulty ones scale their difficulty according to the mean of player levels (0-5 meat, 6-10 easy, 11-20 normal, 21-35 hard, 36-45 perfect, 46-50 dark). These are the general behavior patterns of the bot types:
Meat/Easy/Normal/Hard/Perfect/DarkSim: Focus on objectives but also attack nearby enemies.
PeaceSim: Collect pickups and disarm enemies. Avoid combat if possible.
ShieldSim: Always collect or equip a shield when available. Find a new one when it is almost depleted.
RocketSim: Choose explosive weapons over non-explosive ones. The bigger the explosion, the better!
KazeSim: Complete the objective at all costs, even risking its life and the life of allies to do so.
FistSim: Fight aggressively with fists. Disarm enemies and then punch or melee them to a pulp.
PreySim: Target weakened and poorly armed enemies. Attempt to steal kills.
CowardSim: Face enemies only when chances of success are high; retreat if odds are not in its favor, especially if outnumbered.
JudgeSim: Focus on the players with the highest score that are on a different team.
SpeedSim: Always move at maximum speed. Put away and take out weapons strategically for even higher speed.
TurtleSim: Always collect or equip both a shield and body armor when available. Never move more quickly than a jog.
VengeSim: If killed, continue to attack that enemy until it is dead or until killed by a different enemy.
Note: "Selected location" refers to the location of the player’s crosshair.
Tactical Commands
Attack… (attack a selected enemy or ally if friendly fire is on)
Follow… (follow the player or a selected ally)
Protect… (follow the player or a selected ally and chase nearby enemies)
Defend (stay at the selected location and chase nearby enemies)
Hold (stay within a few meters of the selected location)
Normal (return to normal tactics)
Get Uplink (get the Data Uplink in Hacker Central)
Defend Terminal (go to the terminal in Hacker Central)
Hold Hill (go to the hill and don’t leave its borders)
Get Case (get the enemy case and then return to score)
Defend Case (defend the team’s case and pursue the carrier if it’s taken)
Temporary Commands
Equip… (select a weapon or device for the bot to switch to that it currently has)
Switch (navigate to the player and switch current held item; the player does not need to hold a button)
Mission Commands
Passive (attack an enemy only when the player attacks or when attacked)
Aggressive (attack enemies on sight)
Stealth (stay in the shadows and use cloaking if equipped)
Cover (take cover)
Complete Objective (select an objective for the bot to complete; must have necessary equipment; only some objectives can be completed by a bot)
Summary
Individual alertness levels, advanced detection based on sights and sounds, and random enemy placement help make the experience more believable and add replay value. Players have precise control over AI allies and can switch held items with AI or human allies.
EQUIPMENT
Equipment in Perfect Dark 2 can be broken down into primary, secondary, and tertiary weapons as well as devices (aka gadgets). When outfitting is available, players have four slots to work with. In most cases the following setup is used:
Slot 1: primary weapon, secondary weapon, tertiary weapon, or device
Slot 2: secondary weapon, tertiary weapon, or device
Slot 3: tertiary weapon or device
Slot 4: device
Players can dual-wield weapons, but each weapon takes up a slot. One-handed weapons can be held in either one or two hands; if held in both hands, players can aim down the weapon's sights, but if the other hand is free it can be used to punch or disarm separately. A free hand also allows one to pick up objects and interact with the environment slightly more quickly. Devices are held with one hand.
Note that when outfitting, players can select what is held in each hand when spawning. This can also be selected manually via the Quick Menu.
Each weapon has unique attributes. Everything from effective range, bullet velocity, noise, melee damage, and the time it takes to take it out and put it away depend on the individual weapon. Below are lists of most weapons that would be in the game, not counting new, original ones. After a weapon's name are its functions and whether or not it can be dual-wielded. Note that the stats are temporary and would be balanced after thorough testing. Damage is according to headshots. Players have double the normal health in Classic depending on the difficulty. Ammo is shown in magazines; in most cases, there's more starting ammo in the campaign (abbreviated as SP) than in multiplayer (MP).
Weapon List
Unarmed: Punch/Kick, Disarm
When not holding a gun you can move more quickly than normal. Punching does slightly more damage than a melee with an average weapon, and a punch to the head will temporarily disorient a foe, making their screen blurrier with each hit. Kicks are a bit slower but deal slightly more damage; they're performed by holding the button. Punching or kicking an enemy from behind that is unaware of your presence will knock the enemy unconscious. Disarming an enemy will knock any held weapons right out of their hands and into yours in a stylish animation, assuming you have enough room; otherwise, they will fall to the ground. You can immediately use picked-up weapons and kill enemies with their own gun. Disarming causes no damage, however.
Falcon 2: Single Shot, Silencer, Scope [dual]
The Falcon 2 is Joanna’s default pistol. It is considered the most accurate pistol in the world, a laser sight making it even more accurate. Its secondary and tertiary functions add or remove a silencer for stealth and a scope for long-distance shooting. However, it can only hold 8 bullets per magazine, and its melee is weak. Enemies will also become alert if they see a red dot on the wall. The laser sight cannot be turned off, but it leaves a dot rather than a full visible beam of light.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: High
Range: Medium-Long
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
MagSec 4: Single Shot, Three-Round Burst [dual]
This Chesluk Industries military pistol packs incredible stopping power backed up by a three-round burst secondary function. It has a scope, but it is one of the least accurate pistols in the game. It is best used in close counters; two of these up close firing in bursts are deadly. Each MagSec 4 holds 9 bullets per magazine but takes a fraction of a second longer to reload than the Falcon 2. Its melee is slightly stronger than the Falcon 2’s but not as strong as a punch.
Damage: 75%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
Mauler: Single Shot, Charge-Up Shot [dual]
The Skedar pistol has a massive 20-round magazine and the strongest firearm melee in the game due to its bladed barrel. Its charge-up shot uses three rounds but packs the combined power of all of them in one shot plus a little extra, making it lethal. The Mauler shares ammo with the Reaper.
Damage: 60% primary, 200% secondary
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
Phoenix: Single Shot, Explosive Shells [dual]
The Maian pistol has a small magazine of only 8 rounds, but each bullet packs a punch in the secondary function. The primary function is useful to avoid friendly casualties due to splash damage. The Phoenix uses its own ammunition.
Damage: 50% primary, 70% plus explosive secondary
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Secondary
DY357 Magnum: Single Shot, Load Golden Bullet [dual]
This classic six-round revolver packs a punch with incredible stopping power, and its weight makes it effective to melee with. There is a slight delay after pulling the trigger before the gun fires, so it takes skill to aim with this weapon. The secondary function loads a golden bullet into the chamber if the player has one and sets it to fire next; golden bullets do even more damage than normal magnum rounds. This gun fires bullets with so much force that they can penetrate most weak objects such as wooden doors and bodies.
Damage: 150% primary, 250% secondary
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Bullets: 6 MP, 12 SP
Golden Bullets: 1 MP, 1 SP
Class: Secondary
CMP150: Automatic Fire, Follow Lock-On [dual]
This dataDyne submachine gun is believed to be a high-tech model of the ZMG (9mm). It is surprisingly accurate for a sub-machine gun unless fired in full automatic and has a 32-round magazine. Its secondary function locks onto a target, although the lock is lost if the target gets behind cover for too long or gets to a certain distance.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
Cyclone: Automatic Fire, Magazine Discharge
The Cyclone is the least accurate submachine gun in the game, but its secondary function sprays so many bullets out in such a short time that accuracy isn’t as much of a concern, especially at closer ranges. Due to the weapon’s curved shape, it has a weak melee.
