Kevin G said:
I'd hate to say it but Perfect Dark Zero isn't that innovative.
How do you define innovative?
Maps with multiple sizes availible? Goldeneye and Perfect Dark did that.
And yet very few games do this. This is one of the major features of BF2, yet when I pick up other FPS (PC and Console) they do not offer this feature. Even more, they do not do it dymanically (and this feature was cut in BF2--it is preset and wont change).
Face mapping? The original Perfect Dark had it until Nintendo told them to remove it. Anyway, face mapping isn't anything special in terms of PC games.
Are you serious? I play a ton of tier 1 FPS. In the last year I have spent at least a thousand hours on CS:S, HL2DM, FarCry, BF1942, BF:V, D3, CoD, and so forth. You know how many of those offer face mapping where your opponents online will see it?
0. Zero. None.
I have been playing FPS since Wolfenstien 3D and have been playing multiplayer FPS since Doom (4 way LAN at home... my dad was a Doom addict). Now I have not played EVERY FPS, but I play a ton of them. I actually cannot name a SINGLE FPS that does face/body mapping that other players will natively see (withing downloading a specific skin pack or whatever).
Face mapping is not a common or native feature to PC or console games. It is pretty rare and unheard of in the console sphere. Definately innovative.
Disarming opponents? The original Perfect Dark had it.
Again, not many FPS have this features. Also, what do you expect? This game is made by 1.) the same company and 2.) is the same series. Of course it is going to keep/build on the best features.
The fact so few other games in the genre have this feature. Just because another game has the same feature does not mean it is not worthwhile or does not stick out. E.g. up until HL2 shipped very few games had a gravity gun that worked as well as Valve's did. If they ship HL3, improve the feature, and this novel idea is still rare then it is still a PLUS. Just because a feature is not a total exclusive does not mean it is not worth noting. If only 5% of games have a GREAT feature it is well worth noting.
Secondary weapon fire? Again, found in the original.
Again see the above. Rare, sequal, blah blah blah. Secondary fires have been waning in my opinion, nice to see a developer have enough ideas to actually have a game where every game has a 2ndary fire.
28 different weapons? Goldeneye and the original Perfect Dark had more.
See above about Rare, sequal blah blah blah. And for the record, 28 guns all with secondary fire ROCKS compared to most current game selections. Most games you are lucky to get 9 guns.
Again, an example of not a totally NEW features, but an example of the mixing and mashing of all the BEST features around.
Definately not a reason to complain. Games are always evolutionary, dropping/refining broken elements and incorperating proven ones. So far every feature you have mentioned has far outstripped other best selling FPS on the market.
The ability to play against bots and command them when they're on your team? Perfect Dark.
OK, so PD had this. You know how many games either have junk AI or no bots at all? Yeah. Definately not going to knock Rare for bots. No bots in Halo / Halo 2 prevented me from buying an Xbox. No bots in CoD kept me away from playing it much. The poor bots in BF kill the offline series and "tard free time".
Actually, the ONLY FPS that I can think of that has good multiplayer bots is Counter Strike: Source--and even that was a later patch. Most games do not even bother.
Since my PD is sitting in a box next to my dusty N64 and since so few other developers have made quality FPS with bots in multiplay, this is DEFINATELY a welcome feature.
I have the distinct feeling Rare has burried their previous work and is just hyping a lack luster game which immitates every other shooter.
How can you say that without even playing the game?
Sequals are to build on the success of previous games. The fact they have not cut a lot of great features--features that other shooters do not have--is a GOOD thing. I do not know how you can twist that into a negative, especially without having played the game. Inclusion of "franchise features" is not about ripping things off, but about building on success.
Jumping was not part of the original Perfect Dark for example. Now players can jump or fly if they have a jet pack.
Wait! So they include something new and this is somehow bad? What was all the talk about "PD and 007 had this feature and they are just copying other shooters". Which leads into:
A lot of comparisons are being drawn between Counter Strike and Perfect Dark Zero's multiplayer. One of the reasons why I enjoyed Perfect Dark so much was that it wasn't Counter Strike.
If you read closely, there are two modes: your traditional TDM like mode with 6 different variations; and then your Dark Ops which has 6 different variations and is similar to CS:S.
So you still have a lot of non-CS:S like play modes. And if you did not know, some of us like the round based CS:S games. This is an example of them EXPANDING the game in ways most Console FPS do not have, adding something new, and yet it is a negative?
First they do nothing new to the franchise, then they do and you still complain.
It sounds like you should not buy this game because nothing Rare does will make you happy!
Fact is they are bringing some new things to FPS in general, and especially to console FPS. Face mapping is not as common as you state. The evasive manuevers is fairly innovative (very few FPS use them). They are using a ton of features from the original that traditional FPS have ignored. They have a ton of guns and alt fires, dynamic level sizes, some vehicles, bots (which are still rare/poor in most FPS), and so forth. They also have added some new game modes.
All with 50 players and destructable environments. I cannot remember the last time I was on a CONSOLE with 50 players in a fast FPS type game (hint: never), but I know on the PC 30+ players on a solid server is rare. If Rare can do half of what they want, and it plays well (like 007 and PD) then it is a winner.
As much as FPS have advanced in graphics over the years, the gameplay has lagged--especially in features. I wont knock PDZ for bringing back features other FPS franchises have ignored.