Damage: 60%
Accuracy: Very Low
Range: Short
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
Callisto NTG: Automatic Fire, High Impact Shells
This Maian submachine gun uses its own ammunition that, in the weapon’s secondary function, is capable of penetrating weak objects. However, its rate of fire in this mode drops from 800 rounds per minute to 300. The weapon has low recoil in the primary function but has horrible sights because of its round barrel.
Damage: 40% primary, 100% secondary
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
RC-P120: Automatic Fire, Cloak
The RC-P120 is a high-tech version of the RC-P90 secretly developed by the Carrington Institute. It has a large magazine, but its distinguishing feature is its secondary function that feeds on ammunition unique to the weapon to create a cloaking field around the user, although in this mode ammunition is drained rather quickly. When cloaking, ammunition is taken from spare magazines and finally from the current magazine. The weapon’s structure also gives it a higher than average melee.
Damage: 60%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
Laptop Gun: Automatic Fire, Sentry Gun, Laptop
When folded, this submachine gun looks like a standard laptop with a very basic OS albeit one without a brand name. Unfolded, the laptop becomes an accurate submachine gun that is capable of being placed on a wall to shoot enemies within range. Its concealable nature makes it very effective when detection must be avoided, assuming it is not unusual to carry around a laptop. Players can remove a placed turret, or they can use a Data Uplink to cause it to switch friend and enemy recognition.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: High
Range: Medium-Long
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
K7 Avenger: Automatic Fire, Threat Detector
This dataDyne assault rifle is one of the most powerful automatic weapons in the game, but it also has one of the smallest magazines of all automatics. It is surprisingly accurate in bursts with good stopping power, but on full automatic it is difficult to hit targets at range, especially with its lack of a scope. The K7 Avenger cannot fire in its secondary function.
Damage: 85%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
AR34: Automatic Fire, Scope
The Carrington Institute is known for its accurate weapons, and this is the company’s standard assault rifle. It is one of very few assault rifles to have a scope, and it is accurate even at a distance to an extent. Its small recoil and large magazine make up for its weaker-than-average damage. The secondary function adds or removes the scope.
Damage: 60%
Accuracy: High
Range: Long
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
SuperDragon: Automatic Fire, Grenade Launcher, Proximity Mine
The SuperDragon is all about versatility at the cost of magazine size. Its primary function fires the assault rifle with average damage and a smaller-than-usual magazine. Its secondary function turns the weapon on its side to fire a mounted grenade launcher, but again ammunition is limited. The grenades have the smallest blast radius of all explosives in the game except for the Phoenix’s secondary function. They explode on impact against hard or heavy targets; they will detonate upon hitting a body but will knock a glass over as it continues its path. The tertiary function arms an internal proximity mine that detonates with nearby movement after it is armed before throwing the weapon down; the mine does not distinguish between friend and foe.
Damage: 60%, explosive secondary
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Grenades: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
Shotgun: Shotgun Fire, Double Blast
The Shotgun deals more damage than it did in the first Perfect Dark and has considerable knockback. Its secondary function allows for two shots to be fired in a row due to unique design in internal cartridge loading, although the weapon must be cocked twice after the double fire. A close-range shot with this gun is lethal.
Damage: 10% per pellet
Accuracy: Very Low
Range: Very Short
Extra Cartridges: 0 MP, 8 SP
Class: Secondary
Reaper: Reapage, Grinder
This heavy automatic weapon fires the same ammunition used by the Mauler while rotating three large blades. As with a chain gun, it takes a short while for the blades to spin at maximum speed; the rate of fire is proportional to the speed of the blades. Its secondary function turns the blades without firing any rounds. Since the weapon was designed for use by the Skedar, it is extremely inaccurate when used by weaker characters due to the shaking caused by the blades. Though, even when wielded by a Skedar the shots are fairly spread out as bullets are fired through the moving blades. The Reaper is the only weapon that cannot be aimed down the sights simply because the blades in the front prevent this along with the shaking.
Damage: 40% primary, 90% secondary
Accuracy: Very Low
Range: Short
Extra Mags: 0 MP, 1 SP
Class: Secondary
Sniper Rifle: Single Shot, Silencer
This rifle with a 30x zoom has the most powerful scope in the world and is deadly accurate. While its shots aren’t very powerful, a single well-placed headshot is all it will take to drop an enemy. The secondary function adds or removes a silencer, but if silenced the weapon has reduced range. Due to bullet gravity, at large distances players must aim a bit higher than the desired target. All weapons have this characteristic, but it is only noticeable at accurate ranges that this Sniper Rifle specializes in.
Damage: 100%
Accuracy: Very High
Range: Very Long
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
FarSight XR-20: Single Shot, Rail-Gun Effect
The Maian sniper rifle fires unique rounds that are capable of penetrating almost all surfaces including walls. It has been balanced since the first Perfect Dark, no longer having a target locator function. In its primary function, aiming causes players to look down the sight, while the secondary function allows for a limited scope and x-ray vision. Since looking through the scope takes up a player’s entire vision, campers are quite vulnerable when using the secondary function. A shot from this weapon is the most powerful single projectile in the game (discounting the Mauler’s charged shot), but shots quickly lose velocity after traveling through solid objects.
Damage: 75%
Accuracy: High
Range: Long
Extra Mags: 0 MP, 1 SP
Class: Primary
Devastator: Grenade Launcher, Wall Hugger
This grenade launcher produces the largest explosions caused by portable weapons in the game. It is capable of firing grenades with an arced path over large distances, although the rate of fire is rather slow. Unlike the SuperDragon, grenades bounce off of surfaces but detonate two thirds of a second after hitting any surface, whether it’s a wall or the ground. For a strategic alternative, the secondary function coats a grenade with a sticky surface that falls after a short time and detonates upon impact.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Long
Grenades: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
Rocket Launcher: Rocket Launch, Targeted Rocket
The Rocket Launcher fires rockets that travel in a straight line, unaffected by gravity. Rockets that do not come in contact with a surface after a set distance will begin to fall, after which they will detonate on impact. The secondary function allows players to lock onto a target and fire a slower homing rocket easily distinguishable by its blue trail. It only holds one rocket at a time.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: High
Range: Long
Extra Rockets: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
Slayer: Rocket Launch, Fly-By-Wire Rocket
The Skedar rocket launcher fires rockets that increase in speed until meeting a target or falling; at first they are slower than rockets fired by the Rocket Launcher, but after a few seconds they become faster. The secondary function allows the user to control a rocket’s movement, even slowing it down; but like with the FarSight, looking into the view panel completely limits the user’s view of his or her surroundings. As with any rocket, a gunshot or two will cause a premature detonation. (Perhaps it will not be able to be slowed down or remote detonated for balance reasons.) This can also hold only one rocket at a time.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: High
Range: Long
Extra Rockets: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
Combat Knife: Knife Slash, Throw Poison Knife, Assassinate [dual]
This stealthy weapon can be used to take out enemies without wasting ammunition or causing a lot of noise. Slashing a knife or using the Reaper’s secondary function causes the most melee damage in the game. The secondary function opens a small slit in the knife’s blade that secretes a deadly poison; once it enters the bloodstream, the victim will suffer increasingly blurred vision until an inevitable death after a few seconds. The time it takes the poison to kill the target depends on the point of impact and the character’s stamina/health but usually takes down a healthy target within a few seconds if struck in the body. Every four seconds after being poisoned, the target takes 25% damage or 50% if struck in the head, heart, or tail for Skedar. The tertiary function allows the player to silently kill an aware enemy from behind.
Damage: 100% primary, 30% plus poison secondary
Accuracy: High
Range: Very Short
Knives: 1 MP, 1 SP
Class: Tertiary
Crossbow: Paralyze, Prepare Lethal Bolt [right hand only]
This concealable crossbow is foldable and wrist-mounted. Its arcing bolts make it extremely inaccurate at longer ranges, but it is useful at close range. By default it comes with three paralyzing bolts and one lethal bolt. A standard bolt takes a few seconds to fully paralyze the victim; a healthy Maian takes 4 seconds, a human 6 seconds, and a Skedar 8 seconds. Once paralyzed, the target will find it increasingly difficult to turn and even more difficult to move for a few seconds. The secondary function loads a single bolt with powerful poison that kills within a second or two. The bolts cannot pierce body armor but don’t activate shields. It must be reloaded after every shot, but players can choose precisely when to load the lethal bolt by activating the secondary function when no bolt is loaded.
Damage: 20% primary, poison secondary
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Bolts: 6 MP, 12 SP
Lethal Bolts: 1 MP, 1 SP
Class: Tertiary
Laser: Pulse Fire, Short Range Stream [left hand only]
The Laser is meant to be a concealed device for cutting objects, but it can also be used as a weapon. The pulse fire takes a while to kill enemies, but the weapon has a rechargeable cell allowing for infinite “ammo.” The secondary function fires a sustained beam useful for cutting wires, locks, and body parts if held long enough. (The primary function may be removed to separate it from the Military Laser.) Its cell must recharge after a certain amount of use. The primary function is quick enough to activate a shield.
Damage: 35% primary, continuous secondary
Accuracy: High
Range: Short
Battery: 100% rechargeable (10% per shot)
Class: Tertiary
Grenade: 4-Second Fuse, Timed Pinball, Cancel Fuse [dual]
While Grenades aren’t as an integral part of the gameplay or as abundant in this game as in most other first-person shooters (they don’t have their own button), they are still useful. Since any two dual-wieldable weapons can be combined, players can hold, say, a pistol and a grenade or even two grenades at once. The primary fire starts a four-second fuse that detonates even if the player is holding it; it is important that it is based on the time the pin is pulled rather than on when it is thrown or when it lands on the ground. Its secondary function changes the magnetic field of the grenade, causing it to forcefully bounce off solid objects, although this time it has the same timed fuse as the primary function. Players can still cook grenades, but this time they can use the tertiary function to put the pin back into the grenade, which resets the fuse timer.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Grenades: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
N-Bomb: Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
The N-Bomb causes intense radiation that disorients any who are unlucky enough to be caught in its blast radius. Initial impact will cause players to drop any currently held weapons, though holstered weapons will not be affected. Radiation will worsen as long as players are within the blast radius; slight damage is also inflicted over time, but the combination of temporarily distorted vision and dropped weapons may be enough of a distraction to take out victims.
Damage: continuous
Accuracy: High
Range: Medium
N-Bombs: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
Tactical Mine: Throw Mine, Select Detonation, Set Time [dual]
Mines can stick to surfaces including bodies and can be shot for premature detonation. The secondary function switches the detonation type of the mine from timed, proximity, or remote. The timed detonation causes the mine to explode after a short time and is useful for accurate placing and for kamikaze strategies. Proximity detonation is dangerous in team-based games but capable of raking up kills in free-for-alls. Remote detonation is useful for strategically detonating a mine in a desired spot, but the detonator will only set off mines triggered to receive the command. If a player dies without detonating the mines, the detonator can be picked up by any player and used to detonate all linked active Remote Mines; but not knowing where the previous player placed them might yield unwanted results. Note that when using Remote Mines, the other hand holds the detonator. Mines have small lights that change color depending on the detonation type: Timed Mines are yellow; Proximity Mines are green; and Remote Mines are red. Timed Mines can be set for 1, 3, 5, or 7 seconds after being planted via the tertiary function. Mines explode when shot unlike grenades.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Short-Medium
Mines: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Tertiary
Combat Boost: Boost, Revert [dual]
This has different effects in different game modes. In a single-player game mode, time is slowed down as the player’s senses are heightened. In modes with more than one human player present, movement and reload speed is increased. AI bots using this will display increased accuracy and slightly increased speed. Each boost lasts for 10 seconds.
Boosts: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Tertiary
PP7: Single Shot, Silencer [dual]
This classic pistol is the lightest and most compact weapon in the game. It is less accurate and has a slightly smaller clip size than the Falcon 2 but reloads quickly and comes with more spare ammo.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: High
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 3 MP, 5 SP
Class: Tertiary
DD44: Single Shot [dual]
This handgun is loud but has great stopping power. It has the most powerful primary function among pistols besides the magnum.
Damage: 60%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
Klobb: Automatic Fire [dual]
This machine pistol is weak and incredibly inaccurate. It uses the same ammunition as other pistols, and it is generally a waste to use except for in close quarters when no other automatics are available.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: Very Low
Range: Short
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
KF7 Soviet: Automatic Fire, Silencer
This classic assault rifle has good stopping power and is one of the only two assault rifles that can be fitted with a silencer, although it lacks accuracy at long ranges.
Damage: 75%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
ZMG: Automatic Fire [dual]
The ZMG is a bit more powerful and less accurate than the CMP150.
Damage: 55%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
D5K: Automatic Fire, Silencer [dual]
This submachine gun is the only weapon of its type that can use a silencer. It is comparable to the CMP150 in terms of performance.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
Phantom: Automatic Fire [dual]
This submachine gun is powerful despite its size. It also has a larger-than-normal magazine.
Damage: 70%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 0 MP, 1 SP
Class: Secondary
AR33: Automatic Fire
This assault rifle is more powerful than the AR34 but not nearly as accurate. Its shots have high penetration but not as high as the DY357 or the Callisto NTG’s secondary function.
Damage: 80%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
RC-P90: Rapid Fire
This submachine gun has a high rate of fire. It also has the third largest magazine in the game, only behind the RC-P120 and the Reaper.
Damage: 55%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short-Medium
Extra Mags: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Primary
Automatic Shotgun: Shotgun Fire
This shotgun fires with each pull of the trigger. It is slightly less powerful than a standard shot of the dataDyne Shotgun and has a wider spread of pellets; its strength lies within its increased rate of fire, although it does not have the penetration power of the dataDyne Shotgun. Its magazine holds four cartridges.
Damage: 5% per pellet
Accuracy: Very Low
Range: Very Short
Extra Cartridges: 4 MP, 8 SP
Class: Secondary
Military Laser: Pulse Fire
This experimental weapon fires piercing shots. Unlike the more compact Laser, its cell does not recharge. It is more powerful but not concealable and cannot fire a steady beam. This weapon may be discarded.
Damage: 50%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Long
Battery: 50% MP, 100% SP (5% per shot)
Class: Primary
Psychosis Gun: Tranquilizer, Psychosis [dual]
This unique gun fires two types of darts with separate ammunition. Tranquilizer darts disorient the target and put enemies to sleep in missions. Multiple darts can be used to quicken or enhance the effect. A psychosis shot will cause the target to confuse friends and allies; in multiplayer, friends and allies show up differently to the target, but the target also appears different to others. This can be used to confuse enemy teammates into shooting each other, to increase the chances of a teammate safely walking by enemies, and to confuse enemy turrets (including the Laptop Gun) into thinking its enemies are allies and vice versa.
Damage: 5%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Tranquilizer Darts: 3 MP, 6 SP
Psychosis Darts: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Secondary
DY357-LX: Single Shot [dual]
This custom-made golden magnum with a tiger skin grip is only available as a cheat. It fires bullets at such a high velocity that a single shot will kill any target.
Damage: kill
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Extra Bullets: 6 MP, 12 SP
Class: Primary
Suisse SSR 2000: Single Shot
A powerful bolt-action sniper rifle that kills with a single body shot. It doesn’t quite have the range or accuracy of the CI sniper rifle, and after each shot the bullet must be pulled into the chamber. However, the loud crack made with each shot is sure to induce fear into enemies.
Damage: 200%
Accuracy: High
Range: Very Long
Extra Mags: 0 MP, 1 SP
Class: Primary
AuF Grenade Launcher: Grenade Launcher, Cluster Grenade
This grenade launcher’s primary function isn’t as powerful as that of the Devastator, but its secondary function makes it extremely useful in clearing areas of enemies. Smaller explosives fall to the ground before detonating for a larger collective blast radius albeit a less powerful one.
Damage: explosive
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Grenades: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
K80: Automatic Fire, Single Shot [dual]
This machine pistol is weak and inaccurate but has a higher rate of fire than the Klobb. However, its increased rate of fire causes it to run out of ammunition quickly.
Damage: 40%
Accuracy: Low
Range: Short
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
SG5 Commando: Three-Round Burst, Silencer, Laser Sight
A compact assault rifle that fires in bursts. It’s not the strongest assault rifle but is the only one capable of having a laser sight.
Damage: 55%
Accuracy: High
Range: Medium
Extra Mags: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Primary
Flashbang Grenade: Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
This temporarily disorients any who are looking in the grenade’s direction with a longer effect for those closer to the grenade. The flash causes slight damage to any players using night vision; the blinding effect also lasts a bit longer. As with any proximity detonation, the secondary function cannot tell friend from foe.
Damage: 0%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Grenades: 2 MP, 3 SP
Class: Tertiary
Smoke Grenade: Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
This causes a cloud of smoke to form that lasts for varying times based on the wind if present. IR vision can see straight through; explosions make the smoke clear more quickly.
Damage: 0%
Accuracy: Medium
Range: Medium
Grenades: 1 MP, 2 SP
Class: Tertiary
Device List
Gadgets are still a big part of the game and can now be used in multiplayer as well. Most devices will return, but new ones will be introduced, and some will have added uses. Night vision will reveal the full beam of light in a laser sight. Infrared vision shows recent footsteps, but their heat signature disappears quickly, especially in cooler areas, windy areas, or when it is raining. The CamSpy can be used in multiplayer if hidden well enough to spy on enemy locations; players can bring up a live feed that takes up roughly a quarter of the screen similar to how Far Cry 2 handles maps. The DrugSpy and BombSpy appear on threat detectors, but the CamSpy doesn't because it can't cause damage.
Note: Wear and Equip functions are toggled so that activating the function while worn will remove the device.
Data Uplink: Connect [dual]
This high-tech piece of equipment can quickly download data even from secured drives. It can unlock certain doors, upload viruses to computer systems, and even hack sentry turrets.
ECM Mine: Jamming Device [dual]
Mines: 2 MP, 3 SP
The ECM mine disrupts electronic communications with a constantly altering signal. Once placed on an object, it will be unable to accurately send signals to other devices for several minutes. Nearby electronics including radar are also jammed.
CamSpy: Deploy (Take Picture, Capture Video), Live Feed
This floating, remote-controlled camera can take pictures and video with sound that is instantly transferred to a remote location. It is normally used for espionage, but it can be used to give players a live feed from strategically positioned CamSpy units. When used in this way, players can watch the feed through a desired eye, but this slightly impairs vision.
DrugSpy: Deploy (Fire Dart)
Darts: 3 MP, 6 SP
The DrugSpy variant of the CamSpy removes the camera functionality and replaces it with a mini tranquilizer gun that fires non-lethal darts that quickly induce fatigue. Against an AI opponent, a single dart will take down a target within seconds depending on the target’s weight. If a player’s character is hit, dizziness will occur and worsen until the character finally loses consciousness for roughly ten or fifteen seconds, during which he or she is vulnerable. Multiple darts quicken the effect and increase the duration.
BombSpy: Deploy (Detonate)
The final variant of the CamSpy includes an explosive that’s slightly stronger than a standard grenade. If shot, none of the CamSpy devices explode including this one; rather, they spark and fall; however, if caught within the radius of an explosion, the BombSpy will detonate.
Night Vision: Equip, Increase Sensitivity, Decrease Sensitivity
These glasses greatly enhance visible light. While equipped, glasses can be put on or removed. The secondary and tertiary functions allow the player to control the sensitivity of the enhancement; greater sensitivity allows vision in the darkest environments but causes the most severe level of temporary blindness should a bright source of light enter the area. When night vision is enabled, players can see trails of the Falcon 2’s laser sight.
Door Decoder: Place
Once placed on a control panel, this device sifts through all possible combinations until the correct one is found. Normally this process doesn’t take very long, but more secure locks will require more time.
Tracer Bug: Throw [dual]
A tracer bug can be thrown onto objects or life forms and will show up on the user's radar until it's destroyed. If the host is killed, the tracer will still give off a signal, so a non-moving dot could indicate a camper or a corpse.
R-Tracker: Toggle Pickups, Upper Level, Lower Level [dual]
This device offers limited radar if there normally is none. In addition, an outline shows nearby geometry. Nav points indicate objective locations, and dots reveal points of interest such as hidden areas and weapons. Shots from non-silenced weapons briefly appear on the R-Tracker. If there is no radar, the R-Tracker must be held and looked at rather than automatically adding radar as part of the HUD. By default, all pickups are shown, but this can be disabled. The secondary and tertiary functions are used to find pickups in vertical areas.
IR Scanner: Equip
These glasses show infrared light, which is useful for finding heat sources or cool areas. Footprints leave behind small heat signatures, but they fade quickly, especially in cool areas.
X-Ray Scanner: Equip
The X-Ray Scanner allows players to see through solid objects. When using a weapon with bullet penetration, this can be very useful for shooting through doors and other objects that cannot be seen through.
Disguise: Wear
Joanna can obtain disguises from fallen enemies of similar size if there is no blood on them. Once a disguise is unlocked, it is available from then on in missions. Wearing the same outfit as a present enemy type will cause less-aware guards to take longer to suspect you. However, higher-ranking guards who are familiar with all of their subordinates are not as easily fooled; and disguises aren’t very useful if it is known that there is an intruder. Players should note that held equipment is part of the disguise. Also, disguises do not need to be selected as a device since clothing is chosen before the mission starts; though it must be manually worn if obtained for the first time, and players have the option of bringing a disguise to change mid-mission if desired. Changing clothing after being chased and temporarily hiding can give players a slight edge.
Cloaking Device: Activate/Deactivate
Battery: 10 MP, 20 SP
This device allows players to temporarily cloak themselves, although the field is not perfect. Even when still, there are occasional distortions that reveal the user’s position. However, moving and coming into contact with other objects outside of the field increase these glitches. Firing a weapon completely disrupts the field temporarily. This device is useless while a shield is active since its severe distortion will make players even more visible than if they were not attempting to cloak. Cloaked players still show up on radar.
Shield: Activate/Deactivate
This device forms an energy shield around the user’s entire body. It is formed when explosions or extremely high-velocity projectiles are detected, such as bullets; however, it will not form when the user is struck with a melee or when objects such as knives or mines are thrown. Crossbow bolts are also just a bit too slow. A shield that is formed stays active for a split second before deactivating. Players can choose to disable the shield for strategic reasons. The shield’s energy decreases when it absorbs shots, going from a fully charged green to yellow to red.
Body Armor: Wear/Remove
Body armor protects certain areas of the body against standard bullets. It does not protect against explosions, and it only lessens damage of knife slashes and unusually powerful bullets. It does not offer any protection in areas that the armor does not cover, such as the head. Body armor unlike the shield does not “run out.”
Flashlight: Turn On/Turn Off [dual]
This powerful bluish white light is great for illuminating dark areas, although it gives away the user’s position. When equipped, any weapon without a tertiary function will attach or remove the flashlight with an added temporary function; but beware: once attached, the flashlight stays with the weapon even if it is switched or discarded. The flashlight is automatically turned on when attached and turned off when removed. If a weapon is switched, the light is turned off; and when the weapon is brought back out, the light is turned back on. If the weapon is dropped, the light stays on as a reminder. The flashlight takes up a slot until it is attached, although there must be a free slot in order to remove it. In dark areas, a direct glare can temporarily blind anyone wearing Night Vision.
Hologram: Activate [dual]
Battery: 2 MP, 4 SP
This device causes a visible-light image of the user to appear, which walks until arriving at the target location. It isn't visible when using x-ray or IR vision.
Alien Medpack: Heal, Heal Ally
Only Maians can use this. It is a one-time use healing item that quickly heals up to 60% of the target's maximum health.
Skedar Bomb: Place, Set Time
Only Skedar can use this, although it can be used in either form. This creates the most powerful explosion in the game. The default timer is ten seconds, but it can be set to any time up until a minute and a half. In the Skedar Assault gametype, Skedar try to plant one while humans or Maians try to prevent it, although the timer is preset and cannot be changed in-game.
Slots at a Glance
The following can be outfitted with the given slot or higher. Equipment can be switched during gameplay, but Standard and Operative/Tactical have a limit of two primary weapons, and Dark has a limit of one.
Slot 1
Callisto NTG (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire, High Impact Shells
RC-P120 (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire, Cloak
Laptop Gun (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire, Sentry Gun, Laptop
K7 Avenger (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire, Threat Detector
AR34 (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire, Scope
SuperDragon (1/1 - 2/0 MP, 1/2 - 3/0 SP): Automatic Fire, Grenade Launcher, Proximity Mine
Sniper Rifle (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Single Shot, Silencer
FarSight XR-20 (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Single Shot, Rail-Gun Effect
Devastator (2/0 MP, 3/0 SP): Grenade Launcher, Wall Hugger
Rocket Launcher (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Rocket Launch, Targeted Rocket
Slayer (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Rocket Launch, Fly-By-Wire Rocket
KF7 Soviet (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire, Silencer
AR33 (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire
RC-P90 (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire
Military Laser (50% MP, 100% SP): Pulse Fire
DY357-LX (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Single Shot [dual]
Suisse SSR 2000 (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Single Shot
AuF Grenade Launcher (2/0 MP, 3/0 SP): Grenade Launcher, Cluster Grenade
SG5 Commando (1/2 MP, 1/3 MP): Three-Round Burst, Silencer, Laser Sight
Shield: Activate/Deactivate
Body Armor: Wear/Remove
Slot 2
Mauler (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Single Shot, Charge-Up Shot [dual]
Phoenix (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Single Shot, Explosive Shells [dual]
DY357 Magnum (1/1 - 0/1 MP, 1/2 - 0/1 SP): Single Shot, Load Golden Bullet [dual]
CMP150 (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire, Follow Lock-On [dual]
Cyclone (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire, Magazine Discharge
Shotgun (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Shotgun Fire, Double Blast
Reaper (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Reapage, Grinder
ZMG (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire [dual]
D5K (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Automatic Fire, Silencer [dual]
Phantom (1/0 MP, 1/1 SP): Automatic Fire [dual]
Automatic Shotgun (1/1 MP, 1/2 SP): Shotgun Fire
Psychosis Gun (3/0 - 1/0 MP, 6/0 - 2/0 SP): Tranquilizer, Psychosis [dual]
Slot 3
Falcon 2 (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Single Shot, Silencer, Scope [dual]
MagSec 4 (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Single Shot, Three-Round Burst [dual]
Combat Knife (1 MP, 1 SP): Knife Slash, Throw Poison Knife, Assassinate [dual]
Crossbow (1/2 - 0/1 MP, 1/4 - 0/1 SP): Paralyze, Prepare Lethal Bolt [right hand only]
Laser (100% rechargeable): Pulse Fire, Short Range Stream [left hand only]
Grenade (2 MP, 3 SP): 4-Second Fuse, Timed Pinball, Cancel Fuse [dual]
N-Bomb (2 MP, 3 SP): Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
Tactical Mine (1 MP, 2 SP): Throw Mine, Select Detonation, Set Time [dual]
PP7 (1/3 MP, 1/5 SP): Single Shot, Silencer [dual]
DD44 (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Single Shot [dual]
Klobb (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire [dual]
K80 (1/2 MP, 1/3 SP): Automatic Fire, Single Shot [dual]
Flashbang Grenade (2 MP, 3 SP): Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
Smoke Grenade (1 MP, 2 SP): Impact Detonation, Proximity Detonation [dual]
Slot 4
Combat Boost (1 MP, 2 SP): Boost, Revert [dual]
Data Uplink: Connect [dual]
ECM Mine (2 MP, 3 SP): Place, Throw [dual]
CamSpy (1): Deploy (Take Picture, Record Video), Live Feed
DrugSpy (1: 3 MP, 6 SP): Fire Dart
BombSpy (1): Detonate
Night Vision: Equip, Increase Sensitivity, Decrease Sensitivity
Door Decoder (1): Place
Tracer Bug (1): Throw [dual]
R-Tracker: Toggle Pickups, Upper Level, Lower Level [dual]
IR Scanner: Equip
X-Ray Scanner: Equip
Disguise (only when picked up during a mission): Wear
Cloaking Device (10 MP, 20 SP): Activate/Deactivate
Flashlight: Turn On/Turn Off [dual]
Hologram (2 MP, 4 SP): Activate [dual]
Alien Medpack (1): Heal
Skedar Bomb (1): Place, Set Time
Summary
Four slots can be outfitted in applicable variants with primary weapons, secondary weapons, tertiary weapons, and devices (aka gadgets). Every weapon has unique attributes including functions, and devices can now be used in multiplayer.
CHARACTER RACES
Humans
Humans have the most inventory space and available equipment as well as the fastest base movement speed. They can use all weapons, but some devices are exclusive to either Maians or Skedar. Only humans can pilot human vehicles. Humans have weaknesses in the brain, neck, and heart.
Human Slots (up, right, left, down)
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, body armor, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device
Slot 3: tertiary weapon or device
Slot 4: device; replace with second primary in Standard
Human Slots (up, right, left, down)
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, body armor, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device
Slot 3: tertiary weapon or device
Slot 4: device; replace with second primary in Standard
Maians
Maians have less inventory space than humans, move slower, have the weakest melee attacks, don't jump or vault very well, and have large heads but have improved sight (including when LDS as well as slightly better detection with the FarSight) and unique devices. They can see partially in the infrared, which enables them to barely see cloaked enemies more than other races can. They can use all weapons and devices that humans can, although they suffer increased recoil; they're knocked back when using a shotgun, bolt-action sniper rifle, or rocket launcher, and their aim is all over the place when attempting to use a Reaper. They're also the only race that can't equip two primary weapons. Maians can use Maian weapons to their fullest potential, and they're capable of telekinesis; these abilities cause extreme fatigue and minor dizziness and can only be used again after recovering. The less fatigued the player is from running, the more effective the ability will be. Players choose a single ability before spawning, but Elvis in the campaign can switch at any time. Maians' brains are their weakness, but they're the easiest weak spot to target in the game.
Maian Slots (up, right, left)
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, body armor, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device
Slot 3: tertiary weapon or device; replace with second secondary weapon in Standard
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, body armor, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device
Slot 3: tertiary weapon or device; replace with second secondary weapon in Standard
Maian Weapon Enhancements
Phoenix: Fire explosive shells with the same rate of fire as normal shots.
Callisto NTG: Penetrate thicker objects in the secondary function.
FarSight: In the secondary function, the crosshair turns red when hovering over an enemy even if the enemy is too close or too far to see.
Maian Abilities
Projectile Wall: Block incoming projectiles within the field of view for three seconds, causing them to fall harmlessly to the ground.
Push: Push nearby enemies with enough force to cause current held items to be dropped. Will fail if the target is too far away. Players can be pushed off ledges.
Lift: Cause the target to float for a few seconds. Once lifted, targets are exposed and can turn and aim but not control their movement.
Float: Reach higher areas by lifting oneself into the air for a few seconds.
Pull: Mentally pull an object, objective, or ally within range. Useful for helping teammates scale a level or getting objects that are out of reach.
Skedar
Skedar have the most limited inventory space. They can only use the sheild, the cloaking device, and Skedar weapons and devices. They're faster than Maians but not as fast as humans. They have very powerful melee attacks when unarmed, great jumping ability, the ability to smell nearby enemies, increased health, decreased recoil, and unique devices. Skedar have unique vision that is based on a combination of sound and smell rather than visible light, which takes getting used to and isn't as effective as using eyes. Their weak spot is a snake-light area only visible from the back and sides, and a shot to this area is not as lethal as a shot to the brain, although weapons with bullet penetration can damage this area more easily. The Skedar Lord in the campaign has all abilities and can switch between them at will; charges carry over.
Skedar have the most limited inventory space. They can only use the sheild, the cloaking device, and Skedar weapons and devices. They're faster than Maians but not as fast as humans. They have very powerful melee attacks when unarmed, great jumping ability, the ability to smell nearby enemies, increased health, decreased recoil, and unique devices. Skedar have unique vision that is based on a combination of sound and smell rather than visible light, which takes getting used to and isn't as effective as using eyes. Their weak spot is a snake-light area only visible from the back and sides, and a shot to this area is not as lethal as a shot to the brain, although weapons with bullet penetration can damage this area more easily. The Skedar Lord in the campaign has all abilities and can switch between them at will; charges carry over.
Skedar Slots (right, left)
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device; replace with primary weapon in Standard
Skedar Types
Since Skedar can’t wield any weapons or devices with tertiary functions, the button command for tertiary functions activates a special ability when applicable.
Skedar Warrior: These Sedar have a unique ability to dual-wield two-handed weapons such as Reapers and Slayers. When holding one weapon, press the tertiary function button or the dual-wield input to pull out the second weapon and again to put it away.
Skedar Infiltrator: You can transform into Mr. Blonde. In this form you can use human (but not Maian) weapons, but inventory is still limited to two slots. Skedar stats still apply except for increased melee damage, which is reduced to human damage. There is strategy in choosing what to outfit Mr. Blonde with since he can use human weapons in human form but will drop them when transforming back into a Skedar.
Slot 1: primary or lower weapon, shield, or device
Slot 2: secondary or lower weapon or device; replace with primary weapon in Standard
Skedar Types
Since Skedar can’t wield any weapons or devices with tertiary functions, the button command for tertiary functions activates a special ability when applicable.
Skedar Warrior: These Sedar have a unique ability to dual-wield two-handed weapons such as Reapers and Slayers. When holding one weapon, press the tertiary function button or the dual-wield input to pull out the second weapon and again to put it away.
Skedar Infiltrator: You can transform into Mr. Blonde. In this form you can use human (but not Maian) weapons, but inventory is still limited to two slots. Skedar stats still apply except for increased melee damage, which is reduced to human damage. There is strategy in choosing what to outfit Mr. Blonde with since he can use human weapons in human form but will drop them when transforming back into a Skedar.
Skedar Ninja: These Skedar can cloak naturally and make less noise when moving. They spawn with 15 seconds of cloaking time; killing with a weapon adds 5 seconds, and killing with a melee attack adds 10 seconds.
Skedar Vanguard: Skedar are slower than humans, but a Vanguard's special ability is Rush, which allows it to quickly dart toward slower victims as they cower in fear. During this brief time, they move faster than any other character. A melee kill adds one use of Rush.
Skedar Mother: This Skedar's tertiary function is Spawn; give birth to two Skedar children per life that attack non-Skedar or specific targets. Get a kill with a melee attack or a child Skedar to add one child to the queue of life.
CHEATS
All cheats are earned by completing various in-game tasks. Some cheats affect gameplay; in single-player, stats and achievements are locked while these are active; and in multiplayer they're only allowed in custom games, and everyone has the same cheats active. Other cheats don't affect gameplay such as visual filters, and these are individually chosen in multiplayer.
Cheats that apply to human players also apply to bots; cheats under the Fun category also apply to AI allies. For other cheats, there is a separate category for AI buddies. Any cheats that affect enemies also affect the human antagonist in counter-op. An underlined cheat designates that it is allowed in all game modes.
Fun
DK Mode: Give all characters long arms and large heads.
Small Players: Players and bots are very small. NPCs are normal size.
Small Characters: NPCs are very small. Human players and bots are normal size.
Team Heads Only: Enemies' faces and hair are replaced by those of the game's designers.
Third-Person: Play the game like a third-person shooter. Physics including gun accuracy don't change, but aiming zooms in slightly with a smaller redicle instead of looking down the sights.
Missions
The ''play as'' cheats only affect the first player. Co-op and counter-op players are normal characters.
Play as Elvis: Joanna is replaced with Elvis. AI dialogue and even behavior change accordingly. When outfitting, players can only select equipment compatible with Maians.
Play as Mr. Blonde: Joanna is replaced with Mr. Blonde. AI dioalgue and behavior change accordingly. When unarmed, Mr. Blonde’s tertiary function is Transform, which reveals his true identity: a Skedar Warrior. Mr. Blonde comes with a K7 Avenger and Mauler. Upon transforming, he drops the K7 Avenger since it cannot be used in the Skedar form, although he can transform back as well. Transforming for the first time unlocks the Skedar Infiltrator character in multiplayer.
Play as Skedar Lord: Joanna is replaced with the Skedar Lord, who can switch between Skedar abilities at will. Unlike Mr. Blonde, he can only spawn with equipment that Skedar can use.
Buddy Outfitting: In Classic, players must follow the four-slot system for allies. AI buddies only change the weapon they start with after running out of ammo. Limits on primary weapons still apply. This allows a human player in co-op to choose what to bring.
Gameplay
Invincible: Human players and bots take no damage.
Silent Footsteps: Make no noise while walking or running. Unlike other cheats, also affects allies.
Marquis of Queensbury Rules: All enemies are unarmed.
Enemy Shields: Each enemy has a shield.
Enemy Rockets: Every enemy has a Rocket Launcher. You can of course disarm them or pick them up and use them yourself. Skedar have Slayers.
Random Enemy Weapons: Every enemy in the mission will have random weapons. A guard that normally has a pistol might now have a grenade launcher, sniper rifle, grenade, or any other weapon.
Enemy Devices: Amp up the challenge by equipping every enemy with a random device. Your Laptop Gun turret might be hacked, while another enemy might be able to see you coming with an X-Ray Scanner.
Perfect Darkness: All lights are turned off. The sun and moon still provide light, as do muzzle flashes. Enemies not equipped with night vision will need to rely on sound and what light is available; however Joanna will need to do the same unless she equips night vision. In outdoor missions, if the sun is normally out, the moon will be out instead.
Equipment
Hurricane Fists: Punch extremely quickly while unarmed.
Unlimited Ammo: Never run out of extra ammo.
Bottomless Clip: Never have to reload.
No Spare Mags: There are no extra magazines either held or as pickups. Batteries don't recharge. Once the magazine is empty, weapons are discarded.
Cloaking Device: Cloaking Devices come with three times the normal battery. It must still be equipped, and in Classic players spawn with one.
Shield: Human players have a shield in Classic.
Super Shield: Shields are twice as strong as normal. Does not affect enemy shields. Human players spawn with one in Classic.
Strong Arms: Hold any weapon with one hand. Slot limitations still apply, but players can hold out two different primary weapons if they choose.
Golden Magnum: Available for outfitting and weapon pickups is a DY357-LX. It has only one function, but each bullet is deadly.
Buddies
If the second player is human, he/she will control the selected character.
Velvet: Joanna’s sister. She is unusually passive and has a Falcon 2. This is the only buddy that a second human player can choose equipment for without a cheat where outfitting is available.
Pugilist: A large tuxedo-wearing man that loves to punch enemies to a pulp. His melee is stronger than normal.
Hotshot: A man with a slick haircut and two magnums. In his left hand he holds a DY357, but in his right hand he holds a DY357-LX, which is normally only available via a cheat.
Hit and Run: A tall man dressed completely in white. He carries a K7 Avenger with five extra magazines instead of three.
Blade: A woman dressed in black that is a master of the Combat Knife. Also equips a Cloaking Device for stealthy kills. She occasionally throws her knife faster than it can normally be thrown and with deadly precision; she carries a spare in case she loses the other one.
Alien: A Maian soldier that comes with a Callisto NTG and two Phoenix pistols; witness how the Phoenix got its name. Choose which ability he has before the mission.
Nightmare: A Skedar equipped with a Reaper and a shield; witness the true power of the Reaper. Choose which kind of Skedar it is before the mission.
Classic Mode
All Weapons: Begin with every weapon in the game. Each weapon has standard ammo.
All Weapons (Duals): Begin with every weapon in the game. There will be two of every weapon that can be dual-wielded.
All Devices: Begin with every device (gadget) in the game.
Note: For these cheats, only weapons and devices the character can use will be given. For example, if a Play as Skedar cheat is active, only Skedar weapons will appear.
Graphics
Black and White
Sepia
Film Grain
High Contrast
Negative
Summary
Most cheats lock statistics and achievements, but they're fun and numerous.
ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES
Hero: Prevent all civilian casualties during a terrorist attack. [10]
A Perfect Agent: Complete any mission segment on Perfect Agent difficulty without taking damage. [20]
My Best Enemy: Successfully stop the first player in a counter-op match. [5]
Lights Out: Complete a mission with the Perfect Darkness cheat activated on Special Agent or above. [15]
FarSighted: Kill 2 enemies with one FarSight shot in any game mode. [15]
???: Complete [misson or mission segment] on Perfect Agent. [10-25 each]
Weapon Master: Earn at least silver for each weapon in the firing range. [30]
Whoa: Play as an alien. [10]
Left-Handed: Hold a one-handed weapon in the left hand. [5]
Dark Agent: Reach level 50 and earn the Perfect Agent achievement. [50]
Collector: Unlock all equipment. [30]
Big Closet: Unlock all outfits for all characters. [30]
Musician: Unlock all soundtracks. [15]
Marathon: Complete all challenges. [40]
Mission Complete: Complete all missions on at least Special Agent. [50]
Two’s Company: Dual-wield two weapons. [5]
Boom: Kill three or more enemies with a single explosion in any game mode except custom multiplayer. [10]
Training Complete: Complete movement, combat, and device training in the Carrington Institute. [15]
Cheesy: Find a hidden piece of cheese in any mission. [5]
Completionist: Unlock every cheat in the game. [20]
Note: The following achievements are earned in non-custom multiplayer matches.
Bulletproof: Kill an enemy on the opposite side of bulletproof glass. [15]
Hacker: Use a Data Uplink on an enemy Laptop Gun turret. [5]
Cold Handed: Kill an enemy with a Slayer rocket after being killed while guiding it. [10]
Handicapped: Win five ranked matches with handicap set to 10% or less. One-shot-kill matches do not count. [15]
Lucky Seven: Kill an enemy with a Tactical Mine set to a seven-second detonation. Does not count if the mine is prematurely detonated. [10]
What’s Yours Is Mine: Disarm an enemy and then kill them with their own weapon. [5]
Nice Throw: Hit a target with a thrown knife from over 10 meters away. [10]
New Agent: Win a ranked game. [5]
Special Agent: Win at least one ranked game in each scenario both with and without teams. [20]
Perfect Agent: Win at least five ranked games in each scenario and at least five ranked games in each variant. These can overlap. [30]
Note: The following achievements are mystery ones whose descriptions are not known in-game.
Naked: Spawn completely unarmed in a ranked match with outfitting. [5]
Behold the Phoenix: Hit enemies with ten explosive shots in under five seconds in any game mode. [25]
Not So Grim: In multiplayer, kill an enemy with a Reaper as a Skedar. [10]
Diversity: In a mission, have both a Maian ally and a Skedar ally. [10]
Summary
Even more reason to get to play every mode.
STATISTICS
Each stat shows an overall sum and the highest score when applicable. For example, the Kills stat might read: 15,901 (Record: 174). Every stat appears on leaderboards; and the highest and lowest scores of each are displayed. Since there will likely be hundreds of thousands of records for individual playthroughs for enemies killed since each mission segment only has a limited number of enemies, it also takes overall kills for the segment into account.
Note that time played does not count time in the game’s main menu, in the pause menu, or when the player becomes idle (such as configuring multiplayer settings and not pressing buttons for a while). Also, betrayals caused by the Psychosis Gun’s confusion do not count as betrayals or kills. This data is not only to be compared with other players but also helps developers determine if any equipment is overpowered or not useful enough.
Carrington Institute
Training Room
Attempts
Successes
Failures
High Score
Fastest Time
Overall
Overall Time
Training Sessions (includes ones played through whether passed or failed)
Training Score (F to A or I for incomplete)
Missions
Individual Mission Segments (for each mode)
Attempts
Completions
Deaths
Mission Failures
Kills
Knockouts
Deaths
Civilian Casualties
Ally Betrayals
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Fastest Completion
Co-Op Completions
Counter-Op Completions
Counter-Op Preventions
Weapon of Choice
Overall
Playthroughs (number of times all mission segments were completed at least once)
Deaths
Mission Failures
Kills
Knockouts
Deaths
Civilian casualties
Ally Betrayals
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Fastest Completion
Distance Traveled
Co-Op Playthroughs
Counter-Op Completions
Counter-Op Preventions
Cheese Pieces Found
Weapon of Choice
Multiplayer
Standard (and for others; separate from ranked, unranked, and private)
Combat Matches (win/loss ratio)
…
Quits
Kills
Deaths
K/D Ratio
Betrayals (not counted in kills)
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Distance Traveled
Weapon of Choice
Most Killed By (weapon/device)
Case Captures
Case Returns
...
Overall
Matches
Quits
Kills
Deaths
K/D Ratio
Betrayals
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Distance Traveled
Weapon of Choice
Most Killed By
Case Captures
…
Most Played Mode
Most Played Scenario
Most Played Map
Challenges
Individual Challenges and Overall
Attempts
Completions
Kills
Deaths
K/D Ratio
Casualties
Betrayals
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Distance Traveled
Weapon of Choice
Overall Stats (appear in each category)
Kills
Deaths
K/D Ratio
Casualties
Betrayals
Suicides
Accuracy
Headshots
Shots Fired
Damage Dealt
Damage Taken
Time Played
Distance Traveled
Weapon of Choice
Gadget of Choice
Overall
Level (1-50)
Gamerscore: 470/1000 (12/25 achievements)
(Above stats)
Time Played: 25h 48m 10s (4.04h CI, 14.84h solo missions, etc.)
Equipment Stats
Each weapon and device
Percent Used (16%, 3rd)
Percent Equipped
Kills (2,049, 5th)
Deaths (from the weapon)
Suicides (when applicable)
Accuracy
Headshots
Punches/Shots Fired/Times Used
Summary
Stats are always being updated, even when players are offline.
CONCLUSION
So, this is version 2.0 of my greatest concept of all time. The original Perfect Dark is still my favorite game of all time to this day, and I'm still disappointed at how Perfect Dark Zero actually took several steps back from the original rather than making an even better game. I look forward to the XBLA remake, but I hope that one day a game with the dedication put into the original will continue the Perfect Dark universe.
Gameplay
- Secondary and tertiary functions
- Dual-wielding with any two one-handed weapons at the cost of the ability to manually aim
- Standing, crouching, and either prone or kneeling positions
- Body armor and (energy) shields have different uses
- Blurry vision that's optional in multiplayer
- Fully customizable controls
- Sensitive control sticks and triggers for varied speeds and grenade throws
- Manual reloading only
- Weapons are picked up with an animation or automatically depending on the mode
- Tertiary weapons, devices, and disabled shields don't show on character models, which enhances stealth; in Classic, only held equipment is visible
- Have the choice of picking up or just taking ammo from each weapon; in modes other than Dark, ammo is collected automatically
- Picked up used weapons have left over ammo and no extra magazines; these drop separately in Dark mode
- Players can pick up ammo even for weapons they don't have
- Cover system that stays in first-person
- Blind fire
- Level-up system
- Equipment (weapons and devices) unlocked by leveling up, finding them, and completing certain tasks
- Cheats available in everything but ranked multiplayer, but achievements are locked while they're on, and available cheats depend on the game mode
- Carrington Institute mode returns with more areas available after each completed mission
- Challenges grant experience and unlock multiplayer characters
- All weapons and gadgets from the first PD return in some form plus new ones
- Limited stored ammo compared to the first Perfect Dark
- If possible, a day/night cycle in both the campaign and in multiplayer
- The ability to eventually play as Maians and Skedar with all races having unique attributes
- Sway affected by movement, stance, and fatigue
- Momentum causes a pause after running or sharply changing turning direction
- Weight of characters affects body collision physics and other things
- Melee damage depends on the player's held weapon and point of impact
- Rapidly firing a semi-automatic or firing a weapon while jogging will severely reduce accuracy
- In Dark and Operative variants, bullets are affected by gravity
- Realistic look with attention to detail
- Blood splatters, dead bodies, bullet holes, ammunition shells, discarded clips, shattered glass, and other debris stay for as long as the platform's memory can handle it, preferably saving with checkpoints
- Every weapon has a unique melee animation
- Blood options
- Intuitive and attractive menu that responds quickly to each button press
- Weapon descriptions with rotating 3-D models in the pause menu
- Manually aiming looks down a gun's sights
- If a weapon has a scope, the scope itself takes up a large portion of the screen with a slight blur outside of the scope
- Looking into a sniper or the FarSight in its secondary function takes up the full screen
- Character models should show holstered weapons and blood, which disappears after respawning
- Cutscenes should be done in real-time, showing what weapon you were holding and with shield effects if you have one
- A screen shaking effect when firing that depends on the character’s weight as well as the weapon’s recoil
- First-person character animations that include falling
- Entirely different visual display for non-human characters
- Remastered versions of all PD songs plus original tracks
- Atmosphere-setting music that changes with the pace
- Language filter option
- Quality sound effects, especially for guns
- Talented voice acting
- Different sounds for non-human characters
- Choose unlocked equipment before missions
- Four difficulty levels with noticeable differences
- Standard mode with regenerating health, HUD, checkpoints, and pre-mission equipment substitution
- Dark mode with most realistic physics and outfitting but limited HUD and checkpoints
- Classic mode with health bar, HUD, and unlimited equipment but no checkpoints or outfitting
- Multiple ways to complete some if not all missions
- Limited random enemy placement
- Checkpoints that can be loaded even after playing other missions
- Co-op and counter-op online, or offline with a selected bot
- Campaign scoring and detailed statistics given after each mission segment
- Individual AI alertness levels based on what each NPC sees and hears
- Silently make enemies lose consciousness from behind or twist their neck
- Use enemy clothes as a disguise if they fit and aren't drenched in blood
- AI characters must reload and have limited ammo just like you
- Not all enemies in a mission use the same weapon
- Actions in one mission segment may affect later segments
- Each mission with a unique feel including level design, gameplay elements, and overall atmosphere
- Good enemy variety, each type with unique AI patterns
- Secret missions unlocked played from the perspective of different characters, with enemy AI reacting differently depending on your character
- Leaderboards for fastest time completed and highest score achieved for each mission segment
- Each mission with a hidden piece of cheese that doesn’t unlock anything but may go toward an achievement
- Standard matches that may include bots (although rare) that players control with advanced squad commands
- Dark matches with outfitting and no bots
- Classic gametypes with weapon pickups in which all players are on a pretty even playing field
- Operative gametypes with spawn rooms and some pickups
- Choose character and outfit
- Each gametype on each map has different weapon/device/vehicle sets with maximum numbers of each depending on the map's size
- Radar options depend on the gametype and, if in use, may show players based on sound, movement, or sight
- Countless options, many of which are uncommon in FPSs such as whether or not ammo cases appear, how long dots stay on the radar, and the ability to enable or disable each individual weapon and device along with each of its functions separately.
- Temple, Complex, Felicity, Skedar, Ravine, Warehouse, Grid, Area 52, and Villa return along with new maps
- Players choose from a list of games to join with important data--such as map, gametype, and weapons--visible at a glance
- Ranked playlists are hosted by the developer; custom, unranked playlists are hosted by players using a dedicated server to avoid host advantage
- Good map variety and item placement
- Updates over time that fix bugs, eliminate glitching, enhance gametypes with user feedback taken into consideration, and balance gameplay should the need arise
- Leaderboards for levels, kill count, accuracy, etc.
- Offers multiple training and information rooms
- More areas unlocked as the player progresses
- Eventually the entire institute can be explored even from the outside
- Unlocked weapons are instantly added to the firing range
- Eventually the canonical plot of the PD universe (including Perfect Dark and Perfect Dark 2) can be read from one of the in-game computers
- 50 challenges offer unique challenges inspired by missions and multiplayer scenarios
- Completing a challenge for the first time offers significant experience, but additional completions still grant some experience
- After completing all challenges, players unlock the ability to create their own challenges and to download others’. A rating system and keyword feature allow players to find the best content with ease.
- Players cannot choose equipment in most challenges.
- Challenges can be played in co-op and counter-op, though unlocks are only earned by completing them solo. Playing co-op and counter-op still grants experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment